cannyben

Humans can be consumed by desires; the need to possess and control, to hunger for more or to be different, to obtain or accumulate something or plainly satisfy an urge. Hungers and desires come from the “id” of the psyche; they are natural human urges. And yet, when allowed free reign they can be destructive both to ourselves and those around us. They can be playful or diabolical. They can pave a road to success or lead into the abyss of human existence. Many desires can also lead to addiction. Sometimes they cannot be explained; they just exist as relentless longings that demand to be gratified, up to the point of self-destruction or worse. Yet satisfaction after giving in to a craving may only be temporary before a hunger returns, stronger than ever, leaving behind withdrawal or painful memories. At the same time, suppressing a desire can be equally destructive and result in nightmares, identity crises, aggression or violence. The hunger for riches and power causes the greatest

A new framework has been presented in recent years to periodize and interpret the effects of human life on the natural environment: the age of the ‘Anthropocene.’ By this definition, we are now in an era when human activities have become a key macro-determinant of the destiny of the ecosystems of Earth. Critical analyses of this age generally have one of two orientations. One perspective looks back, re-examining the relationship of human social, economic, and technical developments on the natural environment. Another looks forward, attempting to build alternative models of human development that put ecological sustainability as a foundational principle. The natural environment presents itself as a ground for life and a gift of life in all communities of faith and spiritual meaning. In the ‘age of the Anthropocene,’ how might faith (and explicitly non-faith) communities productively engage? Looking backward: could this be an opportunity for productive dialogues between principles

We have been challenged by philosophers, literary theorists, artists, psychologists, film makers, historians, teachers, psychotherapists, nurses and many others, into reflecting on the place that story plays in our lives and the ways in which we consciously and unconsciously employ it. We have also been engaged, entertained and challenged by traditional storytellers from various countries, as well as by theatrical and musical performances, digital stories, films and performance art. Human life is conducted through story, because the telling of stories comes naturally to us. Almost every time we speak we engage in storytelling, and sharing stories is arguably the most important way we have of communicating with others about who we are and what we believe; about what we are doing and have done; about our hopes and fears; about what we value and what we don't. We make sense of our lives by telling the stories that we live; and we learn about other lives by listening to the stories t

We see beauty; we experience beauty; we think beautiful words, beautiful thoughts. It raises us up, comforts, inspires, thrills, takes us out of ourselves to the sublime and the sacred; it also challenges, disturbs, discomforts and brings us to the most unlikely and unexpected places of death and destruction. Some find no beauty in life, or claim they are unable to see the beautiful any more. It is many things to many people. But it is never neutral or detached and you cannot 'take it or leave it'; without fail, it elicits a response. What is beauty? The flickering shafts of light playing through the leaves of a tree, the nuanced strokes of an artist's painting, nature's rich abundance of animals, the interplay of light and shadow on a human face, the angles and curves of a building, the structure of a snow flake or (diseased) molecular cell, the simplicity of a mathematical formula, the manner of a death: all have been labelled beautiful. What is it - if anything

In the twenty-first century, in which notions of good versus evil have thrived, the word "hero" has taken on a striking resonance. As a consequence, the decades-old superhero of comic books (as established in the guise of Superman in 1938) has been thrust to the forefront of mainstream popular culture, present across multiple media and the character's signature emblems now among the most recognisable in the world, functioning as powerful, pervasive and vastly profitable brands. Most notably, this domination is no more apparent than the realms of blockbuster cinema. With Superman: The Movie (1978) having provided an epic, special effects-fuelled spectacle finally worthy of the superhero's stature, and the vast cultural and commercial impact of Batman (1989), the superhero movie made a popular return to prominence with X-Men (2000), leading to billion-dollar earning and critically-lauded films such as The Dark Knight (2008) and The Avengers (2012) - and with more

Empathy, the will to understand or to attempt to understand others by imagining what it might feel like to be them; how it might feel to experience the world from inside their skin, underpins much of our lives. For instance, it is present in the ways in which people relate to and care for one another within families and in bigger groups, to the ways in which we communicate with one another through literature, art, film, advertising and digital media. Many professions - from nursing, counselling psychotherapy and medicine, to teaching, product design, architecture, advertising and stand-up comedy, depend at least partly, on empathic skill. We can empathise with others whose lives are very different from our own, and because empathy involves the use of the imagination, we can even empathise with people in experiences that we are unlikely ever to have, and even in experiences that we will never be able to have. Though empathy is often viewed through 'rose-coloured spectacles'

With its controversial depiction of an assassination attempt on the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, The Interview (2014) triggered outrage in North Korea as well as retaliatory bomb threats against movie theatres that agree showed the film and the hacking of email accounts at Sony Pictures Entertainment, the parent company of Columbia Pictures, which made the film. While the backlash against The Interview was unprecedented, the film itself it part of a long-standing tradition in which Hollywood plays out the political and ideological conflicts that exist between the United States and other countries such as North Korea (Team America: World Police), Russia (Die Hard 5), China (World War Z), Vietnam (Apocalypse Now), and Somalia (Black Hawk Down) using negative stereotypes to  demonize  or ridicule anyone considered an enemy of the state. Regardless of whether this engagement is explicit or masked as seemingly harmless comedy, and regardless of any stated intention on the part of the f

Domestic violence, sometimes referred to as domestic abuse, partner abuse, intimate partner violence, battering or family violence is a pattern of behavior which involves violence or other abuse by one person in a domestic context against another. It may occur within, but is not confined to, marriage, cohabitation, forced marriage, friendship and familial relationships, and can involve sibling, parental, grandparent, heterosexual or same-sex relationships. It takes various forms, including physical abuse, emotional, verbal, economic and sexual abuse, which may extend to rape. Domestic violence over a period of time may lead to homicide. Most commonly, victims are female but males can be victimised too, and it is thought that domestic violence against men may be under-reported because of the stigma attached to being victimised in this way. Couples may engage in reciprocal violence and abuse. Victims frequently experience post-traumatic stress disorder. They are often trapped in violen

We have often met students who were intrinsically fearful of maths. The subject terrified them, gave them anxiety attacks and destroyed their self-esteem. This fear seems to be quite widespread in adults too, including parents and teachers. Its is a matter of concern that till grade 4, students seem to love and enjoy maths but as soon as they enter the world of abstract concepts like fractions, decimals, percentages, confusion sets in and they feel more and more helpless in succeeding in the subject. Added to that are incidents of continuous lack of success in solving maths problems accompanied by poor guidance from teachers and intense competition in a classroom, which actually diminishes the self confidence of students. Students with maths anxiety feel negative emotions when engaging in an activity that requires numerical or maths skills. In one of the studies carried out by researchers, when college students were informed that they would be asked to take a maths test, it t

Teaching social responsibility means intentionally teaching young people to understand themselves, each other, and the world. To do this one can create classrooms where students can air and solve conflicts, discuss controversial topics, have a say in what and how one learns, ask questions, engage in dialogue, and be moved to action as result of their study. Tips to teach social responsibility: Make your classroom more democratic and participatory. The following questions will help decide how to involve students in the curriculum and in the classroom. *can students be allowed to determine classroom rules/guidelines and consequences? * How can students share ideas about reading assignments, areas of study, and home-work? * can some decisions be made by consensus? * can students take turns teaching the class, either individually or in groups? Its human nature to be more invested in something if one has a say in it. We’ve all felt the frustration of watching the sa

The question, often is asked or wondered: Does the colour of one’s skin or religion, or background affect one’s ability to do a job well or give an indication of one’s level of intelligence or motivation? No, of course it doesn’t. So why are ethnic minority people statistically more likely to be unemployed than their   counterparts in general category? Do the above factors really influence one’s employability prospects and, if that really is the case, how can one redress the balance? This research project will try to provide information and advise on these issues and will help to understand the rights, as well as look at ways to deal with possible discrimination. It’s a long time that it is made in some countries illegal to treat a person less favourably than others on racial grounds. Yet there are still significant discrepancies for ethnic groups in the society and in the workplace. According to some research, ethnic minority workers receive less pay than their other counter