This is Exactly How Long it Takes to Break a Habit

This is Exactly How Long it Takes to Break a Habit In most cases, habits are a good thing. They help us create order in our days and keep us from having to make the same decisions every single day.If you have a habit of waking up, going to the gym, showering, having breakfast and then leaving for work, you don’t have to wake up thinking about what you need to do each morning.You will just wake up and automatically do what you normally do.This makes your morning a lot easier, since you can go through all your morning paces automatically.Similarly, if you have formed a habit of scheduling your day every morning, you will never find yourself feeling idle and wondering what you should be doing on a Thursday afternoon.Sometimes, however, habits are not so good.They either waste our time, negatively affect our health, make us unproductive, waste our money, or lead us astray in many other ways.Examples of bad habits include smoking, procrastination, constantly checking our social media feeds, unhealthy eating habits, fidgeting, and so on. Many of us who have one bad habit or the other are already aware that we have a bad habit and we know that it is bad for our wellbeing.But why continue engaging in the habit if we know it is bad for us?Well, the thing with habits is that they are difficult to change.While we actually want to get rid of the habit, we find breaking the habit to be quite a challenge because we are so used to it.If you have struggled with breaking a bad habit, you might be wondering if it is really possible to break the habit, and how long it takes to completely get rid of the habit.The good news is that it is possible to break a bad habit.When it comes to how long it takes to break a habit, most people claim that you only need 21 days to break a habit.Question is, how true is this claim?Before we look at whether the above claim is true, we first need to understand the basics of habits and how they are formed.HOW ARE HABITS FORMED? A habit can be defined as a practice, tendency or routine of behavior th at has been repeated so many times that it starts occurring without conscious thought.Habits generally consist of three main elements â€" a cue that triggers an action, an action that follows the cue, and a reward that follows the action.For instance, let’s say you have formed a habit of checking your social media pages during the morning commute to work.In this case, getting on the bus or train acts as the cue.Simply getting on the bus or train makes you want to reach for your phone.Reaching for your phone and logging onto your favorite social media network is the action.Once you login, seeing all the new things your friends have shared and the notifications from your friends’ reactions to what you shared leads to a release of dopamine in your brain, which makes you feel happy.The release of dopamine and the subsequent happiness is the reward for the action.The reward plays a key role in making most habits addictive.Now, you need to understand something about your brain.The hum an brain is wired for efficiency. It is always trying to find the best way to get things done while expending the least amount of effort.When you repeat a certain action a number of times, your brain starts noticing a pattern of three elements â€" a cue, an action and the reward. Your brain then creates neural pathways linking the three elements together.Instead of having to constantly think about what to do, your brain automatically fires up these neural pathways every time the cue comes up.So every time you get on the bus, you automatically grab your phone without having to think about it, because your brain knows this action will lead to a reward.The more times you repeat this action, the stronger these neural pathways become.It is good to note that anything can act as a cue. It could be a specific place, an event, a mental or emotional state, a time of the day, a certain phrase, and so on.Whenever this cue comes up, your brain automatically triggers the action related to the cue .It is also good to note that the cue that triggers a certain action is usually very specific.For instance, being bored while you are at home might trigger a totally different action compared to being bored at work.Now, here’s what makes breaking a habit so difficult. Once your brain has formed neural pathways, it cannot destroy them.Even when you think you have successful broken a habit, what actually happens is that these pathways have become weak, but they are still there.This is why it is so easy for someone who has quit an addiction to relapse even a year down the line.So, how do you break habits if the neural pathways are still there?Breaking a habit basically involves forming new neural pathways that are stronger than the established pathways.While you cannot stop the cue from triggering an action, you can change the action that is triggered by the cue. With time, a new neural pathway is formed linking the trigger with another action.Once the new neural pathway becomes stro nger than the previous one, the habit is dropped and the new one is picked.This is why the easiest way of breaking a habit is to replace it with another one.For instance, someone trying to quit smoking might replace cigarettes with chewing gum.With time, the neural pathway related to chewing gum becomes stronger, such that when the previous cue comes up, the person reaches for chewing gum instead of a cigarette.SO, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BREAK A HABIT?Now that we understand how habits are formed, let’s see how long it takes to break a habit.I mentioned above that there is a popular claim that a habit can be broken in 21 days.This popular notion was introduced by Maxwell Maltz in his book Psycho-Cybernetics.Maxwell, a plastic surgeon by profession, came up with the claim after noticing that his patients took about 21 days to get used to their new, surgically altered faces.However, there is a catch.Maxwell said that is takes about a minimum of 21 days to change a habit. This means that changing a habit can take 21 days or more.Maxwell’s claim is supported by another study conducted by researchers from the University College London and published in the European Journal of Social Psychology.In the study, which evaluated the habits of 96 participants over a period of 12 weeks, the researchers came to the conclusion that the average time needed to form or change a habit is 66 days.However, some of the participants of the study formed new habits in as little as 18 days, while others took as many as 254 days.So, while it is possible to break a habit in 21 days, you cannot be certain that this time frame will work for you.The huge disparity when it comes to forming or breaking habits is brought about by the fact that breaking a habit depends on a number of factors. The first factor is the availability of an alternative ability.Like we saw above, a habit is broken when the neural pathways related to the habit become weaker than other pathways related to the same c ue.Therefore, someone trying to break a habit by replacing it with an alternative habit might achieve success faster compared to someone who is simply trying to break a habit without any alternative habit to replace it.The second factor is the motivation for breaking the habit. People decide to change their habits for different reasons, and the stronger the reason behind the change, the easier it becomes to break the bad habit.For instance, someone trying to break a habit because the they might get sick, lose a job or get divorced by a spouse if they don’t stop the habit is more likely to break the habit faster than someone who is simply doing because his friends think the habit is not cool.Similarly, someone trying to break a habit for personal reasons will most likely achieve success faster than someone who is doing is because of external reasons, such as pressure by peers.Finally, the length of time it takes to break a habit will also be influenced by how established the habit is.The longer a person has been engaging in the problematic habit, the stronger the neural pathways associated with the habit are, and the more challenging breaking the habit will be.For instance, someone who has been smoking for a year will usually find it easier to quit compared to someone who has been smoking for 15 years.HOW TO BREAK BAD HABITSNow that it is clear that the length of time needed to break a habit will depend on various, let’s look at some tips on how to successfully break a bad habit.Understand Your CuesThe first step to breaking a bad habit is to become aware of the cues that trigger the bad habit.Only after knowing what your triggers are can you take action to avoid them.To know what cues trigger your bad habit, take note whenever you find yourself engaging in the bad habit and then ask yourself the following questions:Where were you when you engaged in the habit?Who were you with?What was your mental state at the time?What happened before that got you into th is mental state?Do you tend to engage in the habit at specific times within the day?How often do you engage in the habit?If possible, record the answers to these questions in a note book, because you might need to observe yourself for a few weeks in order to totally understand what triggers the habit.Not only will becoming aware of your triggers will help you avoid them, it will also help you understand what reward your brain is craving by engaging in the habit.Cut Out the TriggersOnce you identify the cues that trigger your bad habit, the next step is to cut out as many of them as possible.For instance, if you tend to procrastinate your work when you have your phone near you, keep away the phone while working to avoid the temptation to play games or check your social media.If you always sneak to the parking garage to have a smoke during the day, avoid going to the garage.If you habitually go drinking when you are with a certain group of friends, minimize your interactions with this group of friends.The less you encounter the cues that trigger the habit, the less likely you are to engage in the habit.Make it Hard for Yourself to Engage in the HabitIf possible, create barriers or obstacles that will make it hard or more painful for you to engage in the problematic habit. There are several ways of doing this.For instance, if you are trying to stop swearing, you can agree with some of your friends that you will pay them a dollar any time they catch you swearing.If you are trying to break the habit of snoozing your alarm every morning, download an app that requires you solve a complex mathematical equation before you can press the snooze button.If you want to stop getting onto Facebook whenever you are working on your computer, download an app that blocks all social media websites for a set period of time.By making it harder or more painful to engage in the habit, you will have an easier time breaking these established routines.Find a Replacement HabitWe already s aw that the best way of breaking a habit is to replace it with a new habit.This allows your brain to build new neural pathways associated with the cue, while at the same time weakening the existing pathways.Therefore, instead of simply trying to quit the habit, find something else to do in its place.For instance, if your aim is to stop watching so much TV, if you have nothing else to do instead, you will eventually go back to watching TV.However, if you use that time to exercise or read a book, it will be much easier to reduce your TV time.Similarly, if you want to quit smoking, replace the habit with chewing mint gum or performing breathing exercises.If you want to stop spending too much of your evenings on social media, use the time to work on the side business you have always wanted to start, or working on a hobby.When coming up with an alternative habit, don’t go for a something that is boring.Doing this will only push you back to the habit you are trying to break.The new habi t should be something you enjoy. In other words, the reward for the new habit should exceed the reward for the habit you want to replace.Have a Good Reason Behind the ChangeBefore you even start trying to break a bad habit, take a moment to think about why you want to break the habit.Are you trying to break the habit simply because it is a bad habit, or do you have a stronger reason as to why you want to change?If you want to succeed in breaking the habit, you should have a good reason behind the desire to change.To come up with a good reason why you need to break the habit, think about how engaging in the habit has been affecting your life and the benefits you stand to gain by getting rid of the habit.Why is this important?We have already seen that breaking a bad habit is hard.If you don’t have a good enough reason, it becomes harder to follow through with the change during the hard moments.For instance, let’s assume that you want to stop waking up late, and have decided to rep lace sleeping till late with going to the gym early every morning.One morning, your alarm rings but you are still sleepy as hell.If you decided to go to the gym simply because it is a good thing to do, there is a high chance that you will find convince yourself that you are healthy and continue sleeping.However, if you decided to hit the gym so that you can make it to the local basketball team, you will have greater conviction to ditch the covers and hit the gym.Don’t Rely on Will PowerOne of the greatest mistakes many people make while trying to break a bad habit is to rely solely on their will power.Here is the thing with will power.Everyone has a certain amount of will power.Every time you use your will power to push yourself to follow through with the change, you deplete your available will power, which means you have less will power to push yourself through the next time you feel demotivated.Once this will power runs out, it becomes very easy to fall back to your old habits.T he idea, therefore, is to try and avoid relying on your will power as much as possible.For instance, if you want to start waking up early, one option is to set your alarm and rely on your will power to do the rest for you.Once your alarm rings, you might use your will power to force yourself out of bed on day one.On day two, however, the warmth of your bed might win over your will power. You end up snoozing the alarm and waking up an hour later.Alternatively, you might decide to put your alarm clock outside your bedroom door.When the alarm clock rings, you will be forced to get out of bed in order to switch of the alarm clock.In the second scenario, you are not relying on will power, and you are more likely to get up this way.Don’t Go It AloneWhile it is possible to break your bad habits by yourself, it becomes much easier when you have a support network helping you.For instance, you can share your plans with a close friend or relative and have them call you out whenever you backt rack.If your bad habit is triggered by a certain group of friends, let them know you are trying to break the habit and ask them not to engage in activities that might trigger the habit when they are around you.If you have a friend who is trying to break the same habit, team up with them, set challenges for yourselves and motivate each other.You could also join forums of people who are also trying to overcome the same habit.Such groups will keep you motivated and encourage you to go for your goal. If your bad habit has a huge impact on your health or wellbeing, you might also consider seeking professional help.Reward YourselfWhen explaining how habits are formed, I mentioned that the reward element is what reinforces habits and even turns some of them into addictions.You can also use the psychology of the reward to reinforce the gains you have made.To do this, you can think of rewarding yourself every time you avoid the habit you are trying to break.For instance, if you aim is to sto p procrastinating, set yourself blocks of time to complete a certain task and then reward yourself by allowing yourself to do something you enjoy for a few minutes.Giving yourself such rewards will reinforce your behavior and inspire you to keep at it.WRAPPING UPIf you have a bad habit that you are trying to get rid of, the good news is that it is achievable.While people expect to be able to break a habit within 21 days, you should keep in mind that this is the minimum amount of time needed to break a habit.Therefore, don’t despair if you haven’t been able to break a bad habit after 21 days.Remember, depending on how established the habit is, how motivated you are, and depending on your replacement habit, it might take longer to rewire the neural pathways in your brain.Instead of despairing, keep up the change you want to see in yourself, and follow the tips shared above, and you will eventually be able to shake the bad habit.

Malnutrition in College Campuses - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1117 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/02/20 Category Health Essay Level High school Tags: Nutrition Essay Did you like this example? Malnutrition is a huge concern among universities across the United States, more specifically for students, staff, faculty, and other lawmakers that surround California State University: San Jose. The World Health Organization defines malnutrition as â€Å"deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients.† This may be found as a result of eating too little, eating too much, and eating unhealthy foods. Solving this problem in an ethical manner would constitute virtue ethics in which individuals do the right thing, in this case help for the greater good and help properly nourish those fighting malnutrition, while building their character at the same time. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Malnutrition in College Campuses" essay for you Create order People decide what kind of moral compass shape up their beliefs and unite as one in the shape of clubs and organizations to fight for one cause. The Greek Philosopher Aristotle rejected absolutism in regard to ethics and believed that Greek virtue are the skills and opportunities you managed well. To be virtuous is to act with excellence and to discover something’s purpose, and investigate what that thing does best. Therefore, if something performs its function or purpose effectively it is virtuous. When it comes to accomplishing a certain task or a certain goal we must constantly practice the virtue and make it a habit according to Aristotle. Deciding to start living a healthier lifestyle and be a great way of practicing virtue ethics. This would not only benefits ourselves but the people the surround us as well. There’s two forms of virtue, which are moral and intellectual virtues. The moral virtues are when our soul is trying to control desires. Intellectual virtue is when our soul concentrates on intellectual and spiritual matters. With this they are able to learn well, think straight and act accordingly. Moral virtue is determined by the intellectual virtue of wisdom. Then there’s the Golden mean which is discovered through various reasons such as, the concept of moderation, by utilizing the golden mean we can become a good person, and that a moral person knows how to balance what is too much and too little. The actions that are wrong we should avoid but should strive for the ones that are right according to this ethical theory. As a college student it’s definitely hard to have a healthy lifestyle but every action or feeling can be done in the right amount. This ethical theory is criticized of being an ethical relativist because virtue is relative to situation and culture. However, Aristotle says that the virtues are universally there, soft universalism is a great example of that. They also say that virtues are to vague, that it is so uncertain to say something is the right amount or what to avoid and what not to avoid. When it comes to our health though we know what we should be consuming and what we should not. In order to have a healthier life in the long run we start deciding the right and wrong for our bodies now. They also ask themselves what happens when two virtuous people disagree? Well there’s always a reason why people disagree but that is when compromise kicks in. It’s important to recognize that college students are most likely living their first years as independent individuals but unfortunately, this has both its ups and downs especially its huge down one’s diet. These students are open to a pandora box that gives them the option to freely choose what they’ll consume, something that may be influenced by various factors and unfortunately, the healthier alternative typically isn’t the optimal alternative for the student. Often times, it may be much more practical for students to consume foods and drinks that are much more accessible to them such as fast food, grab n’ go junk food, and many other unhealthy choices since it takes much less time to get a hold of these kinds of foods. In the long term, these food choices will ultimately harm students’ bodies as a result of constant consumption. Moreover, this problem may be experienced much more heavier by students living in off-campus housing as their susceptibility to fast food is much greater. It’s much more conventional for them to grab something from a fast food joint as a result of its prep and serve time along with the price tag. In contrast, students opting to cook at home may usually find themselves spending much more time preparing the food, cooking it, and sitting at the table to consume for a most likely bigger cost although this option most likely is a much more healthy one as a result of avoiding the high-fat and high-carbohydrate foods typically found in fast food places such as McDonald’s or Chipotle. Additionally, these foods most likely will contain little to no servings of fruits and vegetables, options that are a huge part of having a balanced meal as a result of its impor tant nutrient properties. Choosing to stick with on-campus food or dining at home may be better for the body as a result of choosing to opt for smaller portions of food. Another dilemma that typically complements malnutrition is that composing food insecurity, which typically plays a big part in students’ performance and participation in the institution. It’s notable that many organizations and programs have made continuous efforts to fight this issue for the future generations of college students in the Silicon Valley. The USDA, the United States Department of Agriculture, defines food insecurity as â€Å"a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.† A tangent related to food insecurity many students might have in relation to this topic is the negligence of the on-campus and off-campus programs and resources available to them. Though this may be as a result of exposure/marketing by these programs, it’s important to note that a bigger role should be played by these organizations to make their voice heard in order to help others. This relates to the virtue ethics as people are willing to help for the greater good but more often than not, their efforts must be increased in order to help those in need of it. Moreover, the topic of this essay relates to combating malnutrition at a local level at California State University: San Jose since combating this problem on a worldwide scale would require much more research and specifics on economies of each governing body and countries around the world. Multiple food opportunities are available to CSU San Jose students to combat the devastating effects of malnutrition on the daily including the Spartan Food Pantry, Just in Time mobile food pantry, and CalFresh application assistance.

Introduction to the Lapita Cultural Complex

The Lapita culture is the name given to the artifactual remains associated with the people who settled the area east of the Solomon Islands called Remote Oceania between 3400 and 2900 years ago. The earliest Lapita sites are located in the Bismarck islands, and within 400 years of their founding, the Lapita had spread over an area of 3,400 kilometers, stretching through the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia, and eastward to Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. Located on small islands and the coasts of larger islands, and separated from one another by as much as 350 kilometers, the Lapita lived in villages of stilt-legged houses and earth-ovens, made distinctive pottery, fished and exploited marine and aquacultural resources, raised domestic chickens, pigs and dogs, and grew fruit- and nut-bearing trees. Lapita Cultural Attributes Pottery making workshop demonstrating Lapita pottery styles as part of Heritage Month 2017 in New Caledonia. Gà ©rard Lapita pottery consists of mostly plain, red-slipped, coral sand-tempered wares; but a small percentage are ornately decorated, with intricate geometric designs incised or stamped onto the surface with a fine-toothed dentate stamp, perhaps made of turtle or clamshell. One often-repeated motif in Lapita pottery is what appears to be stylized eyes and nose of a human or animal face. The pottery is built, not wheel thrown, and low-temperature fired. Other artifacts found at Lapita sites include shell tools including fishhooks, obsidian, and other cherts, stone adzes, personal ornaments such as beads, rings, pendants and carved bone. That artifacts are not completely uniform throughout Polynesia, but rather seem to be spatially variable. Tattooing The practice of tattooing has been reported in ethnographic and historical records throughout the Pacific, by one of two methods: cutting and piercing. In some cases, a series of very small cuts is made to create a line, and then pigment was rubbed into the open wound. A second method involves the use of a sharp point which is dipped into the prepared pigment and then used to pierce the skin. Evidence for tattooing in Lapita cultural sites has been identified in the form of small flake points made by alternating retouch. These tools sometimes categorized as gravers have a typically square body with a point raised well above the body. A 2018 study combining use-wear and residue analysis was conducted by Robin Torrence and colleagues on a collection of 56 such tools from seven sites. They found a considerable variation across time and space as to how the tools were used to intentionally introduce charcoal and ochre into wounds to create a permanent mark on the skin. Origins of the Lapita Young men in canoes in Northwest Malakula, Vanuatu.   Russell Gray Heidi Colleran (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History) In 2018, a multidisciplinary study of DNA by the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History reported support for ongoing multiple explorations of greater Oceania beginning about 5,500 years ago. The study led by Max Planck researcher Cosimo Posth looked at the DNA of 19 ancient individuals across Vanuatu, Tonga, French Polynesia and the Solomon islands, and 27 inhabitants of Vanuatu. Their results indicate that the earliest Austronesian expansion began 5,500 years ago, starting from modern-day Taiwan, and ultimately carrying people as far westward as far as Madagascar and eastward to Rapa Nui. About 2,500 years ago, people from the Bismarck archipelago began arriving on Vanuatu, in multiple waves, marrying into the Austronesian families. The continual influx of people from the Bismarcks must have been fairly small, because islanders today still speak Austronesian, rather than Papuan, as would be expected, given that the initial genetic Austronesian ancestry seen in the ancient DNA has been almost completely replaced in the modern residents.   Decades of research have identified obsidian outcrops used by the Lapita in the Admiralty Islands, West New Britain, Fergusson Island in the D’Entrecasteaux Islands, and the Banks Islands in Vanuatu. Obsidian artifacts found in datable contexts on Lapita sites throughout Melanesia have allowed researchers to refine the previously established massive colonization efforts of the Lapita sailors. Archaeological Sites Lapita, Talepakemalai in the Bismarck Islands; Nenumbo in the Solomon Islands; Kalumpang (Sulawesi); Bukit Tengorak (Sabah); Uattamdi on Kayoa Island; ECA, ECB aka Etakosarai on Eloaua Island; EHB or Erauwa on Emananus Island; Teouma on Efate Island in Vanuatu; Bogi 1, Tanamu 1, Moriapu 1, Hopo, in Papua New Guinea Sources Johns, Dilys Amanda, Geoffrey J. Irwin, and Yun K. Sung. An Early Sophisticated East Polynesian Voyaging Canoe Discovered on New Zealands Coast. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111.41 (2014): 14728–33. Print.Matisoo-Smith, Elizabeth. Ancient DNA and the Human Settlement of the Pacific: A Review. Journal of Human Evolution 79 (2015): 93–104. Print.Posth, Cosimo, et al. Language Continuity Despite Population Replacement in Remote Oceania. Nature Ecology Evolution 2.4 (2018): 731–40. Print.Skelly, Robrt, et al. Tracking Ancient Beach-Lines Inland: 2600-Year-Old Dentate-Stamped Ceramics at Antiquity 88.340 (2014): 470–87. Print.Hopo, Vailala River Region, Papua New Guinea.Specht, Jim, et al. Deconstructing the Lapita Cultural Complex in the Bismarck Archipelago. Journal of Archaeological Research 22.2 (2014): 89–140. Print.Torrence, Robin, et al. Tattooing Tools and the Lapita Cultural Complex. Archaeology in Oceania 53.1 (2018): 58â⠂¬â€œ73. Print.Valentin, Frà ©dà ©rique, et al. Early Lapita Skeletons from Vanuatu Show Polynesian Craniofacial Shape: Implications for Remote Oceanic Settlement and Lapita Origins. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113.2 (2016): 292–97. Print.

HUM Assignment Free Essays

He did not believe anyone could prove existence of God. Voltaire was envisioned in Pastille prison in 171 7 to 1718 because, he iterated persons whom he served. He was also envisioned in 1 726 in England for the same offense. We will write a custom essay sample on HUM Assignment or any similar topic only for you Order Now In his novel he shows examples of how he did so. Attacking religious prejudices when they falsely accused persons. In a sense he teased religion because, he thought they were corrupt. He shows that religion would be better without a specific leader. Once in Loaded there was nothing wrong, everyone was excited. Although religion was still very much important, there was not a specific person to control the people. Everyone was an equal. Voltaire went through plenty of trials and tribulations during his journey, He name across so much hatred because of his beliefs. No matter how difficult or rough things seemed for him, something meaningful came from it. He was brought up around Christian beliefs and views, from ages ten until seventeen. He attended â€Å"The Jesuit College go Louis Lee-Grandee†. This is when he started to reject his Christian views. Unsure of his reasons, can only assume he believed is was unnatural. In the novel â€Å"Candied† there is a surprise ending. Voltaire learned how to be optimistic rather than a pessimist. He learned how to rationalize. He states â€Å"tend to the small things that we can do well- thus keeping total pessimism at ay- and leave the world at large to keep on its incompetent, evil, and even horrific way. (Chapter 25, Pig 81 7) I believe he is saying try not to look at the negative all the time and be optimistic. One person can not change the world. Even though there are negative things seen everywhere, everyday. Look on the brighter side. I realized this in the ended of the story. I believed the author Was very successful at convincing me because, throughout the novel his image was portrayed, as someone who can careless about what persons think of him. He is st ays stern to his views. How to cite HUM Assignment, Papers

Narrative Therapy of Depression-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Write a critical evaluation of the Narrative Therapy Session, providing examples from the session citing the transcripts provided, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the model in practice, and discuss any ethical and professional issues that might be identified. Answer: Introduction: Human mind is often compared to a labyrinth. Truly said, it is difficult to understand what a person might feel at a given time or how he/she might respond to a small thing. Studies reveal that our past experience play a critical role in determining how we may react to upcoming situations or how do we go about our lives in the future. The human mind stores away information in far away corners. Consciously it is impossible for an individual to know what lies in the deeper layers of our experience. (Ribeiro et al, 2016,p.687)We are interacting with ourselves every moment, that too without realizing it! Thus it can be noted that experience play an important role in the life of an individual. The Narrative Therapy approach is based on this belief. Therapists help individuals to overcome any problem that they might be facing by delving in their experience or stories. Developed by Michael White and David Epston, narrative theory is a form of therapy which makes a person look at his/hers problem from a third eye perspective and encourages people to use their capabilities to address the problem that they might be facing. Though out an individuals life a persons personal experience go on to make chapters in their biography. These experiences and stories are enchased by the therapist to help the narrator understand the purpose of his/hers life.( Vetere Dowling,2016,p.12) The therapy finds its base on the inherent competencies and skills which individuals process naturally and how these can be used in the times of need to help them guide their own life. Thus narrative therapy can be stated as a nonpathologizing, collaborative and empowering method of intervention. The therapy uses the strategy of externalizing conversation, re-authoring, remembering conversation and unique outcomes. Externalizing conversation underlines the fact that the person is not the problem. It is the situation which requires change. Re-authoring focus on the internal ideas a person might have and how these ideas can be made use to bring change in the current situation, i.e. rewriting or re-authoring new stories. Remembering- conversation help individuals to identify with their social achievement. Finally unique outcome guide the client towards the newer plains. In the following assignment we will look into the practical examples of using the therapy and thereby understand how the various aspects of the same operate. In the following example we come across a young girl studying in the 8th standard. Like most if the kids of her age, Kristy is over burdened and finds it extremely difficult to maintain an effective academic background, an active social life , as well as managing her basket ball lessons. (Gonalves et al, 2016,p.460)She made it clear through her conversation with Steven Mulligan (therapist) that the process is tiring, since she has to practice a strict time management process. Through the use of narrative therapy, Kristy understood that it is important for her to learn this fine art of time management since it is an important element of her future job roles Narrative therapy rests on the concept that simply objectifying the problem or stating it acts as a the solution of the same. For example Kristy feels she is unable to give the required amount of attention to the activities that she pursues. However through the process of the therapy she comes to state that she is sure that she is not the only one in her age group facing this issue. She knows hundreds of other eighth grader find it difficult to manage their activities, but eventually they get it done in the end. Thus there is some way of doing it and gradually she will be able to identify it. The technique used in this case is called re-authoring or re-storying .In this model the practitioner helps the client to find their own voice and narrate their story. It is believed, that this model, through storytelling, help an individual to find meaning and purpose in their personal experience. This technique is so named since it helps clients re-write their story based on their own experience.( Lopes et al,2014p.670) While this narrative therapy proceeds, the therapist and the client is to develop an alternative story line, this helps the client in establishing a contrast between the problem and the persons true nature, and provides the client an opportunity to rewrite their existing story. For example, Steven Mulligan asks Kristy about what her parents, grandparents, friends and her sister perceive of her. Kristy replies that her friends may say that she is loyal, honest and supportive. Her parents may say that she is a good child, focused on studies and stays out of trouble. T hese ideas about what others might think about her may give Kristy the confidence required at the moment and help her face the problem in hand. Another way, narrative therapy helps people is by identifying what maybe absent but implied. By understanding the problem, it is possible to discover, what is truly important to the person, in a wider context; beyond the problem. This helps the person by identifying the experiences which may not be visible upfront but guide their judgments and decisions later in life. Like Kristy knows that she should not take part in activities which she might not be able to handle at the moment. But she has developed this idea that she should not be wasting or whiling her time. Thus even if she might be suffering under the yoke of time management, she takes part in activities, thus keeping herself pre occupied.( Ricks et al,2014,p.100) Beneath all this, Kristy exhibits a deep concern for her near and dear once. She feels bad when she is unable to give time to her friends, family and grandparents. This is highlighted when she feels her sister; Kelly might say that Kristy should be around more often. She also has this strong desire to stand up to the expectations that her family members might have of her and to make them proud. The method of narrative therapy underlines the persons, in this case Kristys strength and skills. The therapist is seen to be motivating Kristy every now and then by saying that she has got things in her control at a young age. Another major strength of the method is, it allows the individual to solve the problem themselves. (DeMille Montgomery,2016,p.10) Through the conversations therapists make the clients realize their hidden potential and how they can use these hidden stories to overcome their current problem. For example the conversation with Kristy started on the note that the young girl was concerned about how she is going to effectively manage her time to incorporate all the activities that she takes part in, including her academics and social life.( Gudio et al,2017,p.270) Through the conversation, the therapist was able to help Kristy to realize that she has a strong will power and a firm determination based on which she can take over anything she wishes to. In addition to that the therapist helped in building parallel storyline for the girl. Kristy is seen to mention during the conversation that her friends have strong faith in her decision, and very often come to seek advices from her. This will go on to re emphasis the confidence level of the young girl, and make her realize that whatever decision she takes in relation to effective time management will be a thought after one. The therapy helps the client to look at their problem objectively. This in turn helps the client to consider alternative interpretation to the stories. Like initially Kristy seemed to be quite upset about the fact that she is unable to incorporate all her activities within a given time frame. (Denborough,2014,p.200).However, as the conversation proceeds she is seen to be concerned about making her parents proud. It is in this light, it is revealed that she takes part in multiple activities along with her desires to keep a high academic score. In addition to the above mentione d merits, the theory is quite creative and fun for those who have been in therapy before and have been disillusioned. (Robinson, Jacobsen Foster,2015,p.30) Since psychology is the science that deals with the human mind, it difficult to evolve a perfect tool or method of analyzing situations and people. To that end narrative theory is marked by certain limitations.( Ribeiro et al,2016,p.170) Firstly compared with oriental methods of psychology, such as psychotherapy, narrative therapy is new and yet does not have strong literatures to support it. Another problem faced in this therapy method, is many a time clients find it uncomfortable to be their own exp0ert while driving the process. Though this technique proves to be of use for many, it has a few negative impacts. (Ikonomopoulos et al,2015,p.461) This method relies heavily on a persons past experience in order to solve the current problems. However, many a time, individuals identify themselves through the problems he/she has gone through in the past, thus leaving them hopeless, isolated and empty. Finally this method cannot be applied to all types of clients. For example, a client wit h low mental ability will not be able to make use if the method, the same is applied for clients with limited language skills. Like other therapies, narrative therapy also has a concern of ethical issues. Since it involves identifying and accessing the personal information of clients, high level of confidentiality must be maintained by practitioners.( Graham,2017,p.705) For example in this case, the therapist seeked for Kristys permission in order to use their conversation as an example. In addition to that therapists must also understand the cultural impact of their work and their practice. However in some cases, it is important for the therapist to mention when and not confidentiality can be maintained. It is an ethical bindation that therapists make their qualification and experiences known. Many lawsuits have been charged against therapist who have presented themselves to be more qualified than they actually are. It is seen in the above example that Steven Mulligan begins the discussion by giving his own introduction. (Sword et al, 2014, p.200)During such sessions, since a lot of personal information is shared by the client there remains a chance that a relationship might develop between the therapist and the client. This relationship is important since it helps in the easy transfer of information from one end to the other. However, therapists must employ caution and should be able to draw a limit on such relationships as a part of their ethical practice. (AnjaBjory Nylund,2016,p.89). Another important ethical concern is that the therapist must never try to establish his/her belief and idea on the client. There may be times when the client may say things which do not seem normal. It is the duty of the therapist to listen to such comments and not portray the slightest hint of disagreement to what might be saying. (Baumgartner Williams,2014,p.10) Conclusion: Narrative Therapy is a new technique employed by professionals. It is effective to deal with ADSD, anxiety, depress and helps children to cope up with the pressure they might be under. In the above assignment we try to understand how the therapy works by using the conversation between Kristy King (client) and Steven Mulligan (therapist). Kristy is seen to be struggling with her packed and hectic schedule. At the beginning of the conversation, she seems to be concerned about the fact that she is not being able to handle her priorities properly and thereby not being able to put her best. As the conversation proceeds we learn that, it is Kristy herself who is pushing the limits. She does not like lazing around, even though she enjoys it sometime. The fourteen years old seems overly matured and is in the pursuit to make her parents and family members proud. The conversation which began on the note of concern about her hectic schedule ended on the note with the young girl realizing that s he has all the strength required to get her along this though stage. As the therapist goes on to create alternate storyline, based on what Kristy thinks others perceive her as, the confidence of the young girl is seen to rise. She answers the therapist with more confidence and has clear vision about what she wants from life. References: AnjaBjory, S. M., Nylund, D. (2016). The practice of therapeuticletter writing in narrative therapy.The Handbook of Counselling Psychology. Baumgartner, B., Williams, B. D. (2014). Becoming an insider: Narrative therapy groups alongside people overcoming homelessness.Journal of Systemic Therapies,33(4), 1-14. DeMille, S. M., Montgomery, M. (2016). Integrating narrative family therapy in an outdoor behavioral healthcare program: A case study.Contemporary Family Therapy,38(1), 3-13. Denborough, D. (2014).Retelling the stories of our lives: Everyday narrative therapy to draw inspiration and transform experience. WW Norton Company. Gonalves, M. M., Ribeiro, A. P., Silva, J. R., Mendes, I., Sousa, I. (2016). Narrative innovations predict symptom improvement: Studying innovative moments in narrative therapy of depression.Psychotherapy Research,26(4), 425-435. Graham, J. M. (2014). Narrative therapy for treating video game addiction.International journal of mental health and addiction,12(6), 701-707. Gudio, O. G., Leonard, S., Stiles, A. A., Havens, J. F., Cloitre, M. (2017). STAIR Narrative Therapy for Adolescents. InEvidence-Based Treatments for Trauma Related Disorders in Children and Adolescents(pp. 251-271). Springer International Publishing. Ikonomopoulos, J., Smith, R. L., Schmidt, C. (2015). Integrating narrative therapy within rehabilitative programming for incarcerated adolescents.Journal of Counseling Development,93(4), 460-470. Lopes, R. T., Gonalves, M. M., Machado, P. P., Sinai, D., Bento, T., Salgado, J. (2014). Narrative Therapy vs. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for moderate depression: Empirical evidence from a controlled clinical trial.Psychotherapy Research,24(6), 662-674. Ribeiro, A. P., Braga, C., Stiles, W. B., Teixeira, P., Gonalves, M. M., Ribeiro, E. (2016). Therapist interventions and client ambivalence in two cases of narrative therapy for depression.Psychotherapy Research,26(6), 681-693. Ribeiro, A. P., Gonalves, M. M., Silva, J. R., Brs, A., Sousa, I. (2016). Ambivalence in narrative therapy: A comparison between recovered and unchanged cases.Clinical psychology psychotherapy,23(2), 166-175. Ricks, L., Kitchens, S., Goodrich, T., Hancock, E. (2014). My story: The use of narrative therapy in individual and group counseling.Journal of Creativity in Mental Health,9(1), 99-110. Robinson, T., Jacobsen, R., Foster, T. (2015). Group Narrative Therapy for Women With Attention?Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.Adultspan Journal,14(1), 24-34. Sword, R. M., Sword, R. K., Brunskill, S. R., Zimbardo, P. G. (2014). Time perspective therapy: A new time-based metaphor therapy for PTSD.Journal of Loss and Trauma,19(3), 197-201. Vetere, A., Dowling, E. (Eds.). (2016).Narrative therapies with children and their families: A practitioner's guide to concepts and approaches. Taylor Francis.

The Fountainhead Essays - The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand, Objectivism

The Fountainhead Philosophy demands literature that can abet the understanding of social views. Without reflective literature, man cannot begin to comprehend the essential messages behind philosophy. One such philosophy, objectivism, is represented exceptionally by the timeless novel, The Fountainhead. Through the use of compelling dialogue, Ayn Rand reveals her own feelings towards objectivism, and her thoughts towards conformity and independence. The interpretations and the implications of several of the quotes within The Fountainhead accurately depict the essence of objectivism and encourages the opposition of conventional standards through the embodiment of the uncompromising innovator "standing against the world." Society dictates that there will be those that follow and those that will lead the followers. Peter Keating is one that adheres to conformity; a man of little independent thought, a follower. Howard Roark, on the other hand, is a man aspiring to achieve a level of complete and utter independence from traditional principles. One telling passage occurs in a scene where Keating and Roark are discussing architecture. Keating: "How do you always manage to decide?" Roark: "How can you let others decide for you?" As two men on the extreme sides of conformity and independence, it is hard for Keating to understand how someone could be so sure of himself, whereas it is incomprehensible for Roark to believe that Keating could have so little self-assurance and such a lack of resolve regarding the decisions he chooses to make. In this regard, Howard Roark is greater than Peter Keating. Often times in world affairs, smaller nations adhere to a state of Finlandization; they buckle under the pressures of a larger nation because they lack the strength to strive for independent thought. Howard Roark, is a man who refuses to succumb to that greater entity and is able to think and judge for himself. Egotism is defined as an exaggerated sense of self importance. Often times, independence and conformity play a very large part in egotism. Whether a man is a conformist or non- conformist, he is affected to some degree by his own egotism. Is ego, then, harmful or beneficial to our growth and self- actualization? Katie, a somewhat ineffectual minor character had a very revealing discussion with her uncle, Ellsworth Toohey, regarding her unhappiness. Toohey: "If your first concern is for what you are or think or feel or have or haven't got---you're still a common egotist." Katie: "You mean, I must want to be unhappy?" Toohey: "No. You must stop wanting anything." Ellsworth Toohey, the humanitarian, is stating that when a person's first thoughts are about themself, than they are an egotist. Yet, to some degree, isn't everyone an egotist? If man does not care about himself, his feelings, or his possessions, and has just given up on the world, than what is that man? He is most likely be a Howard Roark. So, when Toohey advises his niece Katie to stop wanting anything, he is saying that to live a life of conceit is immoral, and that desire is a non-essential. What is essential to fulfillment, however, is dedication to and desire for commitment in our relationships and our life's work. Dominique: "Roark, I can accept anything, except what seems to be the easiest for most people: the half-way, the almost, the just-about, the in- between." In the American work force today, all too often there is a lack of concern for the quality of work accomplished. In our educational system, students often times only do enough to simply "get by." Dominique perceives people as lazy, and to her that is just unacceptable. To some degree Peter Keating is lazy because of his reluctance to broaden his architectural horizons and create; he simply copies the same design repeatedly with little variance. Dominique also makes a social statement by implying that society needs to reevaluate its work ethic and lack of care. She insinautes that while existing in a state of conformity, carelessness is often times overlooked as a problem. Roark takes this need for dedication one step further; he punctuates his life with not only devotion but also a maverick style that was all important to his feelings of self worth. Roark: "Independence is the only gauge of human virtue and value. What a man is and makes of himself-- not what he has or hasn't done for others." A man is defined by his actions. Peter Keating, for example, might be described as a good friend and an outstanding architect, but in reality he is a very shallow man. Never did he design any

Candide Abstract Essays

Candide Abstract Essays Candide Abstract Essay Candide Abstract Essay Essay Topic: Candide Candide Voltaire, a French philosophe and writer, wrote this document during the Enlightenment. He illustrates his opinion on many Enlightenment ideas, such as Leibnizian optimism, deism, and religious tolerance. He impacted many people, including Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson with his belief of religious toleration and civil rights. His view on organized religion also influenced the French Revolution. One of the Enlightenment views Voltaire addresses is Leibnizian optimism, or the iew that the world men live in is a perfect world. Everything that happens is supposed to happen and all will turn out for the best. Voltaire mocks this view by having unfortunate things happen to Candide and other characters in the novel. Pangloss is a representation of his view, and often impedes other characters from taking positive action. One such instance was when Jacques the Anabaptist was drowning and Pangloss prevented Candide from saving him by saying, the Lisbon harbor was formed expressively for the Anabaptist to drown in. Also, when Candide was trapped under the rubble after the earthquake, he requests Pangloss to bring him some oil and wine, however the philosopher is too busy debating cause and effect. Finally, Candide encounters a slave in Surinam with one leg and one hand. He finally loses his faith in optimism by saying it is mania for saying things are well when one is in hell. Voltaire also expresses deism through the city of Eldorado. Deism is the belief that God created the world, but then left it to run on its own. Eldorado is free of crime and suffering with decent equality and advanced sciences and mathematics. Deism is illustrated by showing how this civilization tapped into nature and God and became incredibly successful. Voltaire is showing the ideal society in Eldorado. Finally, Voltaire mocks organized religion. In many instances, he shows the hypocrisy of religions. The Old Woman was the daughter of the Pope, however, the Pope is supposed to be celibate. Also, the Catholic Inquisitor was a hypocrite for aving a mistress and the Franciscan friar was a Jewel thief even though he was supposed to live a life of poverty. The Catholic Inquisition also displayed religious oppression for a small reason when they held an auto-da-f? © after the earthquake and attempted to kill Pangloss and flogged Candide. However, Voltaire does not completely condemn religious believers because Jacques the Anabaptist was the most virtuous and good character in the whole novel. Candide Abstract By sophiarita366