CURIOSITY

PRITHA’S PERSPECTIVE

Curiosity, a quality related to inquisitivity, exploration, investigation, observation and learning can be defined as the constant urge that triggers your mind to find out more and more about a particular field of interest. The seed of this trait was present since you were born and observing the things in your surroundings helped you nurture it.The curiosity of a human mind can never follow boundaries. The lifelong capacity to learn is the reason why neoteny has worked so well for our species. Our extended childhood means we can absorb so much more from our environment, including our shared culture. Even in adulthood we can pick up new ways of doing things and new ways of thinking, allowing us to adapt to new circumstances.

 

‘The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing’

-Albert Einstein

Humans have a deeply curious nature. We just want to know about everything even when we know it might be of no use or relevance to us. This curiosity sometimes makes us do utterly unproductive things also like -learning topics we will never have use for; reading stories  we know are fiction,knowing  people we know we won’t meet again and exploring places we know we will never come back to or reading news about our favourite actors(Not World Affairs! But we all love reading ht café or Bombay Times don’t we?)

(Well you cannot find a better example of unproductive curiosity than a bunch of ladies gossiping for hours :P)

‘Evolution made us the ultimate thinking machines and the ultimate thinking machines need to be oiled by curiosity’

-Tom Stafford.

If Newton was not curious why the apple fell on his head, a field of science would have remained unexplored for centuries. Even when we are unaware of most of the species and reasons of occurrences of events on our planet we send rovers to explore possibilities and evidence of life outside in space. Hence curiosity is not only based on observation, it is also fuelled by imagination.Curiosity is something that can be nurtured and developed. With practice, we can harness the power of curiosity to transform everyday tasks into interesting and enjoyable experiences. We can also use curiosity to intentionally create wonder, intrigue and play out of almost any situation or interaction we encounter.

 

 

 

 

 

IDIOSYNCRASY

VASVI’S VERDICT

Idiosyncrasies according to me are what defines our personality. It is something that is peculiar to an individual. It can be anything, a characteristic, habit, the way they react in a particular situation, it is this peculiarity about that individual that is called idiosyncrasy. Idiosyncrasy can also be called as an individual’s reaction to a particular chemical or drug, but here we will be talking about idiosyncrasy as a human trait. If we try to understand ourselves we tend to realise our idiosyncrasies, and with time we get used to it and eventually learn to accept them.

Idiosyncrasy is a neutral trait; because our habit or reaction (etc.) can be either positive or negative. Everybody has their own idiosyncrasies so whether it is positive or negative varies from people to people. This trait is something that can be realised about you either by people closest to you or your foe or the person is just really good at observing. When an individual encounters a situation, his proclivity towards a particular reaction, is something only that individual would think about in such a situation. This is what defines that individual’s personality. It is something that is distinguishing and unique.

Any individualistic characteristic about a person is what sets them apart from the group. These idiosyncrasies are something that gets you closer to some people because if something is unique about you and if someone accepts your uniqueness wholly then you end up being close to that person. Eventually, if you happen to share a close bond with that person you understand, accept and adjust to each other’s idiosyncrasies. Sometimes when we miss people we kind of do miss their idiosyncrasies, their uniqueness. This individualistic trait is what according to me adds the quirky element to our personality.

But if this trait is negative in an individual’s personality then it is really important to amend and also reform it a bit. It becomes really difficult to make amends after a period of time but working on it with people close to you can make it easy because if not fully they do understand that trait about you because that is what sets you apart. Give it sometime and be tenacious. We are humans after all; prone to make mistakes and we do act differently in calm and dire situations, so if we are persistent enough we can change the negativity to a more positive one.

“One role blends into the next role. I mean, there are strange idiosyncrasies from roles that I play that I picked up that will never go away”

– Jake Gyllenhaal

Like in the quote above the role’s personality is perceived from the idiosyncrasies.

 

ALLOCENTRISM

MITALI’S MADNESS

Allocentrism, in its simplest form, refers to group thinking. Or rather, an individual’s personality trait in which he places the group’s thoughts or ideals over his own. We have seen this in all sectors in society and in a lot of scenarios in our daily routines, but we simply didn’t put a name on it. To give you the correct definition of allocentrism would be that it is a “collectivistic personality attribute whereby people center their attention and actions on other people rather than themselves. It is a psychological dimension which corresponds to the general cultural dimension of collectivism”.

Certain situations encourage more allocentric behavior. These are found more in some cultures than others. These situations include when people are rewarded by the social context for being group orientated, when cultural norms encourage conformity which leads to success, when goals are easier achieved through group action, and when there are not many options for acting independently.

So how do you identify people in your life who possess this trait? Well, when I read the definition, a few words popped in my mind that seemed synonymous to allocentric people. Think about the people-pleasers in your different friend groups. These people are placating and usually conform to the ideas of the group rather than stating or believing in their own point of view, or standing up for it. Can you think of any such people in your life?

See, the truth is that for any type A personality person, an allocentric friend would be a blessing in disguise. Type A’s simply do not conform and allocentric people, who often fall under Type B, are all about making others happy. But this kind of friendship is not right. Each relationship is made with equals and partners. Compromise should take place from both ends. If one person keeps giving and the other keeps taking, that isn’t a friendship! It is simply and crudely a host-parasite relationship! The reason I asked you if you know of anyone who has this personality trait is because, if you do, you need to understand them and their needs better. Till now, they have always given in for you, and if you don’t say anything yet, they will probably keep doing so. But this does not mean that they do not have a mind of their own. Their ideas must be taken into account too, and, as a friend, you can help them do this by including them in decision making processes, rather than just telling them the decision.

It often happens that we do not realise that we are being unfair to someone. For instance, let’s take a simple example of making a plan to go for an outing. There is usually one person who would take the lead and the others would vote for or against it. Maybe someone in your group has never uttered an idea and simply said yes to everything everyone suggested. The next time you make a plan and if you’re in the lead, make sure you include this person in some part of the decision making process. But ease them into it! Don’t, for instance, tell them to decide every aspect of the plan. It might overwhelm them. Maybe ask them to suggest some venue or probably the suitable time to go there or ask them to make a reservation. Something that would give them the feeling that their opinion as an individual matters as much as everyone else’s in the group. By giving them this little bit of confidence at a time, you’ll be making them stronger and surer of themselves!

This personality trait needs to be identified and addressed at a root level. If it is addressed during school years, it will facilitate a better overall personality development for the individual. We must also keep in mind that there are many situations in life where the concept of leaders and followers also keeps its stand. Think about it this way, in an ad campaign, a bad idea of the boss can be counter-acted by a last minute change due to a suggestion given late; but a war cannot be won with everyone running in different directions. Seeing where allocentrism applies and where it should be opposed is of critical importance.

“We are not supposed to all be the same, feel the same, think the same, and believe the same. The key to continued expansion of our Universe lies in diversity, not in conformity and coercion. Conventionality is the death of creation.”
― Anthon St. Maarten, Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny

 

 

CREATIVITY

PRITHA’S PERSPECTIVE

“Creativity is intelligence having fun” –Albert Einstein

Creativity pinned on noticeboard

As Einstein says, creativity is very similar to intelligence and I agree to it: the more you use it, the more it gets enhanced. This one trait in an individual can make him stand out of the box from a lot of 100 people. It is the art of putting new thoughts into reality. It is the ability to perceive the world in new ways and creating something new and phenomenal which involves innovation.

 

The characteristics of this trait can be seen in varied forms in different individuals as it highly reflects an individual’s psychology and personality. Creativity comes out of various experiences and observations one makes from his/her surroundings.

 

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it , they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things”-Steve Jobs

 

 

The seeds of creativity live in everyone.It hides in ones personality and many a times,it cannot be spotted easily. Some individuals are fortunate that their sprouting imagination was nurtured and grown into creative thinking abilities. Creative people are able to communicate their thoughts to others in various forms such as research,speech,art,dance,poetry,plays,etc.

An essential aspect for embodying this trait includes having the courage, patience and perseverance to put the ideas across, despite of the challenges and hurdles that you might face. Let me give you an amazing example. Our two amazing hands !Just imagine for a moment what it would feel like to live your life without your hands! – An organisation in Maharashtra is collective of members who paint with brushes held in their mouth or feet as a result of a disability sustained at birth or through an accident or illness that prohibits them from using their hands. These artists continue to inspire millions of people the world over with their amazing ability to create art with only their mouth or feet.

Creativity is one of the traits which cannot be learnt or cannot just be claimed. It is something that comes naturally to you and one should be able to make the most out of their creative ability.

“Not creative people are successful but all successful people have done something creative”-Anonymous

 

INSOUCIANCE

VASVI’S VERDICT

The word insouciant comes from the French word ‘se soucier’ which means to care. So, after we add the negative prefix ‘in’ we can simply say that the word insouciant means not caring. Insouciance is a very important trait that helps us to define, interpret and elucidate someone’s personality. Now according to me this trait is perceived by people around the world in two ways.

They first way is that we consider this trait in the positive light where it is simply means that the person is casually carefree; the trait of having no strings attached to concerns, worries, troubles, anxieties etc. This is a good thing because with this attitude we tend to act towards what we want not considering hindrances like worries, anxieties and what not. Lack of concern does not necessarily signify lack of interest, it just means that it is not your priority and you have your eyes set for something else. Being insouciant does not mean you do not care about every aspect of your life. You can be selectively insouciant as well; where showing concern is not necessary, because sometimes if we care too much it might lead to self-destruction so we would rather not care. You can correlate it to acting nonchalantly.

     

The second way is that sometimes people perceive this trait in the negative way. This is the part where we think that possessing this trait means that we are acting rashly and without prudence. Well sometimes when we do not show concern about some factors we tend to ignore it and do not consider all the parameters and implications of our actions. So this might eventually lead to our own inconvenience as we act foolishly without taking any efforts or pain.

According to me insouciance is a very important trait and mostly a positive one if we take it casually. It is extremely important to which aspect of your life you are applying this trait to because sometimes if some part does require concern and you carelessly ignore it you end up hurting yourself. But there are times when caring can also lead to inconvenience so at that time it is better if we  stop showing concern and stay true to our insouciant character.

People generally tend to categorize this trait among youth. They also say that it is permitted for a “particular” age. But according to me people should not put any kind of age restrictions on this trait because you should be allowed to be casually care less whenever you want as long as it does not cause you any kind of inconvenience. There should not be any age criteria to deem this trait as inappropriate. This age categorization is generally done because the older generation confuse this casual and cheerful lack of concern (insouciance) with ennui or lassitude. If you are insouciant about people’s opinion,  that does not necessarily mean that you would not accept their advice or their criticism.

Being insouciant does not mean that you have a bad attitude towards life. It is completely okay to be insouciant. I perceive it as a positive trait because, we know best what is important for us and what is not. Deeming it appropriate or inappropriate for age groups is a wrong approach because if everybody understands the actual meaning of this trait and applies it positively the world would be a better place. Being insouciant is good as long as it does not change apathy. Insouciance is very important because we need to live our life as per our priorities and not caring (casually) about the stuff that is not important to us.

“If you live life for people’s acceptance you will die from their rejection.”

-Lecrae

PROTEAN PERSONALITY

MITALI’S MADNESS

 

In Greek mythology Proteus is the seer whose apparent identity is so unstable that no one knows who he is. First he poses as an old man, then a tall green tree, then a blinding fire. He is constantly changing form. This capacity for shape-shifting suits Proteus, for he is a reluctant wizard who wants to evade his clients. Because Proteus has the power to radically transmogrify his identity, no one can pin him down long enough to make him reveal the truth.

A person with a protean self may be described in many ways. These people are often called adaptable or flexible; adjusting to any change. While having a protean personality is usually a boon because people tend to like you more often, it may often be perceived that people with this personality are just “people-pleasers”. This is not true. A person with this personality trait is just generally adjustable to all situations. Doing so makes him happy- he doesn’t do it for the pleasure of others. The pleasure others gain from not having to diverge from their ideas is just an added bonus! Life is not a straight line, rather it is meant to be experienced as a collage or a roller coaster ride, and a protean person is just a “willful eclectic” drawing his power from the various sources and experiences around him.

For all of us non-conformists out there, relax! You too have been categorized! People who are the stark opposite of protean selves are called fundamentalists- this being the alter ego of a protean person! A fundamentalist, as I said earlier is a non-conformist and refuses to accept change as easily as a protean person. They’d rather that the world come to an end than their vision get changed.

These personalities are both a part of every individual. Now you must surely have thought back and tried to put your near and dear ones in these categories. You must have also thought that there are so many people who are simply too nice to have a speck of fundamentalism, or others who are so stubborn as to not having a cell in their bodies that would end up giving your idea a higher stand!

Well it’s rather simple. Any normal human being has different parts of consciousness- the conscious, unconscious and subconscious mind. These traits lie in our mind and are usually balancing each other out with the help of the Ego. In terms of psychology, the mind contains Id, Ego and Superego. Id is the stubborn child; superego is the strict parent and ego is the lenient parent who gets a compromise done between id and superego. So fundamentalist traits and protean traits are also essentially balanced out by the ego.

What are the traits you see in someone that is protean?

When we talk about this personality one trait you see in people like this is that they are versatile. They are multi-tasking and still remain effective doing their jobs. If you are a business man you will want to hire someone with this kind of personality because you will benefit from having a staff this efficient working for you. This is because a person that is has a protean personality can be very adaptable to most conditions and situations. Because they are versatile they are able to accomplish more. People with protean personality are gifted and mobile. They are reliable and efficient in their dealings. They are resourceful and always ready for challenges that might arise.

Because protean people are not dedicated to a field and gather as much information as they can about different fields, this makes them skillful and talented! In order to succeed in life, one must develop a predominant protean personality.

“Superiority of circumstances is one of the most prominent characteristics of great men”-Horace Mann

 

DEPENDABILITY

PRITHA’S PERSPECTIVE

“The greatest ability is dependability”

– Bob Jones.

When you think of the word dependability, in your mind you will come across the names of the people in your life who embody this trait. If you consider the practical side of this trait, dependable people are the ones who can be relied upon to perform their duties properly and considering the emotional aspect, they are the ones who you can count on .

Dependability is a trait that is not only built but also displayed over a long period of time of knowing a person along with consistent application. One cannot simply say that they’re dependable without showing it to be true. It takes time and every time you make a promise or fulfill the task assigned to you, this trait in you strengthens.

Dependability is a very essential trait when it comes to work as it is considered as one of the leadership traits. The best part is the more dependable you are, the more opportunities come to your way and more opportunities lead to more chances to display this trait at your role in a particular organization. You get to prove your mark as a dependable person and also as a good leader.

You don’t really need a certain number of people in your life; just the ones you can be certain of. They’re the ones who we majorly depend on. In fact, there are times when they sort things out for you even before you ask them to.

Having someone to depend upon is good..no doubts! But I also believe that too much dependence on others makes an individual weak, be it in any relation or at work. Because when that element or person goes missing, taking important independent decisions becomes difficult. Dependence is good but not beyond a certain extent. People with dependent personality traits give up the control of major areas of life to others out of fear. Life challenges can take on the dimensions of insurmountable difficulties which are apparently nearly impossible to deal with alone.

 

AMBITION

Vasvi’s Verdict

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. ”

– Helen Keller

Ambition is a very common word. And it seems to be misunderstood at times. Ambition is a desire for something be it success, money, power, fame, honour, leadership etc. it varies from person to person as per their own yearning but it also requires you to be zealous. If you simply desire for something it does not make it your ambition, it stays a wish or a dream. It becomes your ambition when you actually work for it and perseverance should be the key to your ambition. Bailing out simply means that you did not want it as badly as it seemed. So, ambition comes a level above your wishes. We have a lot of wishes but they only become our ambition when they take up a significant portion of our priorities and become our sole purpose, and failures should not put you down (because in every venture of our life there will always be failures but when we rise above them, that is the point where we experience success). So sometimes doggedness will help you climb a few steps. Ambition is a really important trait any human should have because this is what gives meaning to our life.

An ambition can never be assigned to an individual because it is his/her adherence for their proclivity towards something. If that individual does not have any inclination or any motivation towards that task (or target) then it becomes very difficult for him/her to devote their time and energy and so he/she becomes intermittent. Being ambitious is basically being enthusiastic but with a purpose or target in mind. Ambition is a very important human trait; what is the point of being intelligent and talented when you don’t have any target that will lead you on a path where you can use your intelligence and talents efficiently. And even though you do not succeed that does not mean all your efforts were a waste because you learnt something; you did land somewhere rather than nowhere and if that happens then rather than sitting idle look for another purpose. This classic quote explains this idea very well :

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

― Norman Vincent Peale

And never be discouraged by what others have to say about your ambition. Yes do take some guidance and advice from the people in your inner circle who you know wish the best for you and will never let you stray on the wrong path. It is always better to stay away from people who belittle your ambition or it is even better to fervently work your way up on your path and prove them wrong. Being ambitious is something that everybody should prioritize; because your life can atrophy if you are under ambitious as you do not have anything to strive for. An ambitious person should always strive for the goal, work out a plan to pass through the setbacks and after it all ends always set up another goal.

Ambitiousness like everything has a good and a bad side. Being the good ambitious one is where you set a goal that is very important for you work for it not bothering what others say about it as long as it is not harming others and it should not be self-deteriorating as well because some times what you think is right might actually be wrong; so it is important that you have a clear analysis. The bad side is being under or over ambitious. Under ambitiousness is bad for a simple reason that is that there is no purpose. Sometimes taking a break is okay but extending the break for an indefinite time is the problem. Over ambitiousness is sometimes or actually most of the times self-deteriorating and it does hinder others as well. Everything is running smoothly until negative characteristics such as greed, intolerance, lust, ruthlessness etc are introduced that is when ambitiousness turns into over ambitiousness and leads to problems with your surroundings or close ones and sometimes to a downfall. Having an ambition is very important because striving for a purpose is what drives us, just acknowledge the good and bad associated with it and filter the negativities.

“Take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly, and try another. But by all means, try something.”

– Franklin Roosevelt

 

INDEPENDENCE

Mitali’s Madness

“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds.”
― Bob Marley

Independent thinking is a very essential human trait in these times where people tend to think and act in flocks. These times that have overpowered people’s minds with media or fear or shame, have left few independent thinkers in our midst. People fret over speaking their minds for the very sad yet true reason that everyone seems to judge everyone around and very few have the courage to look past that.

Any human cultural group or civilization is nothing but a group made with a few leaders and a lot of conformists. In such arduous times, we need people to speak out and share their ideas- no matter how naive or juvenile they may seem. The first place where this needs to be implemented is in schools on a primary or kindergarten level. Every child is unique- an empty canvass that is filled with various colours and somewhere in this process, they forget their own specialness; a child has a perspective that no one can understand, an understanding so innocent yet so deep that it takes people special degrees just to fathom what a child is trying to say! I feel that children need to be given confidence that any idea they want to share, however absurd, will not be shunned away. Nurturing a child’s creativity, not only through banal activities like paintings or sports but even through things like creative writing can help create many more independent thinkers than we now have.

 

Independence is a major reason for arguments in any household today. This happens for various reasons- generation gap being the major culprit. If I talk from an adolescent’s view, the level of independence an average young adult gets always seems less as compared to what they want. But, according to their parents, who were never given as much freedom as them, this seems like a colossally impossible demand. There are many other reasons also why adolescents cannot get the amount of independence they want but parents tend to become the scapegoats for this genre!

Independent thinking in the newer generations is observed through portals like blogs or articles or even other forms of art like music or dance. Everyone has a different way to express themselves and each of these ways shows the individuality of a child that has cultivated at a right age- an age where they might be able to vote or choose a career or facilitate the betterment of society. My only outlet for expressing myself is in the form of thoughts I like to pen down. I feel like it’s better to share my opinion rather than blindly agree with any other. For simple things like seeing a movie, I don’t agree with a critic on every opinion. Each person’s taste might be different. Violence for one may be an adrenaline rush for another (in a movie only, please!) and sleep inducing romance for one may be an enchanting dream for another!

Even though people feel that they think independently, everyone is actually consciously or subconsciously conforming to either their friend circle’s belief or their family’s restriction or existing misconceptions. Half knowledge is a very dangerous thing and this sort of conformity needs to go from our systems because each person has a right to live their life the way they want after completely knowing what they are getting into. I don’t deny that we have certain universally defined rules that everyone follows for the peaceful coexistence of humanity and that need to be followed, but the more localised rules, if wrong, must be questioned.

“To go wrong in one’s own way is better than to go right in someone else’s.”

 

 

 

INTEGRITY

 

PRITHA’S PERSPECTIVE

“Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.”
― Oprah Winfrey

In ethics, integrity is regarded by many people as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one’s actions. 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. In philosophical context, it can be defined as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. It is generally a personal choice to uphold oneself to consistent moral and ethical standards.

“A quiet conscience makes one strong!”
― Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

There is no measure to test one’s integrity. Words don’t prove integrity, actions do. It does not matter what you do or how you do or how well you do. What matters is if it was a right thing to do. Sometimes people know about it and sometimes they don’t but that should not be a reason that stops you from doing what is right.

One of the strongest pillars of integrity is the understanding that your values are yours alone, and the insistence of them for others is self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is not a very noble or attractive quality .Therefore, if you find yourself sitting in judgment, this means that you still have work to do on yourself – and that you should turn your gaze inward, not outward because different characteristics allow people to achieve different objectives in different circumstances. Learning and accepting diversity and differences is better than insisting that your way of life is superior which indirectly implies that you might be questioning someone else’s integrity.

“I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.”
― Frederick Douglass