God Help Those Who Help Themselves.

Once…. a man was drowning. He was faithful devotee of god. He always believed that god will help him in times of trouble. When drowning, he found a branch of a tree on the bank nearly sticking out touching the water. He could have caught hold of it and saved himself from drowning. But he did not do so thinking that god would miraculously lift him out of water. Then he found a log floating nearby. He could have caught hold of it and kept himself afloat. But he did not do so. A little while later, a man with a boat came to him and asked him to get into the boat. But the drowning man refused the offer saying that god would help him. When the soul of the drowned man met god in heaven it complained to god that in spite of his being a firm believer in god, he did not help him. Them god smilingly asked the soul. “Who said I didn’t help you? I tried to help you thrice by offering you the branch, the log and the boat. But you foolishly refused it all. What else could I do than let you drown?” People usually believe that if they pray to god everything will be given to them. That is not entirely true. It is foolish to believe so because god will help only those who are willing to help themselves. In other words, we should put in our own effort I order to help ourselves if we get into a dangerous situation and do nothing believing that god will miraculously get us out of it, we are bound to be frustrated. The expected miraculous help may never come. In fact miracles rarely happen. 

Give A Dog An Ill Name And Hang Him.

The dog is a useful domestic animal. But it is always possible to brand it as a mad dog and kill it. If somebody says that the dog has got rabies, others will also think that it is true. The poor creature cannot speak out for itself or prove its sanity. This is true in the case of human beings also. A person may be good and innocent. But other people jealous of him can brand him as a bad man. Such talk will soon spoil his image and others also might believe those false things about him. The poor man may not even know that his reputation is being tarnished. As he is innocent and good, he will not think that others will speak such things about him. Once such an impression is created it is not easy to erase it. People have a tendency to think that once bad is always bad. Even though in reality the person may be good and innocent, he gets a bad image. The proverb means that it is always easy to brand somebody as bad crucify him although he may be innocent.

Freedom of The Press

Freedom of The Press

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Legislature, Judiciary, Executive and Press are the four pillars of a democracy. The Press is considered the fourth estate. Freedom of the press is considered very important. Newspapers, magazines and periodicals come under press. It is the press reporters who gather news and disseminate it to the general public. 


The press caters to the varied interests of the people like religion, science, medicine, politics, sports etc. it acts as the principal forum of the people to express their opinion and views on various matters concerning Government and society. 


The public referendum, opinion polls reflect the people’s grasp of what happens in the world. They reflect the views of the general public on various matters. It is not too much to say that the press acts as the custodian of people’s interest and law. Therefore the press should enjoy absolute freedom. There should be no political interference. Government agencies should not try to curtail the freedom of the press. In return the press should be impartial and sincere. 

Fortune Favors The Bold.

Fortune or prosperity is something that always favors the bold. Although fortune is said to be blind, with no distinction between the good and the bad, the wise and the foolish and the brave and the cowardly, fortune mainly favors those who are bold enough to take up some venture. In horse races fortune favors only those who are willing to stake their money. Those who do not state their money remain outside. Similarly luck falls mostly on those people who seek it out. Fortune comes not to those who rarely seek it. Only an ardent wisher of fortune can have it. If we just sit and wish for luck, it will not happen. Only if we try something worthwhile which needs luck, shall we have fortune. Fortune in the broad sense is not mere money. It can be prosperity, success, fame or anything. There are many situations in life that need luck. We should keep up hope that something lucky will happen in times to peril and distress. If we lose heart, we are unknowingly blocking fortune out. Only bold people can have access to fortune.

Forewarned Is Forearmed.

If one is warned that a disaster is about to strike or befall him, he can take necessary precautions. But if no such warning is given he would be defeated in a surprise attack. Similarly in the case of military attacks if warning is given, the troops can take the adequate precautions. Many calamities in life can be avoided if we know them beforehand. This is the basic strategy in martial arts like judo and karate. Even though both opponents are equally proficient, the one who employs the more surprising tactics wins. If a country plans to attack another, in ancient times, it used to do so by surprise. If attacked all on a sudden, the othercountry cannot take proper defensive measures. So kings used to send spies to find out the moves of neighboring countries whether they are planning for any attack or not. Any disaster will become less dangerous if warned about it early.

Forbidden Fruit Is The Sweetest

Forbidden things usually arouse curiosity. If somebody forbids us to do something, our natural curiosity will be doubled. We will wonder why we are forbidden to do it. And this wonder prompts us to try the thing. Everyone knows that drugs are harmful and that one may get addicted if he trees. But knowing all this, adventurous youngsters try them at the risk of getting addicted. If a child is forbidden to go and look down from the edge of a precipice, he will try to look down from the cliff at the first change he gets. He wants to see what is over these. This proverb is taken from the story in The Bible which narrates the incident when Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit 

Fools Rush In Where Angels Fear To Tread.

Prudent or wise people are very careful in their dealing with others. In whatever they say or do, such people think twice before doing something. They won’t jump into anything which endangers their safety. And accordingly, in whatever they say or do, they succeed normally. But foolish people are different. They are hasty in their action. They won’t think much of the consequences of their actions. Such people are led by impulses than their thoughts. They don’t realize the dangers that await them when they take up risky enterprise. Consequently, they fail in most of the ventures. If somebody challenges a wise person to jump down from the top of a five storied promising to pay him a big sum, he will not do so because he knows he will die. But a fool will most willingly jump from the top, thinking and gloating over the promised money. He doesn’t think of the consequences. This is really the difference between a wise men and a fool. A fool embarks on risky ventures while the wise man refrains from such things. 

Fling Dirt Enough And Some Will Stick

If we keep on flinging dirt at something, it will get dirty soon although we may not be able to do so the very first time. Similarly, if we tell false things about a person, soon others will also start to believe. They may not believe it the first time. But human nature is such the talking bad about a person creates an impression that he is so, although he might be innocent. Just like dirt, the lies willstart to stick on to his image although the first few times it will fall off. Some people if they don’t like a person, start telling false stories about him. They go onwith this until they create a bad impression in the minds of others. Thus an innocent person’s reputation can be tarnished. Even if the person has a good character, very soon it will be spoiled. People get the impression that he is really just the opposite of what they believed him to be.

Fine Feathers Make Fine Birds.

We usually call a bird beautiful if its plumage is attractive. Some birds have highly coloured and attractive plumage. Parrots are beautiful with their greenish body and red beaks. Blue lark looks extremely beautiful with its blue feathers. Thesebirds look attractive because of their external appearance. They offer pleasure to our eyes with their appearance. Similarly, a person may be more impressive if hewears fine clothes. Actually he may not be a cleaver or impressive person. But his clothes deceive us. At first sight, he stamps an impression on us and this impression may influence us in our dealings with him also. To impress interviewers, a candidate should be smartly dressed. If a person with enough merit dresses himself smartly, he will be able to impress others much more easily than otherwise. And this impression will also be lasting. Therefore it is always prudent to dress ourselves smartly on important occasions. This doesn’t mean that we should be overdressed. But smart appearance always makes the best impression. 

Familiarity Breeds Contempt.

Things usually look more attractive when looked at from a distance. Once it is near us it may not look so attractive as before. The moon when looked at from the earth seems very attractive. Once, we land on the moon, we find that it is not so white and fluffy as it seems from below. It is just a barren satellite of rocks and craters. So also the hills appear to be very attractive. They lose much of their beauty once we get near. Just like that it is always good to keep a distance from other people. It does not mean that you should not mingle freely with them but it is better if we keep a limit on our mingling. Too much mingling and unnecessary poking of our most into other people’s affairs creates contempt. It we see a person very day, we will start to lose interest in him. But if we see him only occasionally, he will remain an interesting person to us always. All of us must have experienced the joy of meeting some friends after a year or a couple of years. Similarly if we eat apples every day, although the apples are very tasty, we will find that we are getting fed up with the taste. The proverb tells us that too much familiarity with anything makes us bored and fed up with it soon.

Evils of Wars

There is no doubt that war is an evil one. It is the greatest catastrophe that can befall human beings. It brings death and destruction, merciless slaughter and butchery, disease and starvation, poverty and ruin in its wake. One has only to think of the havoc that was wrought in various countries not many years ago, in order to estimate the destructive effects of war. A particularly disturbing side of modern wars is that they tend to become global so that they may engulf the entire world. There are, doubtless, people who consider war as something grand and heroic and regard it as something that brings out the best man. But this does not in any way alter the fact that war is a terrible dreadful calamity and this is especially true of an atomic war.


But though war is an evil, we must recognize the fact that it is a necessary, inescapable evil. A glance at the past history of the world will show war has been a recurrent phenomenon in the history of nations. No period in world history has been free from the devastating effects of war. We have had wars of all types--- wars lasting for a year or so and a war lasting for hundred years. In view of this it seems futile to talk of permanent, everlasting peace or to make plans of the establishment of eternal peace. We have had advocates of non-violence and the theory of The brotherhood of mankind and fraternity of god. But in spite of preachers of love and non- violence, weapons have always been used, military force has always been employed. Clashes of arms have always occurred. In a world war has ways been waged. War has indeed, been such a marked feature of every age and period This has come to be regarded as part of The normal life of nations.


Poet and prophets have dreamt of a millennium - an utopia in which war will not exist and eternal peace will reign on earth, but these dreams have not been fulfilled. After the great war of 1914-18 it was tough that there would be no war for a long time to come and institutions called the league of nations was founded as a safeguard agent against the outbreak of war. The occurrence the Second World War however, conclusively proved that to think of an unbroken peace’s to be unrealistic and that no institution or assembly can ever ensure the presence of peace. League of nations was collapsed completely under the tension and stresses created by Hitler. The Uniter Nations Organisation, with all the good work that it has seen doing, is not proving as effective as was desired. A large number of wars, The most recent ones behind the one in Vietnam, the other between India and Pakistan, or Ind-China war, Iran-Iraq war or Arab Isreal war.


The fact of the matter is that, fighting is a natural instinct in peace. It is, indeed, too much to exact so many nations to live in a state of eternal peace. Besides, there will always be wide differences of option between various nations, different angle of looking at matters that have an international importance, radical difference in policy and ideology and they cannot be settled by mere discussion so that resort to war becomes very necessary in these cases. Before the outbreak of World War II, for instance, the spread of communism in Russia created distrust and suspicions in Europe. Democracy was an eyesore to Nazi Germany. British conservatism were apprehensive of the possibility of Britain being communized. In short, the political ideology of one country being abhorrent to another, the state of affairs as certainly not conducive to the continuance of peace.


Adding to all this is the traditional enmity between national and international disharmony that have their root in past history. For examples, Germany wished to avenge the humiliating terms imposed upon her at the conclusion often war of 1914-18, and desired, in additions, to smash the British empire and establish an empire of her own. Past wounds in fact do not perfectly heal up and are constant goals to an effort at vengeance. Now the ideology clash between communist Russia and The western democracies may plunge the world into war any day. A feverish arms race is going on between the hostile nations in anticipation of such an eventuality, that disarmament efforts proving futile. The Indo-Pakistani war was fought over the Kashmir issue.


It also appears that if peace were to continue for along period, people would become sick of the monotony of peace and seek war for change. Man is a highly dynamic creature and it seems that he cannot remain contented merely with works of peace - the cultivations of arts, The development of Modern comforts, the extension of knowledge, the means and appliances of a happy life. He wants something thrilling and full of excitement and he fights in order to get an outlet for his accumulated energy. It must be admitted to that war has its good side. It spurs men to heriosm and self- sacrifice. It is an incentive to scientific research and development. War is obviously an escape form the lethargy of peace. 

Every Horse Thinks Its Own Pack is The Heaviest.

Every horse thinks that it has the heaviest load on its back although other horses might be carrying heavier loads. It is concerned only with its own load. It does not think about the load other horses carry. That is why it feels that it has got the heaviest load. Similarly, people think that their work or sorrows are greater than those of others. They complain unnecessarily about their jobs and brood over sorrows. Such people do not think or care about others. Other people also bear the burden of heavy works and sorrows. Instead of complaining or brooding over their work, their own sorrows will lessen automatically and their work will seem lighter. On the contrary brooding over their work will become all the more unhappy. If we are afflicted by some painful diseases, we should remember that there are other people in the world who suffer from more dreadful diseases. Such thoughts will magically reduce our pain. 

Every Cloud Had A Silver Lining

Thick and dark clouds sometimes obstruct the sun. When it happens, the surroundings darken. It is not a pleasant sight. But if we look at the clouds carefully we can see that their edges are tinted with a silvery glow. This glow tells us that the sun is somewhere there behind the clouds. As time passes, the clouds will move off and the sun will come out of it. This clever metaphor is used in the proverb to denote that sorrows and calamities are only momentary. Wherever there is sorrow, happiness will be somewhere nearby. Whenever there is shadow, light should be nearby. And whenever there is darkness, the bright lightis near. The proverb teaches us not to lose hope in the hours of darkness and sorrow. It reminds us to be optimistic and hopeful. It tells us not to lose heart because it might be just when we are about to quit that victory reveals itself. Like the silver tint on the edges of the dark cloud, happiness always lurks behind the darkest hour. ‘The famous poet Shelley has expressed the idea in one of his poems - ‘The ode to west wind’ in which asks, ‘if winter comes, can spring be far behind?’ 

Everybody’s Business Is Nobody’s Business.

If a piece of work is entrusted to a single person, he will carry it out sincerely. But if it is given to a group of people, it will be found that the work is not completed properly. As many people are responsible for the work, nobody takes much interest in it. Even if they do it, they would not put in serious effort as the creditis to be shared among many. Besides, all of them will think that others might do the work. And if all those who are responsible think so, in effect no work will be done. It is natural for people to be lazy and shirk off responsibilities if given the chance. A joint venture offers this chance while one will not be able to shirk off the work if it is entrusted to him alone. He knows that the success or failure of the enterprise depends sole by on him. If it succeeds, he will be able to take the full credit. At the same time, if he fails he alone must take the blame. This light makes the person to put in serious efforts in his work.

Every Dog Has His Day.

All of us have good luck and success some time or other. Nobody can be permanently unlucky. Even if he has a bad time now, it will change in due course. One who is poor today may get rich tomorrow. Therefore, it is wrong to think that a poor man will remain poor forever similarly a man who is rich today may lose all his fortune in future. Fortune and misfortune are only two sides of life just as happiness and sorrow are. If we remember this rule, we will not be too proud or boastful about ourselves. We will not scorn anybody. Nobody can be counted out just because he is poor and helpless. Fate will help everyone sometime or other. There is really no reason to get dejected at all. Good things are bound to come sometime or other. Meanwhile, being disheartened does not help us to enjoy those good things. In short, we should be ambitious and proud of what we have without being greedy and scornful of others. At the same time, we should not get dejected with bad luck because it is bound to change sometime or other as every dog has his day. 

Example Is Better Than Precept.

The most important fact is that we must be perfect in our dealings and behaviour. A great leader becomes most respected when his dealings are sincere to his preaches. Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi attracted people more by their humbleness and kind nature. They lived as they told others to do. Thus it is conclusive that we must live as we preach and become role models to others. But as too much of anything is dangerous, so too much of the precepts is also harmful. Jawaharlal Nehru was against to give too many instructions and advises to children. Whatever it may be elders should ever be perfect examples of youngsters to follow and then only their precept becomes meaningful. 

Environment

It's easy to have an environmentally healthy lifestyle. You just have to look at thethings you do and ask yourself whether there's any better way. We've given you a big head start with this list. 

Do not use paper towels, paper napkins and facial tissues made from virgin fibres and bleached with chlorine.

Use cloth towels, cloth napkins and handkerchiefs.

Do not buy plastic or foam cups and plates when you have guests or go on a picnic.

Buy a cheap set of washable dishes and silverware.

Do not buy a paper cup of coffee on your way to work every day.

Make coffee at work and drink it from a washable mug.

Do not use plastic utensils or bamboo chopsticks just once and then throw them away.

Use washable utensils when you eat fast food.

Do not eat meat. Raising animals for meat requires a much larger amount of resources than growing vegetables.

Become a vegetarian.

Do not let the supermarket pack your groceries in a paper bag nested in a plastic bag.

Bring your own cloth-bags to the supermarket. They hold more and are easier to carry anyway. You can use these bags at drugstores, etc., as well. Many stores give a discount for this.

Do not drive everywhere.

Walk when going short distances. Take public transit whenever possible.

Do not waste electricity by running your air conditioner all summer.

Open windows and use fans. Wear cool clothing and drink plenty of water.

Do not use just one side of the page for printing or photocopying.

Use both sides of a paper for printing. You'll use half as much paper with no extra work!

Do not dry-clean clothing unnecessarily.

Hand-wash any clothing that can take it.

Do not use chemical fertilizers on your garden or lawn.

Fertilize your plants with household compost. 

Empty Vessels Make The Most Sound.

Vessels which are empty make a loud sound when struck with something. But filled vessels make less sound. This is true in the case of people also. Some people are very talkative and go on speaking continuously. But others may be serous and talk less. Those people who go on taking for hours together need not be taken seriously. They are most probably empty-heated people with no sense in their talk. They do not give much thought to what they are talking. Such people are devoid of action also. They are most probably empty-headed people with no sense in their talk. They do not give much thought to what they are talking. Such people are devoid of action also. They usually boast that they will do this and that. But those people who talk less are different. Every word they speak is actually meant and hence to be taken seriously. Such people put forth a lot of sense into their talk. These kinds of people are usually clever and are capable of performing everything they say. They would not say anything if they don’t mean it. They believe more in action than in words. They are like filled vessels which make less noise. 

Dowry System-A Curse

Dowry System-A Curse :

Dowry deaths have become common occurrences in our country. It happens in all families, rich or poor, educated or uneducated. This reflects the unhealthy condition of our society. The system of giving in kind or in cash in ancient times to the groom out of love by the rich has become a compulsory one. The Dowry system has grown to gigantic level which consumes the life innocent women. 


Our government has enforced anti-dowry act. This step would check this evil to some extent. But unless and until the people realise its ill-effect sincerely, this will prevail. The root cause of it is desire for money and the attitude of TIT FOR TAT tendency. We would have heard of people saying. “I gave dowry for my daughter and got it back through my son”. 


Every young man and woman should not encourage their parents for it. They should wage a peaceful war to root it out and educate them. The answer to this evil is in the hands of younger generation. The first step against this social curse is removing the sex-bias. People should realize that women are the important members of the society. 

Do you suffer from a phobia?

A phobia is essentially a human being's irrational fear of something. It could be an object, an animal, a situation or an environment. Such fears are persistent, intense, excessive and unrealistic, which is primarily why phobias are deemed irrational. A clinically phobic person's reactions to what scares him/ her may seem extreme and the fright may not appear to be justified. 


Types of phobias Phobias can be broadly classified into three groups depending upon the situation that brings on fear: 


~ Social phobias: 


Acute fears involving a host of social situations are collectively classified as social phobias. These fears are often mistaken for just shyness, but in fact involve a constant terror of public humiliation, self-consciousness and of being in the limelight. Someone suffering from a social phobia may either have social anxiety disorder or then react to a particular social trigger. 


Such people often avoid social situations and become particularly uneasy when in the company of unknown people. Fear of public scrutiny may cause the person to avoid people to the extent of not eating in restaurants or using public restrooms.Social phobias seem to run in families. People who have been shy or solitary as children or who have a history of unhappy or negative social experiences in childhood, seem more likely to develop this disorder. 


~ Specific phobias: 


These are related to a specific object, animal or insect, people, environment or situation. 


Presented here are a few common specific phobias: 

Cynophobia: Fear of dogs or rabies

Ophidiophobia: Fear of snakes

Batophobia: Fear of height

Tachophobia: Fear of speed

Claustrophobia: Fear of closed spaces

Coulrophobia: Fear of clowns

Latrophobia: Fear of doctors or of visiting the doctor


~ Agoraphobia: This is a generalised phobia individuals tend to have, of leaving home or a small, familiar comfort zone and of panic that might be brought on by making such a move. This is the only phobia that is treated as a medical condition.


Causes of phobias


Although the definite cause of phobias remains a mystery, these conditions are believed to be at least partly inherited and seem to run in the family. Specific phobias may develop from past experiences, especially in childhood. A bad experience with an object or situation is recorded in the brain by a substance called amygdale. The past encounter invokes fear in a person when faced with a similar situation in the future. Amygdale keeps track of memory and emotions and signals that something is dangerous.


Social phobias also seem to run in families. People who have been shy or solitary as children, or who have a history of unhappy or negative social experiences in childhood, seem more likely to develop this disorder.


Agoraphobia is brought about by similar causes. A person is likely to become phobic if he/ she has grown up seeing a parent or family member suffering from a phobia. Also, when parents are overcautious and exaggerate danger, children tend to become phobic. Phobias are a little more prevalent in women and very subjective. While some people have a natural tendency to be more cautious, others are bold and uninhibited. When cautiousness rises to the point of sheer panic, there is need for professional help.


Symptoms of phobias


The symptoms of a phobia can be severe and often cause an individual to be caught up in an embarrassing situation. A few of them are outlined here:


~ An individual suffering from a phobia experiences an unexplained, irrational fear of a specific element in his or her surroundings.


~ When the individual in question is suddenly faced with the trigger, he or she will immediately plunge into a state of panic. Severe anxiety may cause the person to escape such a situation at the first opportunity.


~ The individual knows that the fear is irrational, but is unable to control it. If he/ she is unable to run away from what is feared, he/ she undergoes great distress and trauma.


~ The individual's extreme behavior interferes with his/ her ability to function normally in any situation. In extreme cases, he/ she is unable to lead a normal life.


~ When the panic attack occurs, the individual is unable to control the fear. There is profuse sweating, palpitation, avoidance behavior, difficulty breathing, intense anxiety, trembling and hot flushes.


~ Besides irrational fear, the other symptoms of phobic neurosis are physical reactions like headaches, tension, back pain, dizziness and stomach upsets.


Diagnosis of phobias


If you feel that your anxiety is bordering on a phobia, seek professional help at the earliest. When fear begins to interfere with your work and daily routine and relationships, going to a psychiatrist is the only solution. In very few cases, the phobia goes away on its own without professional help. When you go to a psychiatrist, both a physical and psychological evaluation will be conducted. The physical exam can help rule out any physical causes of your anxiety. The psychological exam will tell about your family's history and whether other family members have had phobias. It will also tell the doctor about any experience or trauma that may have triggered the phobia. Then the mental health professional will ask you to explain your symptoms and when and how they occur.


One of the biggest problems with diagnosing a phobia is to distinguish it from other psychological disorders like schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder and paranoia. As there are no laboratory tests for phobias, it makes them very difficult to diagnose.


Treatment


Most people are able to overcome their phobias at some point or the other. The most common form of treatment is behavioral therapy.


The therapist gradually makes the patient face the object of fear. This is done slowly and tactfully. At the same time, the patient is made to relax. Relaxation techniques include relaxed breathing, muscle relaxation training, self-talk or soothing guided mental imagery. The two elements of fear and relaxation help the brain neutralize the fear and treat the phobic stimulus as any other object which doesn't induce fright. Sometimes, hypnosis is also used. For temporary relief, the doctor may prescribe anti-anxiety pills or anti-depressants too.


Prevention of phobias


There are no preventive measures one can take when it comes to phobias. However, it is advisable to reduce anxiety levels if you are naturally inclined to be nervous. To do this, avoid substances that make you high-strung -- these include tea (tannin), coffee and cola drinks (caffeine), cigarettes and other tobacco products (nicotine). To avoid children from becoming prone to phobias, never overemphasize danger. Keep the legendary boogeyman away. Scaring a child can have adverse effects on his/ her psyche.


Treatment of phobias is crucial. If left untreated, they can lead to other illnesses like other anxiety disorders, depression and substance abuse. It is better to seek help when the problem is small. After all, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.