quarta-feira, 19 de fevereiro de 2014
What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?
Throughout our lives we have all heard myths about how handwriting has a direct correlation to our personalities.
If you use curvy letters you must be unruly and over confident. If your hand writing is messy then you must not be smart or care about being presentable. If you write big you must be loud and if you write small you must be quiet.
When it comes to character nothing is ever black and white. Nothing is ever so clean cut that it becomes a definite in regards to the human condition. If these myths were true I’d be a recluse with no friends little self-esteem and poor hygiene.
However, the myths are not true but it is interesting to see how close some of the following findings are true. Just like artwork and text tell some truth about an artist or writer, handwriting will tell some truth about the person who put the pen to paper.
We all want to know ourselves better and honestly the better you do the more successful you will be. Be more self aware and you will be more aware of those around you.
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Florence – Intelligent Travel
The Florence skyline, with the famous Duomo in the center (Photograph by Barbara Noe)
From Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, topped by Filippo Brunelleschi’s magnificent dome, I pound cobbled streets through the Piazza della Signoria and its replica of David.
Along the arched colonnade of the Uffizi, a line of Renaissance-era glitterati stare down from stone perches—Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, Lorenzo de’ Medici among them—reminding me of this part of the world’s lavish hoard of artists, scientists, poets, and downright geniuses.
At the Arno River, a quick right and left and I’m on the Ponte Vecchio, the picturesque old bridge where the gold vendors have not yet opened their shutters.
Left along the river to Piazza Giuseppe Poggi and up I go, climbing quiet tree-shaded steps and pathways to Piazzale Michelangelo. The anticipation is mine alone, and I’m not disappointed as the lovely city of Florence spreads beneath me in all her Renaissance glory.
I pick out the slim steeples and Tuscan Gothic facades of Santa Croce (where many great Florentines are buried) and Santa Maria Novella, the Jewish Synagogue, and, lording above them all, Brunelleschi’s revolutionary red-and-white dome.
Run Stats
Mileage: three-mile loop
Best Time: Early morning, before the city crowds clog the streets
Start and End: Santa Maria dei Fiori, Piazza del Duomo
Route
- From Santa Maria del Fiore, go down Via dei Calzaiuoli to Piazza della Signoria
- Leave the square via Piazzale degli Uffizi
- At Lungarno Generale Diaz, go right to Ponte Vecchio
- Cross the bridge
- Go left on Via de’ Bardi following the river downstream (the street name changes to Lungarno Torrigiani then to Lungarno Serristori)
- At Piazza Giuseppe Poggi, follow the staircases and pathways up Monte alle Croci to Piazzale Michelangelo
Barbara A. Noe is senior editor at National Geographic Travel Books.
How the Brain Benefits from Being Bilingual
Being bilingual definitely has its benefits when it comes to jobs. Most employers are willing to pay you a higher salary for being fluent in two or more languages, but this isn’t the only perk. Your brain also benefits from bilingualism. Believe it or not, being bilingual makes you smarter and greatly improves your cognitive skills.
Along with excellent puzzle skills, some of the other benefits from being bilingual include improved memory, improved decision making skills, better multitasking skills and a better focus on tasks. These benefits alone make it worth your while to learn another language or more. As you can imagine, for children the benefits are even greater; they’ll have higher test schools in school and do really well in math. Although your child may not like learning a new language, they’re sure to be more appreciative once they get older and start making the big bucks.
Now that you know some of the brain benefits from being bilingual, it’s time to get smarter. It’s never too late to learn a new language. Are you bilingual?
How the Brain Benefits from Being Bilingual – Infographic | Beverly Hills Lingual Institute
10 Things Extraordinary People Do Differently
Communication Motivation February 17 by Braden Thompson
There are ordinary people and then there are extraordinary people. The cool thing is, there’s no limit to how many extraordinary people there can be. You have the power to leave ordinary behind and join the ranks of the extraordinary. While this isn’t an exhaustive list, these 10 things should give you a pretty good idea of what it takes to become an extraordinary person.
1. They give sincere support to others
Think back to the best teacher(s) or mentor(s) you ever had. I’d be willing to bet they were genuinely interested in your success. That’s because extraordinary people want other people to become extraordinary as well. If you want to become extraordinary, make an extra effort to support the people around you.
2. They focus on people
Gary Vaynerchuk is one of my favorite examples of this. The man has a ton on his plate but he is constantly focused on the people in his life. For example, Gary has over a million followers on Twitter and often asks if there is anything (within reason) that he can do for them. What’s more impressive is that he actually follows through on a lot of the requests. The man is simply extraordinary in everything he does because he understands focusing on people is a worthwhile endeavor.
3. They aren’t afraid to be wrong
When ordinary people are wrong and find themselves at a dead end, they give up. They become frustrated and mad that they failed. Extraordinary people thrive in these situations. Why? Because every dead end eliminates a wrong path in their search for the road to success. They turn around from those dead ends and get busy exploring every other road until they find the right one. Failing just means they are one step closer to succeeding. It’s OK to be wrong.
4. They give credit where it’s deserved
How much does it cost to compliment someone? Absolutely nothing. Even though giving someone the credit they deserve is free, it does wonders for the recipient. Try it. You literally have nothing to lose.
5. They are considerate of others
It’s selfish to live your life without caring about those around you. We all have to share the same planet. Being considerate of others makes it enjoyable for everyone.
6. They love life
Life is the most precious gift you have. Extraordinary people understand they only get one life to live and it’s up to them to make it great. When you choose to love life, anything feels possible.
7. They push their limits
Travis Rice, world renowned snowboarder, once said:
“We will never know our full potential unless we push ourselves to find it. It’s this self discovery that inevitably takes us to the wildest places on earth.”
Extraordinary people understand their potential because they are constantly pushing themselves to find it. We are the only ones who define our limits. If you push yourself, I promise you will be amazed at how much you can actually do. But you’ll never know until you try.
8. They believe in themselves
Your mind is a fascinating thing. When doubt enters your mind, it can have seriously damning effects. Extraordinary people will often have thoughts of doubt creep in, but they never entertain them. Pardon my nostalgia, but remember The Little Engine That Could? While it’s a fictitious children’s story, it illustrates the undeniable fact that when you believe in yourself, you can accomplish extraordinary things.
9. They know their purpose in life
Whenever I think about finding purpose in life, I can’t help but think of Viktor Frankl. Viktor survived three horrifying years in holocaust concentration camps. What kept him from committing suicide, as many of his camp mates did, was the idea that his suffering had to have meaning. His life had to have a purpose. Viktor truly was an extraordinary person because he understood his purpose in life. By the way, I highly suggest reading his book. It’s a life changer.
10. They put thoughts and words into action
You have to do something! The Wright Brothers had an extraordinary idea that man could fly. Had they left it at that, who knows where we would be today. It’s because they busted their butts trying every possibility they could think of that the world today is so easily connected. They turned their thoughts into action, and in so doing, engraved their names on the wall of extraordinary people.
What traits have you observed in the extraordinary people around you? Help me add to this list by leaving a comment below!
Don't want to be another average person? How to go From Ordinary to Extraordinary
How Science Mimics Faith
People may use trust in science as others use religious faith to cope with life's uncertainties
Mar 1, 2014 |By Tori Rodriguez
Credit: Getty Images
Religion provides a sense of meaning and comfort for believers, and studies show that such beliefs intensify during threatening situations. Now research suggests that some people's faith in science may serve the same role.
Miguel Farias and other researchers at the University of Oxford and Yale University investigated whether it is belief in religion that is beneficial or in fact any belief about the world's order and our place in it. In two related experiments published in November 2013 in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, the scientists developed a scale to measure belief in science—the view that scientific inquiry offers a superior guide to reality. As expected, belief in science was inversely correlated with religious beliefs. Next the researchers assessed whether belief in science increased in threatening situations. The first experiment compared a group of rowers at a low-stress training session with a group of rowers just about to compete in a high-stress regatta. The second experiment manipulated some participants' existential anxiety by having them write about their thoughts and feelings regarding their own death. Participants reported greater belief in science in both threatening situations, just as subjects in past studies have displayed an increase in religiosity in similar scenarios.
“It is likely that some people use their ideas about science to make sense of the world and for emotional compensation in difficult situations in the same way that religious people use their supernatural beliefs,” Farias says. “Our findings suggest that it may be belief itself, regardless of its content, that helps people deal with adverse situations.”
A Happy Life May not be a Meaningful Life
Tasks that seem mundane, or even difficult, can bring a sense of meaning over time
Feb 18, 2014 |By Daisy Grewal
Cooking dinner, a mundane task associated with a meaningful life. Credit: Digital Vision/ThinkStock
Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl once wrote, “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” For most people, feeling happy and finding life meaningful are both important and related goals. But do happiness and meaning always go together? It seems unlikely, given that many of the things that we regularly choose to do – from running marathons to raising children – are unlikely to increase our day-to-day happiness. Recent research suggests that while happiness and a sense of meaning often overlap, they also diverge in important and surprising ways.
Roy Baumeister and his colleagues recently published a study in the Journal of Positive Psychology that helps explain some of the key differences between a happy life and a meaningful one. They asked almost 400 American adults to fill out three surveys over a period of weeks. The surveys asked people to answer a series of questions their happiness levels, the degree to which they saw their lives as meaningful, and their general lifestyle and circumstances.
As one might expect, people’s happiness levels were positively correlated with whether they saw their lives as meaningful. However, the two measures were not identical – suggesting that what makes us happy may not always bring more meaning, and vice versa. To probe for differences between the two, the researchers examined the survey items that asked detailed questions about people’s feelings and moods, their relationships with others, and their day-to-day activities. Feeling happy was strongly correlated with seeing life as easy, pleasant, and free from difficult or troubling events. Happiness was also correlated with being in good health and generally feeling well most of the time. However, none of these things were correlated with a greater sense of meaning. Feeling good most of the time might help us feel happier, but it doesn’t necessarily bring a sense of purpose to our lives.
Interestingly, their findings suggest that money, contrary to popular sayings, can indeed buy happiness. Having enough money to buy what one needs in life, as well as what one desires, were also positively correlated with greater levels of happiness. However, having enough money seemed to make little difference in life’s sense of meaning. This same disconnect was recently found in a multi-national study conducted by Shigehiro Oishi and Ed Diener, who show that people from wealthy countries tend to be happier, however, they don’t see their lives as more meaningful. In fact, Oishi and Diener found that people from poorer countries tend to see their lives as more meaningful. Although the reasons are not totally clear, this might be related to greater religious belief, having more children, and stronger social ties among those living in poorer countries. Perhaps instead of saying that “money doesn’t buy happiness,” we ought to say instead that “money doesn’t buy meaning.”
Not too surprisingly, our relationships with other people are related to both how happy we are as well as how meaningful we see our lives. In Baumeister’s study, feeling more connected to others improved both happiness and meaning. However, the role we adopt in our relationships makes an important difference. Participants in the study who were more likely to agree with the statement, “I am a giver,” reported less happiness than people who were more likely to agree with, “I am a taker.” However, the “givers” reported higher levels of meaning in their lives compared to the “takers.” In addition, spending more time with friends was related to greater happiness but not more meaning. In contrast, spending more time with people one loves was correlated with greater meaning but not with more happiness. The researchers suspect that spending time with loved ones is often more difficult, but ultimately more satisfying, than spending time with friends.
When it comes to thinking about how to be happier, many of us fantasize about taking more vacations or finding ways to avoid mundane tasks. We may dream about skipping housework and instead doing something fun and pleasurable. However, tasks which don’t make us happy can, over time, add up to a meaningful life. Even routine activities — talking on the phone, cooking, cleaning, housework, meditating, emailing, praying, waiting on others, and balancing finances — appeared to bring more meaning to people’s lives, but not happiness in the moment.
More broadly, the findings suggest that pure happiness is about getting what we want in life—whether through people, money, or life circumstances. Meaningfulness, in contrast, seems to have more to do with giving, effort, and sacrifice. It is clear that a highly meaningful life may not always include a great deal of day-to-day happiness. And, the study suggests, our American obsession with happiness may be intimately related to a feeling of emptiness, or a life that lacks meaning.
Are you a scientist who specializes in neuroscience, cognitive science, or psychology? And have you read a recent peer-reviewed paper that you would like to write about? Please send suggestions to Mind Matters editor Gareth Cook, a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and regular contributor to NewYorker.com. Gareth is also the series editor of Best American Infographics, and can be reached at garethideas AT gmail.com or Twitter @garethideas.
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