Thinking: A Process

THINKING

'A man's greatness lies in the power of thought'

Humans are said to be the only species to receive the gift of 'Thinking'. Anything and everything can lead to thinking. Thinking is the first step towards expression. Like I mentioned in my first post, 'Everything great that has ever happened to humanity has begun as nothing more than a simple thought in someone's mind, and if anyone is capable of that thought then we all possess the same compassion, ability to conceive the thought's because we're all the same, we're all humans.' It's a fundamental & empirical nature of humans to think & come up with new constructive & innovative ideas. However someone's construction is another's destruction, hence it depends on the perspective of other's.

Dreams, ideas, thoughts, plan are all but sub-names of 'Thinking'. So how do we initiate thinking? To answer that, a person needs to completely empty his mind. Yeah it may sound odd but that's true. When your mind is empty, different thoughts start to pop out in your head. In the movie 'The Sixth Sense', Bruce Willis(Dr Malcolm Crowe) shares his idea of expression with Haley Joel Osment(Cole) by asking him to exercise 'Free Association Writing'. He further elaborates that, "Free association writing is when you take a pencil/pen in your hand, and you put it to a piece of paper & you start writing. And you don't look at what you're writing or think about what you're writing, you just keep moving your hand moving. And after a while if you keep your hand moving long enough, words & thoughts start coming out that you didn't even know you had in you." Now according to psychology, it could be something that the person heard or read somewhere else or mere the feelings the person has deep inside. Cool isn't it but the brazen truth is when a person thinks, he enters into a world where only the people he chooses are allowed & every thing happens on his wish. This is what I like to call the '4th Dimension'. Even dreaming is considered to be 'thinking'. And, as per data, a person usually spends 5-7 years of his life - dreaming. That's a lot of thinking..!! Generally people try to visualize 'how things should be' instead of 'what should I DO to achieve it'. Most thoughts are in the sub-conscious state while the conscious one's show prompt reaction.

Also the most common problem during adolescence & teens is 'thinking too much'. To be frank, even I'm not virgin of it. But the worst part of it is the person loses the control of his mind leading to distorted thoughts, provocation, sleeplessness, loneliness, feeling of hopelessness etc. During thinking, the formation of pleasure inducing neuro-transmitter 'Dopamine' depends solely on the thought. But during the process if the person get's excited in someway or the other - increased heart-rate, perspiration(especially in the palms), delusion, hallucination & a swift rush of adrenaline/epinephrine is felt in the body. Clearly the person cannot concentrate on anything else. When there's absolutely nothing to do for the mind, it starts to wander around resulting in excessive thinking usually ending nowhere. It mostly ends with another idea to think more. To know whether a person is thinking or not, he/she must be moving some part of their body most common being legs, hands. So why does this happen? The answer is not so simple. When a person is thinking, tension is created inside the body especially in the head so it needs to release that 'pressure-cooker' instinct, which is why usually people shake their legs or hands or simply walk. However recent researches have shown that a person can think even without moving any part of their body, like a cadaver but that usually happens when the person is lying in supine condition on the bed or standing un-naturally still. For excessive thinkers - it is generally advised to get involved in some sort of curricular activity as the brain won't work when the energy is focused elsewhere. But brain is smart too, it would convince the person that the activity is of no personal use to him. So then starts the battle between the brain & the will of the person. If the person is dedicated to his work, nothing can stop him.

'An idle mind is devil's workshop' - this is what we've been taught since kindergarten.

Dreams are our gateway to our future. It sometimes leads to some unexplainable phenomenons. Like Albert Einstein dream't about his world renowned theory of relativity, Thomas Alva Edison dream't about the light bulb & successfully imitated it. So it isn't that thinking is useless and besides that, there is no such thing as good-thinking or bad-thinking. Like I said thinking is involuntary, there are exceptions though. Whatever mind thinks, it thinks & we have to deal with it. Now, the general perception of 'good-thinking' is when the thought is useful for someone. But when it is of no use or logically impossible or leading to anti-social activities, it is considered 'bad-thinking'. So is thinking a selfish thing? How can it be! I mentioned above that its involuntary, so you can't blame a person if he's thinking of looting someone.

The ultimate goal of everyone's life should be controlling & disciplining their mind's & not getting controlled by it. For that, as I said, strong will power is needed and it needs a lot of courage, determination & dedication to do it or else there's an apocalypse in-waiting. Try not to think much. Get involved socially, meet new people in short keep the mind busy.

Happy Thinking

Faith or Trust

FAITH OR TRUST

"Faith is a reason grown courageous" - Sherwood Eddy

Faith is considered by many rationalists as 'an irrational belief in someone or something that is logically not possible'. According to me, they're correct. I mean when we have faith in someone, it is completely based on what we feel or think of that person which can sometimes prove lethal. It is the 'image' that we've created of that person in which we have 'faith'. The most common instance is: Faith in God. I mean no one has ever seen him, we've just read or heard about his 'deeds' but never actually been face to face with him, yet 95% people in the world have faith in Him. I would also like to add, being an agnostic myself, that some decades ago the same people also believed that the Sun revolved around the Earth. I don't intend to hurt anyone's feelings or belief's but I'm keeping my point just as a person of flesh & blood. It is said that "you can't really have faith in someone or something until it has done something extra-ordinary or dramatical for you", it seems true to me. Faith is never earned, its always created based on hypothetical sayings or beliefs. Those who heap all the un-explainable phenomenon into one word is what the world calls - 'Faith'. A 'faithful' person will never be able to explain the base of his 'faith'. But without faith a person's mind will always wander around. For instance: [1] A 'faithful' person is asked to cross a dark alley - here the faith of the person will give him a sense of security & hence he'll cross it without much problem. [2] In the similar alley an 'unfaithful' person is asked to do the same - here as the person is a skeptic, he'll have apprehensions & other sorts of thoughts in his mind, however it is not applicable to all, so it won't be cent-per-cent sure to bet that the person will cross it. Therefore, a little bit of faith is required, though not compulsory.

"To be trusted is even a greater compliment than being loved" - George MacDonald.

Then comes 'Trust'. Trust in someone which is also based on the image or character of a person but the difference between 'faith' & 'trust' is that while trusting someone the person admires the loyalty of the another one. It is the sheer dependence on someone with whom a person can actually feel secure, warm. Also, unlike faith, trust isn't limited between human being but all the living creatures on this planet. For example: [1] A dog 'trusts' his master that he'll be good to him in return the dog is loyal to him. [2] Any progeny(child) trusts his/her parents - here the trust is completely natural & based on no prior experience, the infant is assured that he'll be taken care of. Trust is the most important abstract feeling in any relation - be it parents/child, friends/friends, etc. But a person can never be forced to 'trust', it is something which gathers in mind slowly & gradually based on raw facts that he/she might've come across. Loss of trust cannot be fulfilled or substituted with any other thing or feeling. No one would allow strangers to touch them. So practically, a person craves for the 'trust' of another person thereby side-lining the 'faith' episode'.

'Trust is what keeps us from being a stranger'

Heart or Head?

HEART OR HEAD

'A peaceful follows any decision, even the wrong ones' - said a wise man.

It is one of the most disputed question while making a decision: Whom to listen; heart or the head..? The problem is that either one can casually contradict the another one, but this 'casual' attitude causes casualty. This kind of a dilemma arises when a person is facing a problem or rather a personal problem. And if he/she chooses either one, the other is in waiting for a vengeful reaction. It is, in fact, not possible to please both your heart & head(brain). Only one of them is going to last till the very end. For instance, a very common one: A small child has some money, he sees something which he always wanted but as per the instruction given by the guardians he'll try to avoid what he wants - here the child is delegating for his house & he isn't allowed to have his own wish full-filled. The example clearly states that no matter what decision the person takes, he'll never be completely satisfied(mentally) for his 'wish' will never be fulfilled.

It's like a person is asked to cut either of his own arms & it is up to him to choose the arm he loves less - which is impossible. But the main question is - What put the person in this place? The answer differs for various individuals but a general answer to that is - That person's deeds. It's 'Karma' which is elaborated in the 'Bhagwat Gita'. A man is going to face the outcomes, no matter joyous or horrifying, of his own deeds. There is a line in Christopher Nolan's 'Batman Begins' - "It is not who I'm underneath but what I do that defines me". Our work indeed defines our individuality. We all want to be different from others & we all are, technically, but the fact is that - 'The difference between how we're alike is much more than that separating us'. The person mustn't have foreseen the consequences he'd have to face for it & that's why the dilemma arise to choose either of the two ends of the same string.

Heart is emotional, there's no denying that. It'll always lead us to what we want & also heart is dominant in most of us. When a person thinks from heart, other factors tend to have been hidden for him. On the other hand, if a person thinks from his head, his life is no better. The person will have a complete logical personality without any slightest intention of letting heart take control of things for it i.e. either of them cannot think straight whilst the other dominates. But it is not healthy at all to let heart be on the driver seat. For example: A surgeon's daughter is admitted & is in queue for surgery - here two possible scenarios arise stating the condition of his heart(mental, emotional) condition: (1) He'll not be able to perform the surgery as he loses confidence (2) He'll bring her up in the order, not thinking about other patients. Both these scenario's tend to show the fragility of a father. He's the one who has to decide whether he's first a doctor or a father.

But the million dollar question is - Can heart actually think? I mean that within the limits of my knowledge, only brain has the property of thinking. So why do people say that - "He or She is thinking from the heart & not brain"..? There is a nerotransmitter in the brain called 'Dopamine' which is responsible for pleasure, same as 'Serotonin' is responsible for learning, sleep etc. I won't go in much detail but the point is that brain is the only organ that can think. But the decisions taken 'emotionally' are termed as 'decisions taken by heart'. After all heart is the organ supplying blood to the entire body..!!

Brain believes in raw facts i.e. what it saw, heard whereas heart believes in what it 'feels'. When a person has based his entire lifestyle on principles, ethics etc; he makes most of his decision at that time even the one's that other's can never understand. So its up to the individual person to try to distinguish himself whether he wishes to believe the facts or what he feels, which is also known as 'Gut Feeling'. As it is said - "Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder", it depends completely upon the person to analyze the situation & act accordingly. It is also not always wise to think logically.

Also while decision making, friends, relatives, family also play a major role in changing the person's perception towards the problem. Some of them come up with some great ideas but most of them require more crafting & hence the person is sandwiched between what he believes in doing & what he wishes to do..! The person must also realize that his decisions will be used to criticize him or praise him in the future. Also his decisions are going to affect his surroundings too. The person must keep in mind that he's the one who has to nail his binding decision irrespective of thinking much about others but only the one's concerned. Thinking takes too much time & hence decreasing the possibility of a satisfactory decision. The person will be dissatisfied with whatever he decides. A 'perfect' decision is the one in which a person listens to all his well-wishers, friends, family etc. but finally takes the decision which he thinks is appropriate & wouldn't harm other's much. This way, he uses both his heart & head to decide.

"Our perceptions are often colored by what we hope, what we fear & what we love."

I'd like to conclude this topic by stating Erich Saeur's quote - "The direction of a man's thought is always the decisive factor in his personality. His whole outer life will be determined by the inward inclination of his mind."

Happy Decision Making

Best,

A

Emotions

ABOUT ME:

"Everything great that has ever happened to humanity has begun as nothing more than just a single thought in someone's mind. And if someone is capable of that thought, then we're all capable of being conceived by thoughts because we're all humans, we're the same." - Yanni

To write is to speak, thats the only way I know to express myself so I decided to start a blogging on things that I feel & what better topic to start than the one stating the fragility of humanity. Some of my "well-wishers" were plaguing me to write something periodically, having seen the initial effects of writing so I now hereby begin my journey of words & letter with an incredible support of my friends.

EMOTIONS & FEELING

It is said that an 'emotion' is what separates us from being animals. Emotions are like full stops, if there's just one the story ends, if there are few more then the story continues like this...If a picture is worth a thousand words then there's no parameter for emotions because there's no scale or a limit to emotions. The great thing about an 'emotion' is that it isn't tanned within the tenable limit of 26 words, a person needs to 'feel' another person's feelings; be it anger, hubris or love. A snake has no ears but yet it dances on the tunes of the snake-charmer..why? The answer is simple..it can feel the movement of the charmer's instrument.

But elders say that feeling & emotions are two different things..!! Well, I beg to differ in certain situations. I believe that a person incapable of feeling is also paraplegic towards emotions. A mother, no matter a whore, cannot see its child in pain or any other discomfort. This example is widely used, but what does it mean? Its true meaning cannot be measured using words, that's when we send our brain on a vacation & its time for heart to take control of things. But not all feelings need this exercise. We need to take certain decisions in life which requires our brain to open its wings & shed the heart because the heart can't take the outcome. There is no interlocutor between our heart & the head, they work independently. Those are the decisions that define our stature, our morals & - our character. After all true character is what we're under pressure not what we want to be..!!

Emotions are understood by heart,; interpreted by brain. First lets talk about 'understanding' the emotions. A person, no matter how strong, kneels down when it comes to the matter of the heart. It is proven that youngsters 'claim' to understand the emotions much better than mature adults. So why do we call them 'mature'? What is maturity? Well maturity is actually the experience that a person carries throughout his entire life which only helps him to learn from them & prepare for the future. It is true indeed that adults can correspond to emotions much appropriately than youngsters. When a person is young, he tends to feel like the world is a fool & that God's grace has shone just on him that only he knows everything. That's where they make mistakes, only to learn from them in the end. When it comes to understanding the emotions, one must feel the way the emotion is being conveyed to him. For example:[1] A guy hits another guy with a file over some work issue - it conveys great agony, despair & the emotion of Anger. [2] A guy pats on with an open arm on the shoulders of another guy - it conveys that the guy has immense trust & confidence on the latter. So even in a span of a day, a person comes across uncountable encounters demonstrating feeling conveying emotions. Like no two people think alike, even brain & heart do not think alike. Someone's paradise is another's hell. But often in terms of feelings & emotions, brain lives in hell whilst heart dwells in paradise. The actions are the only ways of conveying feeling. Example:[1] Getting a hug from someone - conveying feeling of love. [2] Slapping someone - conveying feeling of vengeance or mere anger. [3] Confessing to something - conveying feeling of remorse, guilt, honesty. We often try to elope from drama but feelings & emotions are always dramatical.

The next step is interpreting the actions thereby emphasizing emotions. Often our mind interprets what we want to see rather than what it actually is. For instance:[1] Two people having a healthy & joyous conversation - it conveys either of its two meanings: Either the two are very friendly or there is something more than friendship. In reality it maybe that the two are just good friends & are having a joyful time, but as I said no possibility can be rejected. [2] An elderly person is helped by a younger one - it means that either the younger chap is really helpful, or the elder asked to help him or it can also turn out that they were sheerly related. So interpreting the correct message is very difficult task, especially for the youth. People would always choose to interpret as they want resulting in creating a delusion in which there future lurks. Most problems in interpretation arise when a person is infatuated, or is in love. I'm not going to discuss love over here as it'll divulge the whole topic.

Teens tend to take things lightly, youth take things accordingly but adults take things appropriately. But for those who feel for everyone, are tagged as emotional fools in todays e-world. Emotions & feelings are dramatical, as they were. There is a lot of hugging, slapping, pampering & sometimes even silence while the person is demonstrating his/her emotions. But due to the society, they're gender biased. If a girl is crying, people sympathize with them however same is not the case with guys. It is scientifically proven that guys are more emotional, only they don't like expressing them. An infant is often scared of things it doesn't know but yet it tries to overcome its fear. 'It is never too old to be afraid' - said a wise man. But people, especially guys, are afraid of the world's interpretation of their actions hence they select to withdraw themselves into the shell. But, of course, there are exceptions everywhere.

Ultimately I would like to conclude my first post by saying that we should not let either our brain or heart take control of our entire stature. In the recent times, there have been many instances representing the destructive powers of sheer logic. A pure logic can never be a tool to measure the adversity of this beautiful world, it takes both our mind & heart to live 'happily ever after'..!!

Kudos

Best,

A