Unit II: Personality and Behaviour Development

The soul and Scientific Attitude

The most popular and perhaps most psychologically natural theory of the soul is that it is a
kind of subtle, ethereal, or astral body. While the body is alive, the soul is inside of the
body. It is an ethereal body inside the ordinary body. When a person dies, the soul rises up
out of the body as if it were a ghostly image. The soul looks very much like the body.it
has the same shape and visible features of the body. The soul is made of some kind of
subtle or special stuff.

It can walk through walls and vanish.

In the absolute sense the soul can only be conscious of itself, because it alone

Exists as that state of pure singularity. When we say it is conscious of itself, we separate
the intellectual level into two aspects: (1) the aspect that it is observer and (2) the aspect
that it is observed (although they are one and the same). Intellectual examination, in fact,
reveals the existence within consciousness of three values, inherent in any process of
conscious experience or any process of observation: (1) the observer, (2) the observed,
and (3) the process of linking the observer and the observed. Even though there is nothing
but one consciousness, this principle of three emerges. Consciousness being awake to
itself experiences itself, and is at once the knower, the process of knowing, and the known
-observer, process of observation, and observed; or subject, object, and the process of
linking them. In this state of absolute

Consciousness, these three values are one and the same, yet they represent these
aspects of the same singularity.

It is obvious that every relative experience requires a subject coming together

with an object. This coming together takes place both on the level of attention as well as
on the sensory level of perception. When the subject comes together with the object
through the process of observation, then the experience occurs

-then knowledge of the object by the subject takes place. Knowledge therefore, is the
result of the coming together of the observer, the process of observation, and the
observed. As one consciousness leads to three aspects, the interaction between the three
and the resultant aspects, relationships, and their interaction, etc. leads to an infinite
number of ever expanding possibilities. All these possibilities, all these forces of interaction
and relation, exist in the soul.

What are scientific attitudes?

Scientific attitudes can be regarded as a complex of values and norms which is held to be
binding on the man of science. The norms are expressed in the form of prescriptions,
proscriptions and permissions. They are legitimatized in terms of institutional values. The
norms and values are supposed to be intemalised by the scientists and there after they
fashion his/her scientific practice. The current set of scientific attitudes of objectivity, open-
mindedness, unbiassedness,curiosity, suspended judgement.critica mindedness and
rationality has evolved from a systematic identification of scientific norms and values.
Universalism exist in scientific attitudes.

Scientific attitudes are attitudes a person must possess in order to be successful in making
investigations.

Examples of scientific attitudes:

1. Empiricism. Simply said, a scientist prefers to "look and see." You do not argue about
whether it is raining outside--just stick a hand out the window. Underlying this is the belief
that there is one real world following constant rules in nature, and that we can probe that
real world and build our understanding--it will not change on us. Nor does the real world
depend upon our understanding--we do not "vote" on science.

2. Determinism. "Cause-and-effect" underlie everything. In simple mechanisms, an action

causes a reaction, and effects do not occur without causes. This does not mean that some
processes are not random or chaotic. But a causative agent does not alone produce one
effect today and another tomorrow.

3. A belief that problems have solutions. Major problems have been tackled in the past,
from the Manhattan Project to sending a man to the moon. Other problems such as
pollution, war, poverty, and ignorance are seen as having real causes and are therefore
solvable--perhaps not easily, but possible.

4. Parsimony. Prefer the simple explanation to the complex: when both the complex earth-
centered system with epicycles and the simple Copernican sun-centered system explain
apparent planetary motion, we choose the simpler.

5. Scientific manipulation. Any idea, even though it may be simple and conform to
apparent observations, must usually be confirmed by work that teases out the possibility
that the effects are caused by other factors.

6. Skepticism. Nearly all statements make assumptions of prior conditions. A scientist often
reaches a dead end in research and has to go back and determine if all the assumptions
made are true to how the world operates.

7. Precision. Scientists are impatient with vague statements: A virus causes disease? How
many viruses are needed to infect? Are any hosts immune to the virus? Scientists are very
exact and very "picky".

8. Respect for paradigms. A paradigm is our overall understanding about how the world
works. Does a concept "fit" with our overall understanding or does it fail to weave in with
our broad knowledge of the world? If it doesn't fit, it is "bothersome" and the scientist goes
to work to find out if the new concept is flawed or if the paradigm must be altered.

9. A respect for power of theoretical structure. Diederich describes how a scientist is

unlikely to adopt the attitude: "That is all right in theory but it won't work in practice." He
notes that theory is "all right" only if it does work in practice. Indeed the rightness of the
theory is in the end what the scientist is working toward; no science facts are accumulated
at random. (This is an understanding that many science fair students must learn!)

10. Willingness to change opinion. When Harold Urey, author of one textbook theory on
the origin of the moon's surface, examined the moon rocks brought back from the Apollo
mission, he immediately recognized this theory did not fit the hard facts laying before him.
"I've been wrong!" he proclaimed without any thought of defending the theory he had
supported for decades.

11. Loyalty to reality. Dr. Urey above did not convert to just any new idea, but accepted a
model that matched reality better. He would never have considered holding to an opinion
just because it was associated with his name.
12. Aversion to superstition and an automatic preference for scientific explanation. No
scientist can know all of the experimental evidence underlying current science concepts
and therefore must adopt some views without understanding their basis. A scientist rejects
superstition and prefers science paradigms out of an appreciation for the power of reality
based knowledge.

13. A thirst for knowledge, an "intellectual drive." Scientists are addicted puzzle-solvers.
The little piece of the puzzle that doesn't fit is the most interesting. However, as Diederich
notes, scientists are willing to live with incompleteness rather than "...fill the gaps with off-
hand explanations."

14. Suspended judgment. Again Diederich describes: "A scientist tries hard not to form an
opinion on a given issue until he has investigated it, because it is so hard to give up
opinion already formed, and they tend to make us find facts that support the opinions...
There must be however, a willingness to act on the best hypothesis that one has time or
opportunity to form."

15. Awareness of assumptions. Diederich describes how a good scientist starts by defining
terms, making all assumptions very clear, and reducing necessary assumptions to the
smallest number possible.
Often we want scientists to make broad statements about a complex world. But usually
scientists are very specific about what they "know" or will say with certainty: "When these
conditions hold true, the usual outcome is such-and-such."

16. Ability to separate fundamental concepts from the irrelevant or unimportant. Some
young science students get bogged down in observations and data that are of little
importance to the concept they want to investigate.

17. Respect for quantification and appreciation of mathematics as a language of science.

Many of nature's relationships are best revealed by patterns and mathematical
relationships when reality is counted or measured; and this beauty often remains hidden
without this tool.

18. An appreciation of probability and statistics. Correlations do not prove cause-and-

effect, but some pseudoscience arises when a chance occurrence is taken as "proof."
Individuals who insist on an all-or-none world and who have little experience with statistics
will have difficulty understanding the concept of an event occurring by chance.

19. An understanding that all knowledge has tolerance limits. All careful analyses of the
world reveal values that scatter at least slightly around the average point; a human's core
body temperature is about so many degrees and objects fall with a certain rate of
acceleration, but there is some variation. There is no absolute certainty.

20. Empathy for the human condition. Contrary to popular belief, there is a value system in
science, and it is based on humans being the only organisms that can "imagine" things
that are not triggered by stimuli present at the immediate time in their environment; we are,
therefore, the only creatures to "look" back on our past and plan our future. This is why
when you read a moving book, you imagine yourself in the position of another person and
you think "I know what the author meant and feel

Meaning of Positive Thinking

By definition, the word positive means dealing with matters of fact; expressed
clearly, or in a confident or peremptory manner. However, in the concept of positive
thinking, the word positive is meant to signify a manner of thinking: a manner that
puts emphasis on processing thoughts in a more desirable, upbeat way.

It can be described as the practice of embracing the affirmative in our thoughts, our
feelings, our actions, our reactions and our speech.

More.
*Positive thinking is a mental attitude that admits into the mind thoughts, words and
images that are conductive to growth, expansion and success. It is a mental attitude that
expects good and favourable results. It is strategy that can be used to make you feel good
about yourself.

*Thinking positive is one of the most important things you need to practice throughout
your life. It is a way of living and a technique that you need to incorporate into your daily
life if you have any intentions of changing things or accomplishing your goals. It is also a
way to use your mind to reverse the damaging effects of negative thinking.

The Health Benefits of Positive Thinking

In recent years "power of positive thinking" has gained a great deal of attention, because
of the benefits
According to the Mayo Clinic, positive thinking is linked to a wide range of health benefits
including:

Longer life span

Less stress

Lower rates of depression

Increased resistance to the common cold

Better stress management and coping skills

Lower risk of cardiovascular disease-related death

Increased physical well-being

Better psychological health

Positive Thinking versus Positive Psychology

While the terms positive thinking and positive psychology are sometimes used
interchangeably, it is important to understand that they are not the same thing. First,
positive thinking is about looking at things from a positive point of view. Positive
psychology certainly tends to focus on optimism, but it also notes that while there are
many benefits to thinking positively, there are actually times when more realistic thinking is
more advantageous.

Positive Thinking Tips

Even if you are not a natural-born optimist, there are things you can do to learn how to
think positive. One of the first steps is to focus on your own inner monologue and to pay
attention to your self-talk.

Implementing Positive Thinking:

1. Use positive words when talking. If you constantly say I cannot you could convince
yourself that its true. Replace negative words with positive ones. Tell yourself that you do
everything possible to have a happy relationship, tell yourself that you do everything
possible to have a brilliant career, tell yourself that you do everything possible to keep you
in shape.

2. Remove all the feelings that are not positive! Do not let negative thoughts and
feelings conquer when you have a bad mood. Even if for a few hours a day, remove
negativity and focus on the positive things in your life.
3. Use words that evoke strength and success. Fill your thoughts with words that make
you feel strong, happy, having control over your life. Make an effort to focus on these
words rather than the ones that suggest failure or incompetence.

4. Practice positive affirmations. One of the most common exercises for a positive
thinking is positive affirmation. What does that mean? Start repeating a positive phrase like
I deserve to be happy or I deserve to be loved. Believing that these statements are true
and repeating them always will impose a more positive opinion about your life.

5. Redirect your thoughts! This method used by psychotherapists helps you control your
thoughts when you start to feel negative emotions like depression or anxiety. How can you
do that? When you feel a emotion taking hold on you start generating a happy mind, a
positive image, something that makes you feel better to keep your negative feelings under
control.

6. Start thinking you will succeed! Nothing compares with self confidence that creates a
successful reality. Put your doubts aside and believe that you will succeed in meeting the
objectives.

7. Analyse what went wrong. Positive thinking is not about denying that nothing can go
wrong. Instead take the time to see what went wrong and what led to the current situation
in order to avoid future mistakes and look forward more positive.

8. Forgive you! re Always arguing for things that went wrong will not change anything.
Tell yourself you are forgived and allow you to move on.

9. Think of a failure as an opportunity. Sometimes the most negative things in our lives
give us opportunities that we may not have seen otherwise. For example losing your job
can be a good opportunity to open your own business or go back to school!

10. Working at your imagination / visualization. Visualizing what you want to achieve or
the person you want to be can be a great motivation to take you there and make you think
more positively about the distance that you have untill the destination.

Integrity and Discipline:

Integrity = being true to ones word, do what you say you do not what you feel like doing.
Discipline = obeying rules or a code of behaviour.

Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral
uprightness. It is generally a personal choice to uphold oneself to consistently moral and
ethical standards.
In ethics, integrity is regarded by many people as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy
of one's actions. Integrity can stand in opposition to hypocrisy, in that judging with the
standards of integrity involves regarding internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests that
parties holding within themselves apparently conflicting values should account for the
discrepancy or alter their beliefs.

The word integrity evolved from the Latin adjective integer, meaning whole or complete. In
this context, integrity is the inner sense of "wholeness" deriving from qualities such as
honesty and consistency of character. As such, one may judge that others "have integrity"
to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold.

Respect for the dignity of persons is the most fundamental and universally found ethical
principle across geographical and cultural boundaries, and across professional disciplines.
It provides the philosophical foundation for many of the other ethical principles put forward
by professions. Respect for dignity recognizes the inherent worth of all human beings,
regardless of perceived or real differences in social status, ethnic origin, gender,
capacities, or other such characteristics. This inherent worth means that all human beings
are worthy of equal moral consideration.

All human beings, as well as being individuals, are interdependent social beings that are
born into, live in, and are a part of the history and ongoing evolution of their peoples. The
different cultures, ethnicities, religions, histories, social structures and other such
characteristics of peoples are integral to the identity of their members and give meaning to
their lives. The continuity of peoples and cultures over time connects the peoples of today
with the peoples of past generations and the need to nurture future generations. As such,
respect for the dignity of persons includes moral consideration of and respect for the
dignity of peoples.

Respect for the dignity of persons and peoples is expressed in different ways in different
communities and cultures. It is important to acknowledge and respect such differences. On
the other hand, it also is important that all communities and cultures adhere to moral
values that respect and protect their members both as individual persons and as collective
peoples.

Psychologists accept as fundamental the Principle of Respect for the Dignity of Persons
and Peoples. In so doing, they accept the following related values:

1. respect for the unique worth and inherent dignity of all human beings;

2. respect for the diversity among persons and peoples;

 3. respect for the customs and beliefs of cultures, to be limited only when a custom or
a belief seriously contravenes the principle of respect for the dignity of persons or
peoples or causes serious harm to their well-being;

4. free and informed consent, as culturally defined and relevant for individuals,
families, groups, and communities;

5. privacy for individuals, families, groups, and communities;

6. protection of confidentiality of personal information, as culturally defined and

relevant for individuals, families, groups, and communities;

7. Fairness and justice in the treatment of persons and peoples.

Competent Caring for the Well-Being of Persons and Peoples

Competent caring for the well-being of persons and peoples involves working for their
benefit and, above all, doing no harm. It includes maximizing benefits, minimizing potential
harm, and offsetting or correcting harm. Competent caring requires the application of
knowledge and skills that are appropriate for the nature of a situation as well as the social
and cultural context. It also requires the ability to establish interpersonal relationships that
enhance potential benefits and reduce potential harm. Another requirement is adequate
self-knowledge of how one's values, experiences, culture, and social context might
influence one's actions and interpretations.

Psychologists accept as fundamental the Principle of Competent Caring for the Well-Being
of Persons and Peoples. In so doing, they accept the following related values:

1. active concern for the well-being of individuals, families, groups, and communities;

2. taking care to do no harm to individuals, families, groups, and communities;

3. maximizing benefits and minimizing potential harm to individuals, families, groups,

and communities;

4. correcting or offsetting harmful effects that have occurred as a result of their

activities;

5. developing and maintaining competence;

6. self-knowledge regarding how their own values, attitudes, experiences, and social
contexts influence their actions, interpretations, choices, and recommendations;

7. respect for the ability of individuals, families, groups, and communities to make
 decisions for themselves and to care for themselves and each other.

Principle of Integrity

Integrity is vital to the advancement of scientific knowledge and to the maintenance of

public confidence in the discipline of psychology. Integrity is based on honesty, and on
truthful, open and accurate communications. It includes recognizing, monitoring, and
managing potential biases, multiple relationships, and other conflicts of interest that could
result in harm and exploitation of persons or peoples.

Complete openness and disclosure of information must be balanced with other ethical
considerations, including the need to protect the safety or confidentiality of persons and
peoples, and the need to respect cultural expectations.

Cultural differences exist regarding appropriate professional boundaries, multiple

relationships, and conflicts of interest. However, regardless of such differences, monitoring
and management are needed to ensure that self-interest does not interfere with acting in
the best interests of persons and peoples.

THEREFORE, psychologists accept as fundamental the Principle of Integrity. In so doing,

they accept the following related values:

1. honesty, and truthful, open and accurate communications;

2. avoiding incomplete disclosure of information unless complete disclosure is

culturally inappropriate, or violates confidentiality, or carries the potential to do
serious harm to individuals, families, groups, or communities;

3. maximizing impartiality and minimizing biases;

4. not exploiting persons or peoples for personal, professional, or financial gain;

5. avoiding conflicts of interest and declaring them when they cannot be avoided or
are inappropriate to avoid.

Punctuality

Punctuality is the characteristic of being able to complete a required task or fulfill an

obligation before or at a previously designated time.["Punctual" is often used
synonymously with "on time". It is a common misconception that punctual can also, when
talking about grammar, mean "to be accurate".

Most psychologists believe personality traits are useful predictors of actual behavior. For
example, we expect extraverted individuals to attend more parties and introverted
individuals to read more books.

Most companies prefer to hire employees who will arrive on time for an important meeting
or the beginning of a shift. Organizational psychologists are especially attuned to the
needs of companies, so they have investigated the determinants of employee tardiness.

A highly-regarded conceptual model of personalitythe Big Five Modelclaims that ones

personality can be adequately described in terms of five factors or dimensions:
neuroticism (i.e., negative emotionality), extraversion, openness to experience,
agreeableness, and conscientiousness.

That last trait, conscientiousness, looks like a good candidate for a personality factor that
might predict tardiness, conscientious persons are dutiful and organized. They meet their
obligations and usually have a strong work ethic.

Love and Kindness

A lot of the work finds that when people get burned out, theyre actually not feeling caring
and compassion at all the pressure to express these emotions is just another load on
top of them.

the research on emotional contagion shows that people are particularly likely to catch the
emotions of their leaders. Unfortunately, people in power tend to be the worst at taking the
perspective of others. Love and kindness helps employees to give their best at work place.

Advantages of being kind and showing love

1. Coordinal relations with others

2. Optimum work at work place.

3. Reduces stress and make people healthy.

4. People who gain love and kindness may show the same to others.

Anger:

Anger is a normal emotion with a wide range of intensity, from mild irritation and frustration
to rage. It is a reaction to a perceived threat to ourselves, our loved ones, our property, our
self-image, or some part of our identity. Anger is a warning bell that tells us that something
is wrong.
Anger has three components:

Physical reactions, usually starting with a rush of adrenaline and responses such as
an increased heart rate, blood pressure, and tightening muscles; often known as the
fight or flight response

The cognitive experience of anger, or how we perceive and think about what is
making us angry. For example, we might think something that happened to us is
wrong, unfair, and undeserved.

Behaviour, or the way we express our anger. There is a wide range of behaviour
that signals anger. We may look and sound angry, turn red, raise our voices, clam
up, slam doors, storm away, or otherwise signal to others that we are angry. We
may also state that we are angry and why, ask for a time-out, request an apology, or
ask for something to change.

Everyone experiences anger, and it can be healthy. It can motivate us to stand up for
ourselves and correct injustices. When we manage anger well, it prompts us to make
positive changes in our lives and situations.

Mismanaged anger, on the other hand, is counterproductive and can be unhealthy. When
anger is too intense, out of control, misdirected, and overly aggressive, it can lead to poor
decision making and problem solving, create problems with relationships and at work, and
can even affect your health.

Anger Controlling Techniques:

1. Practising Meditation

2. Drinking Cool water will reduce internal tension and there by anger.

3. Feeling Empathy about others.

4. Doing things which they like most(Listing Music, watching Nature, short sleep etc.,,)

Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend outline the personality and behavioural traits of
both safe and unsafe people in their book, Safe People,. Knowing the difference between
them means that you can enter into relationships with people who are good for you and
avoid those that arent. Without this kind of knowledge, it is very easy to become mislead
by promises of future happiness, assurances of trust and faithfulness, and even a
genuinely nice person who is simply struggling with their own issues. Just because
someone is a nice person doesnt make them a good partner. Recognising the following
traits of unsafe people will keep you and your relationships safe:

Unsafe people do not like to admit their weaknesses. Being open and vulnerable is
essential to a relationship. Sometimes people will try to hide their weaknesses by focusing
on your weaknesses instead. Putting you down is an easy way to build themselves up. If
you are the one with the problems, then they can feel superior.

Unsafe people are religious instead of spiritual. People join religious groups for many
reasons, but if someone is clinging to it and its principles as a way of avoiding their own
issues, they will never learn what they need to about themselves.

Unsafe people are defensive. A self-assured person is always open to feedback,

expressions of concern and even criticism, especially by people who love him. If you
confront someone with your concerns and he gets upset or angry, he is not able to hear
you and not willing to take responsibility for his actions.

Unsafe people are self-righteous instead of humble. These people see themselves as
above everyone else and refuse to see their own negative qualities, often by projecting
their own flaws and insecurities onto others.

Unsafe people apologise without changing their behaviour. A common pattern in

unsafe relationships is expressions of regret and apologies and promises to change. But
apologies and promises need to be followed by real behaviour modifications. Safe people
will do so not because they feel they have to, but because they truly want to help
themselves and the person they love.

Unsafe people avoid facing their issues. It is far easier for an unsafe person to blame
others for their problems than admit they have a problem or take steps to deal with those
issues themselves. Furthermore, they treat others with a lack of empathy when they are
upset, find fault in others, and often fail to forgive others for their mistakes.

Unsafe people flatter you instead of talking to you. Someone who truly cares about
you will share their concerns about you and will be honest with you. Someone who only
tells you your good points is trying to keep you liking them.

Unsafe people demand trust instead of earning it. Trust can only be built over time. It
grows when we experience repeated and consistent caring behaviour. Unsafe people often
believe that you should trust them right away and act hurt or defensive if you dont. But
trust must be earned.

Unsafe people lie. Everyone tells untruths sometimes, but unsafe people see deception
as an effective way of dealing with problems. Safe people admit their deceitful side and
work at being more honest.

Unsafe people dont grow. We all have aspects of ourselves that need improvement or
behaviours that inhibit our personal well-being and safe people try to learn and grow over
time. Blaming others, responding defensively and failing to change inhibits personal
growth and keeps a person at the same emotional level throughout life, without changing
themselves either for their own benefit or anyone elses.

Any of these characteristics are a red flag, whether they appear in a romantic relationship,
or with a friend, family member or co-worker. No one is perfect and change takes time. But
if you notice that someone is resistant to hearing your concerns, becomes angry or
defensive, blames you for their behaviour and does not show signs of wanting to change,
you have to proceed with caution and perhaps find someone else who will be both a safe
person and safe for you as well.

Dignity of Labour

Labour, as we all know, means work. What do we give an accent to this word and say
dignity of labour. We can recall different kinds of work from the physical labours of a
farm-hand to the white-collar job as an executive in a large organisation. The highly placed
executive, after years of successful career, begins to attach much dignity and self- respect
to his job.

If he has travelled for years in a car, he thinks it is below his dignity to travel in a bus. One
cannot expect such a person to do the job of an attendant even when it necessitates him
to carry his own luggage. Though it may not affect any other individual, yet there is
something in human about his sense of dignity and self-respect.

To know the true sense of the phrase, we should study the lives of some of our great
leaders. We all know of an incident when an Englishman who was in search of a porter at
a railway station to carry his luggage, when a humble man volunteered to carry his
luggage. After depositing the luggage in the train, the man walked away. The man was
Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, one of the freedom fighters in the days of the British rule.

Mahatma Gandhi, for instance, cut his own hair, washed his own clothes, cooked his own
food and went on foot from place to place. He travelled with the mass in a third class
railway coach.

In many homes we can find elderly men washing their clothes and cleaning their dishes
themselves. These examples, give us ample evidence that doing manual labour is not
below the dignity of an educated person. Today, the Indian society is charged with the
gusto of trade unionism.

Even a cobbler thinks that his profession is his god. This feeling dignity in ones profession
is carried to such heights that one feels insulted if due respect is not given to the person
doing that profession.

Dignity and self-respect are important but when they are social relationship, it is better not
to have such a dignity. Dignity of labour is essentially a Western concept. Here, in India the
caste system allotted certain duties and trades to each caste.

Performing religious rites, for example, doing yagnas and chanting Vedas were done by
the Brahmins, to look after the welfare of the people and to defend the province was the
job of Kshatriyas, Vaishyas were responsible for the trade and commerce, and Shudras
were destined to do menial jobs.

Thus, in Hindu culture and lifestyle the system of Varnashrama was an accepted social
system. With the intrusion and colonisation of the western people our outlook changed and
its impact on our society has come down heavily. It has become necessary to understand
the new concept and change our outlook according to it.

Universal brotherhood

Indian thought philosophy and culture have been promoting the feeling of universal
brotherhood for centuries.

The message of the Rig Veda is clear - Let noble thoughts come to us from all directions.
Vedas and vedanta further clarify the philosophy that truth is one, though the wise ones
call it by various names. Our rishis, saints and sufis dedicated themselves to the above
philosophy inspite of great upheavals faced by our society. They inspired our society
towards a global feeling. These thoughts developed into a magnificent philosophy where
world is one family and one home. This philosophy has been nurtured by tolerance,
compassion and dignity of human life without discrimination of big or small.

The pluralistic character of Indian society, its unique unity in diversity possesses the noble
principles of Vedas and Vedanta, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism,
Zoroastrianism, Sufism and many more faiths whichever lived on Indian soil.

Indians have accepted the principle that one should do ones duty or act according to
ones faith or religious order. Message of Upanishads is clear that, Let all walk together,
eat together and work together so that all shine and prosper. Indian philosophy never sees
the world with a divided or fragmented vision. It has bestowed love and wisdom on the
entire humanity and its pursuit to find out the truth continues.

Bhagvad Gita lays emphasis on ethical and moral principles in life. You shall not do to
others what you do not want to be done to yourself. It enjoins all to do actions, to meet
obligations and duties of life keeping in view the larger interest of humanity.

In recent times, Gautam Buddha, Bhagwan Mahavir, Guru Nanak Devji, Saint Kabir,
Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Mahatma Gandhi, Aurobindo, Rama Krishna, Swami
Vivekanand enriched Indian thought in modern terms to promote equality of human-
beings, dignity of life (both external and internal), universal brotherhood, harmony and
unity amongst relations. Our quest continues to take Indian philosophy to every corner of
our country and abroad.

The concept of one world in economic terms has come true with globalisation. We should
develop our economy step-by-step and make it competitive with the rest of the world. It is
equally necessary for us to maintain and consolidate our rich and ancient culture and
heritage.

Religious toleration is when people allow other people to think about god(s) in ways that
they do not think are true. They tolerate religious beliefs and practices which are different
from their own beliefs or lack of beliefs.

Religious tolerance is the backbone of a cultural and civilized society or nation. It is

ingrained in the Indian psyche. A number of invaders came to India specially the Shaks
and Huns. They were so perfectly assimilated in the Indian society that today no one
knows if he is not a decedent of one of these. Whatever their religion was it also got
dissolved in the waste humanity of India. After the uprising of Islam in the Middle East
people belonging to the Zoroastrian religion and nation and those belonging to the Syrian
church came to India to save themselves from those who believed in Islam. Similarly we
have , according to Swami Vivekananda gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of
the Israelites who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which
their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny.On 11 of September 1893
Swami Vivekananda declared in the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago he said, I am
proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all
religions and all nations of the earth.

True Friendship

TrueFriendshipRecognition
How can we find true friendship in this often phony, temporary world? Friendship involves
recognition or familiarity with another's personality. Friends often share likes and dislikes,
interests, pursuits, and passion.
How can we recognize potential friendship? Signs include a mutual desire for
companionship and perhaps a common bond of some kind. Beyond that, genuine
friendship involves a shared sense of caring and concern, a desire to see one another
grow and develop, and a hope for each other to succeed in all aspects of life. True
friendship involves action: doing something for someone else while expecting nothing in
return; sharing thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or negative criticism.

TrueFriendship-Relationship,Trust,Accountability
True friendship involves relationship. Those mutual attributes we mentioned above
become the foundation in which recognition transpires into relationship. Many people say,
"Oh, he's a good friend of mine," yet they never take time to spend time with that "good
friend." Friendship takes time: time to get to know each other, time to build shared
memories, time to invest in each other's growth.
Trust is essential to true friendship. We all need someone with whom we can share our
lives, thoughts, feelings, and frustrations. We need to be able to share our deepest secrets
with someone, without worrying that those secrets will end up on the Internet the next day!
Failing to be trustworthy with those intimate secrets can destroy a friendship in a hurry.
Faithfulness and loyalty are key to true friendship. Without them, we often feel betrayed,
left out, and lonely. In true friendship, there is no backbiting, no negative thoughts, no
turning away.
True friendship requires certain accountability factors. Real friends encourage one another
and forgive one another where there has been an offense. Genuine friendship supports
during times of struggle. Friends are dependable. In true friendship, unconditional love
develops. We love our friends no matter what and we always want the best for our friends.

Happiness vs. Suffering

The journey of life can feature mountain peaks of happiness and valleys of suffering.
Unfortunately the moments of happiness tend to be fleeting and the moments of suffering
seem to go on for forever. Did you know that it is possible to find happiness through
suffering without having to look up at the next mountain peak youre trying to climb? The
key to finding happiness through suffering is to actively seek out contentment.

Being content in difficult times can be extremely hard to do. How is it possible to give
thanks in the darkest of times? Here are some methods that have been proven to work.
1. Stop comparing your life to the lives of others around you. When youre in a deep
valley and you see someone up at the summit of a mountain experiencing joy, it can hurt.
A lot. You want to be on that summit of joy as well, right? The problem is that in looking at
the lives of others, were missing the perfect moments that are surrounding us right now.
By actively seeking the extraordinary when we feel like we are having an ordinary day, it
becomes easier to be content in any circumstance that is faced.

2. Strength is created through overcoming adversity. One common phrase we like to

tell each other in the dark times is that What doesnt kill us will make us stronger.
Although thats a hollow platitude when were in our darkest hours, there is some truth to
those words.

Parents who have lost children to cancer become strong enough to help other
parents in a similar situation.

Widows can console other widows.

Bullied children can become a counselling resource for kids who feel like they dont
fit in.

The experience of adversity is what creates the strength, especially when we find a way to
blaze a trail through it.

3. Little things are still able to bring you some joy. Imagine being in a dark room for
longer than you remember. Youre hungry, tired, thirsty, and ready for the physical suffering
to end. Loneliness, confusion, and perhaps anger are present as well, creating the
circumstances of emotional suffering. Just a drop of water, a bite to eat, or some sunshine
on your face will grant a respite and that brings joy. Even on the worst of worst days, if you
can bring yourself toward something that you love, then a moment of joy can relieve the
suffering. Those perfect moments eventually add up and bring you one step closer to the
next mountain summit.

4. Fate isnt in control of your life. When we are encountering a valley of suffering, the
typical question asked is this: Why? There really is no good answer to that question. We all
ask it because we want a tangible explanation for our circumstances. If we get facts, then
we can get out of the valley more quickly at least thats the theory. In reality, it is you who
are in control of how you feel and what you want to do. External factors can try to affect
your joy, but you either choose to allow those factors to influence you or to ignore them.
Happiness is a choice that you can always make.

5. Sometimes a fresh start is the only thing that is needed. Ask anyone who plays
video games about the benefits of a complete restart. Do you have to begin at the very
beginning again? Sure. Youve also learned from your past experiences and this allows
you to take the best out of the last journey so that it can be applied to the next one. Its
some added work, theres no doubt about that, but it is work that can help you experience
greater happiness every day if you manage it correctly.

6. There is always something to learn from the experience. One of the most common
versions of suffering is what would be best described as educational suffering. Some
might call this type of suffering a challenge. Its how we are able to take a look inward to
see how we are maturing on an inner, perhaps spiritual way. Situations that seem to be
beyond us at first become clear educational opportunities for us to work on the inner being
so that it can be a massive force to help others. Sometimes recognizing a challenge and
standing up to it, even though it might be difficult to do, is enough to bring the light of
happiness back into life.

7. Suffering is the #1 way to develop emotional endurance. Stamina is required in

everything that we do. To become physically strong, we must exercise, do some weight
training, and maybe even change some eating habits. To develop emotional endurance,
we must encounter suffering so that we can run the entire race of life. Ever wonder why
some leaders can go through seemingly impossible times to find success on the other
side? Its because theyve recognized suffering as a positive tool for development.
Happiness can be found in that recognition as well.

8. Sacrifices bring joy to the lives of others. A mother suffers a lot for her children. She
sacrifices her needs for the needs of her children so they can experience joy. Those times
can be tough, especially if it seems like the mother is losing herself in the quest to meet
her childs needs. In the midst of that suffering, life can be difficult, bleak, and almost
hopeless. At the sight of her childs smile or the success her child experiences because of
her sacrifices, however, all of that bleakness is instantly replaced with a happiness that
can only come from serving others.

Suffering is a tool that can be used to your advantage. It can be easy to get lost in those
dark valleys or be envious of those who seem like theyre always on a mountain
peak, but you are in control. You can choose happiness. Thats how happiness can be
found in suffering because you choose to have it with you.
Love for Truth

Truth means the essence and reality of a thing. It is to know clearly what a thing is, what it
means, and what it signifies beyond its appearance and cognition. What is the essence
and reality of the human being, the universe, and all things? What do they mean, both as
individuals and as a whole? What is beyond this entire existencefrom atoms to nebulas,
from the smallest particles of a human being to his material and spiritual depthsand their
orderliness, harmony, beauty, and wisdom? Since these facts cannot be attributed to
coincidences, there must certainly be a truth upon which everythingfrom particles to
planets is based on. Indeed there is such a truth which is the ultimate basis of
everything, and every individual has a duty to know this truth with their own particular
qualities. To pursue such a duty with deep longing and interest is called the love for truth.

Such a love can also be referred to as the feeling, excitement, effort and passion of
becoming aware of the essence and reality of everything by scrutinizing all existence,
things and events; such a love is the safest way to reach the Truth of all truths. To
stimulate such excitement and desire in ones spiritual world, to activate in him the sense,
curiosity and thought of understanding the meaning beyond every being, and to enliven his
will and determination, are the first murmurs and stirs in the name of love for truth. Among
sine qua non principles for this matter are that he peruses and evaluates the outer and
inner worlds with perfect joy and seriousness of worship, that he reviews the beings and
events with the perspective of new scientific developments and changing paradigms, that
he endures all problems he faces during all these, his determined attitudes and mental
effort, that he does not fall into despair and feel panic when facing with some intricate and
inextricable matters, and that he takes reaching the truth as the goal of his life against all
odds.
Self-Destruction

Self-destruction is usually defined as The voluntary destruction of something by itself.

In human personality terms, we are really talking about counter-productive and self-
defeating habits which deny oneself happiness but can instead cause pain, either
deliberately or inadvertently. Self-destruction in the literal sense of suicide is the most
extreme form. Mostly, however, it is more subtle, such as repeatedly committing
professional suicide. Its an umbrella term for a variety of self-damaging patterns, from
doing things that always seem to backfire, to habitual self-harm, to crazy recklessness.

We are all guilty of self-sabotage at least one point in our lives. These behaviours often
creep up on us, and before we know it, theyre habitual. Awareness towards one or all of
these habits can significantly increase anyones quality of life. Here is a list of 13
destructive habits and how to change them.

1. Having negative people in your sphere of influence.

2. Living in the past

3. Worrying

4. Being scared to fail or make mistakes

5. Thinking that happiness has anything to do with material things

6. Complaining

7. Taking the easy way out

8. Focusing on what you dont have

9. Comparing yourself to others

10. Holding Grudges

11. Overlooking the little things in life that really matter

12. Perfection

13. Expecting the world to revolve around you

Doing Best

Do you have joy in your life every single day? This is God's will for you, and He has
provided the keys that will bring happiness, contentment and joy regardless of your
circumstances.

Are you convinced that your particular circumstances make happiness and enjoyment
impossible for you? Well, its not true! The keys that God offers you are designed to open
doors that you may have thought were locked forever.

Learning to be happy with yourself is a very important key to enjoying your life. If you know
that God wants you to enjoy life, why does it sometimes seem impossible? Could it be that
youre unhappy with yourself because you're not perfect? God doesn't require us to be
perfectHe made us, and He knows were human and will make mistakes. Our job is to
get up every day and do our best to use the keys He has provided for us. And when we
fail, we must get right with God, receive His forgiveness and go on. We need to quit being
so hard on ourselves and enjoy our lives right where we are.

Many people feel that God can't use them because theyre not perfectthis is a lie. God
(the Potter) uses cracked pots (that's us) to do His work. We are containers that God
wants to fill with His goodness and light. Then were to carry that goodness and light to a
dark world, sharing it with people everywhere we go. Don't be afraid of your flaws;
acknowledge them and allow God to use you anyway. Quit worrying about what you're not
and give God what you are.

A story that beautifully illustrates the value of cracked pots:

A water bearer in India had two large pots hanging at the ends of a pole that he carried
across his neck. One of the pots was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at
the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house. The other pot had a crack
in it, and by the time it reached its destination, it was only half full. Every day for two years
the water bearer delivered only one and one-half pots of water to the master's house. Of
course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishmentsperfect to the end for which it
was made. The poor little cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfections and miserable
that it could accomplish only half of what it had been designed to do. After two years of
what the imperfect pot perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer and
said, "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."

"Why?" asked the bearer, "What are you ashamed of?"

"Well, for these past two years, I have been able to deliver only half a load of water each
day because this crack in my side allows water to leak out all the way back to the master's
house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all this work without getting the full value of
your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we
return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot noticed the beautiful wild flowers on
the side of the path. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because half of its load had
leaked out once again.

Then the bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side
of the path and not on the other pot's side? That's because I've always known about your
flaw and took advantage of it by planting flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day
as we walked back from the stream, you watered those seeds, and for two years I have
picked these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just what
you are, he would not have had this beauty to grace his house."

Like that cracked pot, you too can accomplish wonderful things. You can make somebody
happy. You can encourage, edify and exhort those around you. You can use your gifts and
talents to serve Godand as a bonus, youll learn to have joy in every area of your life.
Saving nature

We should take care of nature because nature is life. Nature is our life if we dont have any
forests, rocks, trees, plants, fruits, animals and many more things the whole world might
die if we dont take care of nature because trees gives us oxygen and clean air, plants give
us beauty to the world and food, fruits give us vitamins and minerals and forests are home
to life. If we continue contaminate we might have an end! so take care of our nature and
our world. What are we doing to protect our surroundings? Garbage heaps are increasing
and disposal of waste seems an alarming task. People are becoming insensitive towards
plants and animals thereby harming our ecosystem.

As a student, what have you done to protect our environment? Do you know why we need
to conserve our wildlife? We must make a conscious effort to conserve the world's plants
and animals. Plants are essential for our own survival. Plants use the sun's energy to
make fooda process called photosynthesis.

Therefore plants are the first important link in the food chain of which humans also form a
part. During photosynthesis, oxygen is released and oxygen is vital for the existence of life
itself.

Animals need plants in order to survive, but plants also need animals. Animals and plants
are therefore delicately bound together. The removal of even one species of animal/plant
can drastically alter the ecosystem. Isn't this frightening?

Our own survival may be threatened if we cause too much disruption to the natural
processes that occur on this Earth. Destruction of rain forests, for example, has reduced
the local rainfall. A further reduction in rainfall will increase desert areas.

We need to preserve our wildlife as well. We use many plants and animals to supply us
with food, materials, chemicals, etc. If we continue to exploit these species to a point
where they cannot replenish themselves, they will no longer be available to us.

Gradually if we manage to destroy most of the world's animals and plants, the Earth will
become barren. For a moment, let us stop being selfish. Do we have the right to destroy
animals and plants which have as much right as us, humans, to share this planet?

All life on Earth, be it humans, animals or plants, is the product of millions of years of
evolution. This tiny planet is the only one we know of on which life exists. Therefore, we
need to learn to co-exist with the species which have evolved with us, and take active
steps to ensure their survival.