Finding your Harry Potter

J. K. Rowling has had an interesting career before she penned Harry Potter. She has been a teacher as well as worked at Amnesty International.
It seems to me she drifted from one thing to another untill she found the courage/conviction to sit and pen down Harry Potter.
J K Rowling says that she always knew that she wanted to write stories. She knew her "Harry Potter" (my use of "Harry Potter" is in a sense to imply that which is your deepest desire and your life's calling- work that you were meant to do)

What if you don't know what your "Harry Potter" is?

Sexy, Naughty, Bitchy you?

We all know these people.

People who love to tear others apart to shreds.

They are the ones who look at you up and down. They are the ones who will dig up your past, scrutinize you till they find something they can make fun of, spread around, bitch.

Once in a while of us are guilty of the above behavior. We all know that one peevish person who can do no right in our eyes. For most, it is their boss, for others it is their peer.

But there are some who know no such boundaries. Nobody is spared their relentless barrage of “Did you see how he/she did that task?”…

Introversion: A non-viable genetic trait today?

Darwin’s theory: Survival of the fittest. It dealt only with physical traits, like moth color. But I get a sense that it can maybe also be applied to behavioural traits. And the more I look around my office, the more I sense that Extroversion is the name of the newest set of scales that will help you outrun your competitors.

The world today is for the person who will as the Survivor motto goes: “Outwit, Outplay, Outlast”. I add my bit to it: “Over-Communicate”.

The rules for the communication seem to be

1. You shall communicate only with people of importance so that you can reflect in their glory.

2. Information is power, so don’t give out your information to anyone other than people of rule 1.

So where does that leave people who are introverts?

"Introversion is the state of or tendency toward being wholly or predominantly concerned with and interested in one's own mental life".

Introverts tend to be more reserved and less assertive in social situations. They often take pleasure in solitary activities such as reading, writing, drawing, and using computers.

The archetypal artist, writer, sculptor, composer, and inventor are all highly introverted. An introvert is likely to enjoy time spent alone and find less reward in time spent with large groups of people, though they tend to enjoy interactions with close friends. They prefer to concentrate on a single activity at a time and like to observe situations before they participate.

Introverts are easily overwhelmed by too much stimulation from social gatherings and engagement. They are more analytical before speaking.[from Wikipedia]

Frankly, i am an introvert myself, and way I see the world around me, I am beginning to wonder if I should crumble at the pressure laid at my doorstep everyday to conform to extrovertism.

Another road-block in the way of introverts is that they don’t tend to tom-tom their achievements and their connections in the faces of others. Which makes them seem less important, less significant, less hard-working and simply less worthy than others in this world of “I-want-my-five-seconds-of-fame-and-will-do-anything-for-it.”

Maybe we introverts ought to gang up together against these extroverts who are pushing us beyond the point of endurance. But then how do you get together a group of people who would rather be left alone?

©Tanveer Parmar

Post from Manjiri Bhadur

The post below is from Manjiri Bhadur. A fellow blogger, I have had the opportunity to work with her in the past and she is a person whose views i admire greatly. The post below is from her blog: http://manjiri-observationsandmusings.blogspot.com and is in reference to the recent rape of a TISS students by six of her "friends". Read the blog below and spread the message. We need to now stand up against all such atrocities against women.


"I am thinking what's the point of latent anger. When a heinous crime takes place we have to hit back where it hurts. What is the biggest weapon a rapist uses after the rape is long over? Emotional and mental degradation. We need to turn the table now. We need to make sure that it is the abuser and not the abused who is shamed. How can we as a society do that?

1. Let us spread the names of the accused and their pictures through all sources on the net

2. Let us flood the newspapers with mails and put pressure to have these 'students' suspended from their colleges till the matter is being investigated

Another weapon that the accused will use will be to exploit the justice system and keep the case in abeyance till it fades from the public memory. let us fight that. The accused belong to business families right? Then let us find out what businesses their families run and call for a ban on the products or services that they offer. Do that till the decision is delivered.

Any other ideas? Let us give it back. Here are my suggestions:

Image by churl via Flickr

1. find out the missing details and fill them in

2. spread the word by forwarding this message

3. add to it by writing on your blogs and mails

Let this reach a cresecendo. make sure they don't get away with it."

Darwin, Faith & Slippery Eels

Image via Wikipedia

While on my way to work i recently read an article on theories of evolution - one of them is Creationism.

One that is opposed to Darwin's Theory - Evolutionism. You know it, the same one that we descended
from Monkeys and Monkeys from older marsupial animals and they from tiny mammals the size of rats
and so on till we reach the single cell and the first DNA double helix. Throw in a reptile relative to
explain our old reptilian brain connection and there you have it - Homo Sapiens.

Creationism says, "Animals and Plants now are exactly as they were at the dawn of time." and has provided proof for his theory in his book.

Which ever theory you choose to believe in is your prerogative. I, for example, believe in neither. I
believe in the Intelligent Design Theory. You can read up on that on wiki if interested.

what differs between followers of all 3 theories.


They all chose to believe in something.


Without actual proof.


Most people who believe in Darwin do so because his theory sounds, feels, seems logical to them.

Majority of them have never laid eyes on the fossils used by him for his observation. Humans err, right?

The same could be said for the theory i believe in. I have not actually met or interacted with this
intelligent cause behind evolution. I have experienced it in the form of events that to slot as coincidences
would be too simplistic. but that is my experience. It could be a perception error. But i have faith in this theory still.


So what is faith?
Faith is the confident belief in the truth of or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. It is also used for a belief,
characteristically without proof says wiki. Faith is merely the virtue by which we hold to our reasoned ideas,
despite moods to the contrary.

A lot of people are very dismissive about other people's faith, if it does not fit into their perceived scheme of
things.

Your colleague believes in astrology, you don't. You scoff at his faith.

You need to scoff at his faith, if you are a normal average human being, because acceptance of his faith would
threaten your faith, - that astrology is humbug.

Yes, you can say there is no proof to prove it, maybe there is proof that you refuse to see, or are simply unaware
of.


So we have now understood another theory of faith, that is, in order for your faith to be valid you will have to
reject all faiths that contradict yours.


If you are a tolerant human being, then you may even revel in being exposed to different points of view. It can be
a very enriching experience that allows us to experience life, the universe more deeply.


Which is also fine. As long as we potter around in our little mental cottage, re-arranging and slotting things as per
our beliefs.


But what happens when either your faith overpowers you so much that anyone who does not belong to the same
faith becomes a human not worthy of the same rights as you,


Or your faith is so weak that it derives strength from proving other's are wrong and inferior.


That is when we have communal riots. That is when we have mass genocide. That is when we have the holocaust.