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socrates44online today!socrates44 Blog (144)

1,088 Blog Comments156 Poems156 Poetry144 Blog144 Blogs12 Articles4 Tags2 Forums2 Quizzes2 Videos1 Threads

What Is Feminine? What Is Masculine?

Social scientists commonly distinguish between sex and gender. Sex usually refers to the biological differences between men and women whereas gender refers to the social differences society recognizes and treats as significant. Sex covers the biological fact of being man or woman. Gender refers to the social fact of what it means to be masculine and feminine.

WORDS COMMONLY USED TO DESCRIBE FEMININITY
dependent
emotional
passive
sensitive
quiet
graceful
innocent
weak
flirtatious
nurturing
self-critical
soft
sexually submissive
accepting

WORDS COMMONLY USED TO DESCRIBE MASCULINITY
independent
non-emotional
aggressive
tough-skinned
competitive
clumsy
experienced
strong
active
self-confident
hard
sexually aggressive
rebellious

Clearly, society’s categories for what is masculine and feminine are unrealistic. All men have some so-called feminine traits, and all women have some so-called masculine traits.

Androgyny
People who express masculine and feminine traits equally are sometimes called androgynous. Among androgynous people, neither masculine nor feminine traits dominate.

Definitions of masculinity (how one is expected to think and behave based on the fact of being male) and femininity (how one is expected to think and behave based on the fact of being female) are social constructions that incorporate historical, political and social dimensions of gender relations.

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-info/s
*xual-orientation-gender/gender-gender-identity#sthash.JmaWji63.dpuf


What are your views on the above?

It is obvious that the roles of men and women in society are changing. What are your views on the changes and their implications?
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"Be careful what you wish for, you may receive it.

The Monkey's Paw

On a dark and stormy night in England, The Whites – Mr. and Mrs. White and their adult son Herbert – are inside enjoying a cozy evening around the fire.

Soon Sergeant-Major Morris arrives. He's been in the army in India for the past 21 years. He tells the Whites stories of his adventures in that faraway land and shows them a monkey's paw that has the power to grant three wishes. Mr. White wants the paw, but Morris tells him it's cursed – people get hurt when their wishes are granted. He tries to burn the paw in the fire, but Mr. White snatches it up and buys it. After Morris leaves, Mr. White, following Herbert's suggestion, wishes for two hundred pounds, the amount of money he would need to pay off the bank and own the house outright.

The next morning, Herbert goes off to work as usual and Mrs. White watches for the two hundred pounds to show up. In the afternoon, a fancily dressed man pays the Whites a visit. He is from Maw and Meggins, the company Herbert works for. The man tells the Whites that Herbert has been killed in a machinery accident at its factory. The man says that the company takes no blame for Herbert's death but wants to give the Whites two hundred pounds to help with their loss. Mrs. White screams and Mr. White faints.

Full of sadness over Herbert's death, Mr. and Mrs. White bury him in the cemetery two miles from their home. One night Mrs. White gets a bright idea: use those other two wishes to bring Herbert back! She shares her plan with Mr. White. He thinks it's a bad idea – he could barely look at Herbert's mangled body when he went to identify it. His wife really turns up the heat, though, and he caves in. Mr. White pulls out the cursed monkey's paw and wishes Herbert back to life.

Nothing happens, so the Whites go back to bed. Soon after, someone – or something – starts pounding on the door. Mrs. White is sure it's Herbert – it just took him a minute to get there from the cemetery. Mr. White is sure it's Herbert too, and he doesn't want his son to get in the house, so he makes his third wish on the monkey's paw. The knocking stops. Mr. White hears Mrs. White open the door. He hears her scream out in agony because Herbert is not there. He goes outside with her and sees that the road is completely empty.


(The above is an abridged version of the original short story by W.W.Jacobs. I posted an abridged version to fit the CS blog page.
See the unabridged version at:

http://americanliterature.com/author/w-w-jacobs/short-story/the-monkeys-paw
)
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Magnetic Therapy - Does It Really Work?

Magnetic therapy is a popular alternative treatment which goes back thousands of years, dating all the way back to the Egyptian pharaohs.For example, the idea behind wearing magnetic bracelets is that the magnets work by realigning the magnetic fields in our body. This realignment is supposed to not only improve the way we feel – especially if we have specific chronic or muscle pain - but the way we perform overall as well.

Sceptics, however, have pointed out that there is little scientific evidence to back up any of these claims. They point out that while the blood protein called haemoglobin which carries oxygen is repulsed by magnetic fields, the magnets in magnetic bracelets are so weak they would have no effect on our blood flow whatsoever.

Furthermore, they say that while some scientific studies have shown a minor improvement in pain levels amongst those who wore these magnetic bracelets as compared to those who did not, that is probably due only to a placebo effect.


How Magnet Therapy (Theoretically) Works
Theoretically, the idea behind magnet therapy is simple. Proponents believe that a magnet placed on the body draws blood to that area, producing a calming effect on the muscles and tissues in that region and putting the body in the best environment possible for it to heal itself.

Whether the magnet is placed inside a shoe, worn as an ankle strap or – most commonly – attached to a bracelet – the effect is purportedly a positive one. The increased blood flow not only helps deliver more nutrients to the body, but also improves the removal of toxins and contaminants from tissues throughout the body.


Proponents of magnet therapy also claim that magnetic bracelets can:

Reduce inflammation, lactic acid, calcium deposits and other toxins in the body due to the increased blood flow
Help heal nervous tissue and bones due to the magnets’ ability to accelerate the migration of calcium ions
Help promote peaceful sleep as the magnets can influence the production of the hormone melatonin in the body, which helps us know when to sleep and when to wake up
Help the body to produce more endorphins, which are known as natural painkillers.

Magnet therapy is a booming business, with magnetic bracelets not the only magnet-based commodity on the market. Other products include magnetic pillows, mattress pads, hairbrushes and even magnetic pet products, designed to help your dog or mutt make the most of magnets.
The worldwide magnet therapy industry totals sales of over a billion dollars per year, including $300 million per year in the United States alone.

http://www.safealternativemedicine.co.uk/health-benefits-magnetic-bracelets.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnet_therapy


What do you think of magnetic health therapy?
Have you ever used any of these magnetic health devices?
What was the outcome?
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Guardian Of The Environment

For several thousands of years
you upheld the sacredness of Nature
avoiding wanton destruction
of plant and animal life
taking only what you needed
since their sacredness was
just as important to you
as the sacredness of humanity

When harvesting wild rice for food
you let some fall into the water
to produce crops for the future
Surrounding a pack of sheep
while hunting in the mountains
you let a male and female escape
so by their reproductive process
they would ensure the continuation
of their species

You saw your self as part of Nature
living in harmony with it
and not plundering it with greed
Your religion was to respect Nature
viewing all plants and animals
as parts of its magnificent fabric
Abuse of a part of it was
an abuse of the whole

Your way of life
provides valuable lessons
that can teach mankind how
to deal with today's ecological crisis
that threatens the survival
of all life on the planet
You were the genuine
Guardian of the environment


I have always admired the way of life of the Native American Indians living in harmony with Nature before the advent of the Europeans. By extension, this applies to all indigenous peoples including the Amerindians and Polynesians. This piece is dedicated to them.
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Dumb Blonde Stereotype

Blondes are not so dumb after all:
Scientists claim hair colour is completely unrelated to personality and intelligence.

Blondes have long been the butt of jokes for their supposed lack of intelligence.
But those with a fair head of hair can now take heart - for scientists have disproved the dumb blonde stereotype.
New research has revealed that hair colour is ‘only skin deep’ because it depends on just a single letter of the genetic code.

The study proves hair colour is completely unrelated to any other trait and dispels the shallow claim that blonde hair signifies lower intelligence.

Switching a single ‘letter’ of DNA would turn brunettes to blondes, according to academics from Stanford University in California - and would have no affect on the brain.

Lead researcher Professor David Kingsley said: ‘The genetic mechanism that controls blond hair doesn’t alter the biology of any other part of the body.

Researchers also found that the gene that affects blonde hair isn’t associated with eye colour - suggesting that blonde hair and blue eyes are not genetically linked.


Origin of Stereotype

The concept of the dumb blonde, a common stereotype placed on fair-haired women, continues to pervade society through today. Its origin, however, like many popular-cultural stereotypes, is clouded.

The 1925 Anita Loos novel, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: The Illuminating Diary of a Professional Lady (later used as source for a film by the same name made by Howard Hawks and starring Marilyn Monroe) featured the character Lorelei Lee, a beautiful but empty-headed singer.

While some look to this as the source for the concept, in fact, it might be far older.

Since the days of ancient Rome, women who took the time to lighten their hair have been looked at as “bimbos…without serious intentions,” according to a recent article in USA Today.

One explanation dates back to medieval Europe when members of the upper class tended to be darker-haired than the peasantry. This was because the lower classes spent more time outside in the sun. Since peasants were often considered less intelligent than the upper class, an association between fair-haired persons and a lack of intelligence surfaced.

Though origins of this negative stereotype date back hundreds of years, possibly millennia, the concept has gained momentum in recent years.

Numerous actresses of the 20th century have played characters labeled as “dumb blondes.” These include Marilyn Monroe, Jean Harlow, Suzanne Somers, and Goldie Hawn. Of course these films have only further brought the stereotype into the limelight.

Many girls who are blonde cite the fact that since so many people are familiar with the stereotype they worry about how they are perceived by others, especially with regard to first impressions. Job interviews are an excellent example of this as some blondes say they are uncomfortable about their hair color in interview situations, specifically that they don’t want a potential employer to automatically judge them based on their hair color.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2645779/Blondes-not-dumb-Scientists-disprove-negative-stereotype-proving-hair-colour-completely-unrelated-traits.html


http://www.26magazine.com/the-dumb-blonde-and-her-origin/


What I find interesting is that most of the jokes about dumb blondes are about women. Several of them have been posted right here on CS.
What about dumb blonde men jokes? Such men are also blondes.
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Savant Syndrome (formerly called "Idiot Savant")

Savants are people who despite serious mental or physical disability have quite remarkable, and sometimes spectacular, talents. This is an exceedingly rare phenomena of which there are several well documented cases. Recently the Academy Award winning movie Rain Man has led to the term savant being much more widely known. Savant syndrome is perhaps one of the most fascinating phenomena in the study of human differences and cognitive psychology.

Another term, autistic savant, is also widely used, but this can be somewhat misleading. Although there is a strong association with autism, it is certainly not the case that all savants are autistic or all autistic persons are savants. It is estimated that about 50% of the cases of savant syndrome are from the autistic population, and the other 50% from the population of developmental disabilities and CNS(Central Nervous System) injuries. The estimated incidence of savant abilities in the autistic population is about 10%, whereas the incidence in the learning disability population (which is very much larger) is probably less than 1%.

Savant skills are usually found in one or more of five major areas: art, musical abilities, calendar calculation, mathematics and spatial skills. The most common kind of autistic savants are the calendrical savants, who can calculate the day of the week with speed and usually with accuracy. Memory feats are the second most common savant skill.
Most savants are born with their abilities (and unfortunately, their developmental disorders), but not all: severe brain injuries can, in very rare instances, cause savant-like abilities to surface.


Some Notable Savants:

1. Kim Peek
Kim Peek was the inspiration for the character played by Dustin Hoffman in the movie, Rain Man.
He was born with severe brain damage. His childhood doctor told Kim's father to put him in an institution and forget about the boy. Kim's severe developmental disabilities, according to the doctor, would not let him walk let alone learn. Kim's father disregarded the doctor's advice.
Till this day, Kim struggles with ordinary motor skills and has difficulty walking. He is severely disabled, cannot button his shirt and tests well below average on a general IQ test.
But what Kim can do is astounding: he has read some 12,000 books and remembers everything about them. "Kimputer," as he is lovingly known to many, reads two pages at once - his left eye reads the left page, and his right eye reads the right page. It takes him about 3 seconds to read through two pages - and he remember everything on 'em. Kim can recall facts and trivia from 15 subject areas from history to geography to sports. Tell him a date, and Kim can tell you what day of the week it is. He also remembers every music he has ever heard.

2. Alonzo Clemons
As a toddler, Alonzo suffered a head injury in an accident that changed his life. He can't feed himself or tie his shoelaces, but he can sculpt.
And boy, can he sculpt: after seeing only a fleeting image of an animal on a TV screen, Alonzo could sculpt a perfect 3D figure of it, correct in each and every detail right down to the muscle fibers.

3. Ellen Boudreaux
Ellen Boudreaux is a blind autistic savant with exceptional musical abilities. She can play music perfectly after hearing it just once, and has a such a huge repertoire of songs in her head that a newspaper reporter once tried to "stump Ellen" by requesting that she played some obscure songs - and failed. Ellen knew them all.
Ellen has two other savant skills that are unusual. First, despite her blindness, she is able to walk around without ever running into things. As she walks, Ellen makes little chirping sounds that seems to act like a human sonar.
Second, Ellen has an extremely precise digital clock ticking in her mind. She knows the exact hour and minute, any time of the day without ever having seen a clock nor have the concept of the passing of time explained to her.
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Where is Heaven located?

Do you think that "heaven" is, literally, a place somewhere in the sky (or clouds)? Our astronauts have been to "outer space". We have giant telescopes with which we can see planets and stars light-years away. Up to now, no one has reported any "heavenly sightings". Where is heaven situated, really?

Background

I posted this as a comment to a blog that mentioned heaven but I never received a response from the blog "poster", even though I reminded the poster of it in a subsequent blog.

Does the idea of heaven, if you accept the existence of such, extend beyond that of a physical place?

If it is not a physical place, what is it?

What do you think?
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LOVE

Love possesses not
nor would it be possessed
for love is sufficient unto love

And think not that you can direct
the course of love
for love
if it finds you worthy
directs your course

But let there be spaces
in your togetherness
and let the winds
of the heavens
dance between you

Love one another
but make not a bond of love
Let it rather be a moving sea
between the shores of your souls

Sing and dance together
and be joyous
but let each one of you
be alone

Even as the strings of a lute
are alone
but they quiver with
the same music

And stand together
yet too near together
For the pillars of the temple
stand apart
And the oak tree and the cypress
grow not in each other's shadow


Quoted from "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran
.
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Be Your Own Guru

What if you could be your own guru?

That’s not only possible, but preferable for your spiritual growth. Many of us, seasoned to believe we lack answers, look to others. We are trained to think answers are outside us. And, indeed, we do find many answers outside us — from writers, teachers, friends, groups, and organizations.

We might call these individuals and groups “external gurus” — and we have all been blessed by such gurus in our lives. There is often connection, safety, comfort, and support in receiving answers from others.

But the effect of turning to external gurus for ultimate answers can also sidetrack us from our own innate guru abilities.

For example, it is not uncommon for open-minded seekers to become impressed with spiritual teachers. After all, these teachers are often enlightening and inspiring. Yet, it is also not uncommon for spiritual seekers to experience a loss of self as a result. This often comes from believing someone is better qualified than you to tell you what you need to know, be, or do.

The more we explore the spiritual path, the more we discover the core truth that the highest answers needed for our lives are within us right now.

There is so much wisdom with-in you. Can you imagine turning to this wisdom within and thinking of yourself as your own guru?

No one knows your life, motives, and longings better than you. No one can surpass your own inner voice as the highest resource you have. You already have within you the solution and divine guidance you will need for the rest of your life. You have great ability to manifest as a resource to yourself.

Being your own guru doesn’t preclude reading books, listening to inspiring teachers, or joining organizations. But when you do these things, you can do so to support your own inner guidance. You can constantly check to see if what you are receiving aligns with your own intuition — your own inner guru.

Here is the crux of why you alone are your very best guru. By trusting your own voice, you develop a personal, direct relationship with your divine Source — with Love, Truth, Light, God — however you define your Source. As we align our thinking and hearts with this Source, we come to know with great clarity our mission, life purpose, and the highest steps to take in our lives. We get intimately acquainted with our highest selfhood. And we can relax in this freedom of such keen inner knowing.

Being guided by your inner guru is empowering. You can, at any time, turn to the voice within and activate your power. Your own inner light is completely sufficient to draw to you the right people, circumstances, and opportunities for all situations.

Perhaps the question now is this: How well do you really know yourself? Self-discovery is vital to your spiritual growth and is a guiding principle on the path to being your own guru. There is no substitution for what you can discover about your essential needs and passions when you go within. And there is so much joy in discovering who we are, our essential uniqueness, and how best to express it.

The secret to a life of inner peace, growth, strength, power, joy, and love is this path of self-discovery. This is something no one else can do for you. The freedom to discover this for yourself is Love’s gift to you. Being your own guru means releasing personal attachments to someone else telling you what to do or how to proceed. What a wonderful path to discover these very answers lie within us!

The more you turn to your own inner guidance system, the more you will find clarity within your core being. And your identity will have more clarity to others too.

We are all advancing spiritually, and at a faster pace, because there is so much more receptivity today. We are all hungry for higher answers. One of those higher answers is that all we need to know to act in our highest behalf is right here within us.

http://www.awarenessmag.com/janfeb6/jf6_from_heart_love.html
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8 False Animal Facts Most People Think Are True

1. Ostriches bury their heads in the sand

The ostrich is the largest known bird – and one that can run up to 40 mph and has a kick powerful enough to bend steel rods — but it does not bury its head in the sand as a defense mechanism. When threatened, along with running and kicking, these creatures do try to hide, but they do so by laying flat on the ground. That said, from a distance their tiny heads can appear to be buried when they are lifting themselves up from the ground. But is the head actually inserted into the sand? Not at all.


2. Opossums hang by their tails

While it’s true that opossums have mighty tails and use them with great facility, they do not generally hang from them and they certainly don’t sleep in such a position. While a baby may hang from its tail for a few seconds, adults are too heavy to do the same. And although opossums can't hang from their tails, they do have opposable "thumbs" to make up for it.


3. Touching a toad can give you warts

Frogs and toads may have lumpy skin, but they can’t give you warts. It’s a human virus, not amphibian skin, that causes warts. But it's a good idea to avoid touching them anyway — some toads’ wart-like bumps contain parotoid glands, which contain a poison that can be rather irritating ... so be careful where you kiss them.


4. An earthworm split in half becomes two worms

First of all, ew. Second of all, if an earthworm is cut in two it will not become two worms. The head end of the worm may live and regenerate its back end if it was severed behind the clitellum; but the old tail will die. However, the super fascinating planarian flatworm – a tiny freshwater worm from a different phylum than earthworms – is able to reform its entire body from slivers as teensy as 1/300th of the critter's original body size.


5. The color red makes bulls aggressive

The much-believed premise behind bullfighting is that the red cape gets the bull revved up and makes him charge at the matador. In reality, cattle are dichromatic (colorblind) and don’t see red as a vivid color. What they are responding to is the movement of the cape and the overall threat of the situation. (We don’t blame them, we’d be mad too.)
Bull fighting was prohibited by the Spanish Government in 2011.


6. Bats are blind

Many bats may have small eyes, and about 70 percent of the species augment their vision with echolocation which helps them hunt at night – but blind? No way. Merlin Tuttle, founder and president of Bat Conservation International, confirms the truth in no uncertain terms: “There are no blind bats. They see extremely well.” So there.


7. Koalas are a type of bear

While the impossibly cute creatures that have inspired many an Australian souvenir may have an ursine appearance, they are surely not bears; they are marsupials. Once born, the baby is carried in the mom’s pouch for about six months. When the infant emerges, it rides on momma koala's back or clings to her belly accompanying her everywhere until it’s a year old. Awwww.


8. Sloths are lazy

The etymology of the word “sloth” reveals roots pertaining to slow speed; but somehow the poor sloth garnered a reputation for being a constant committer of one of the seven deadly sins. In fact, sloths are slow — very slow — but not lazy. They simply are unable to move any faster. Sloths are cursed – or blessed, depending on your perspective – with a metabolism that is only 40 to 45 percent of what most animals of comparative size have. With so little to power their movement, it's no wonder that they can only climb 6 feet per minute.


http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/photos/10-false-animal-facts-most-people-think-are-true/lions-and-tigers-and
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Three Aspects of Successful Intelligence re Person

To be successfully intelligent is to think well in three different ways: analytically, creatively, and practically. Typically, only analytical intelligence is valued on tests and in the classroom. Yet the style of intelligence that schools most readily recognize may well be less useful to many students in their adult lives than creative and practical intelligence.

The three aspects of successful intelligence are related. Analytical or componential thinking is required to solve problems and to judge the quality of ideas. Creative or experiential intelligence is required to formulate good problems and ideas in the first place. Practical or contextual intelligence is needed to use the ideas and their analysis in an effective way in one’s everyday life.

Successful intelligence is most effective when it balances all three of its analytical, creative, and practical aspects. It is more important to know when and how to use these aspects of successful intelligence than just to have them. Successfully intelligent people don’t just have abilities, they reflect on when and how to use these abilities effectively.

“The theory suggests that successfully intelligent people are those who have the ability to achieve success according to their own definition of success, within their socio-cultural context. They do so by identifying and capitalizing on their strengths, and identifying and correcting or compensating for their weaknesses in order to adapt to, shape, and select environments. Such attunement to the environment uses a balance of analytical, creative, and practical skills. The theory views intelligence as a form of developing competencies, and competencies as forms of developing expertise. In other words, intelligence is modifiable rather than fixed.” ~ R. Sternberg (http://www.yale.edu/rjsternberg/#higher)

Analytical Componential Intelligence

Analytical intelligence encompasses the ability to think abstractly and process information effectively. Persons high on this dimension are able to think critically and analytically. Analytical intelligence emphasizes effectiveness in information processing and is characterized by high test scores and high I.Q. scores.


Creative Experiential Intelligence

Creative intelligence includes the ability to formulate new ideas, to combine seemingly unrelated facts or information. It emphasizes insight and the ability to invent new solutions and is overlooked by test scores.


Practical Contextual Intelligence

Practical intelligence covers the ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions and to shape the environment so as to maximize one’s strengths and compensate for one’s weaknesses. It emphasizes intelligence in a practical sense. Persons high on this dimension quickly recognize what factors influence success on various tasks and are adept at both adapting to and shaping their environment so that they can accomplish various goals. Practical intelligence is not reflected in test scores.


http://cct.wikispaces.umb.edu/Three+Aspects+of+Successful+Intelligence
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The Intellectual and The Intelligent

Is being intellectual the same as being intelligent?
What, if any, is the difference between them?

Is having knowledge the same as having wisdom?
What, if any, is the difference between them?

Where does common sense fit in this scenario?

Please support your answer with example(s) wherever possible.

Thanks for your participation.
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