Life is what it is

Bill Watterson, the creator of the cartoon strip 'Calvin and Hobbes' wrote: "Life is never so bad that it can't get worse" - a highly meaningful statement that wreaks of sheer positivity and optimism. For those who have watched the beautiful movie 'Fault in Our Stars' (one of my favourite movies) or read the same book, will know the meaning of 'saving the ten' for the ultimate pain. Till then it's always a nine!

Life's so unpredictable and short that we don't have time for grievances or complaints, let alone being dissatisfied. It is we who are instrumental in lending meaning to life. 

“Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.” 

(Viktor Frankl)

Let's make our stay more fruitful by leaving all grudges, resentments, animosity, grievances aside and make the most of what's available to us. That's a life's little lesson, worth following every inch of it! Amen! 

~ Amritbir Kaur 

#AmritbirKaurQuotes #AmritbirQuotes #AmritbirKaur 

Reservation Policy in India

There are many layers to the reservation policy in our country, the way it has been implemented. For a deeper analysis I would have had to write a lengthy article or post, which I restrained from writing just to save time. 

Rather than engaging in an unnecessary dialogue or an argument and mud-slinging, we all need to stay cool, calm and not form a personal biased opinion about one another. Just one line can't be a depiction of someone's character. This system is more political than social, the way it is being used and the common public is the scapegoat. We all need to understand this and rise above petty politics on Facebook; especially not forming a biased opinion about someone by misconstruing the stated words in a satire or a post on Facebook. 

#AmritbirQuotes

Ranjit Singh Kuki Gill

Revisiting the book today :

About the author: 

Ranjit Singh Kuki Gill

Ranjit Singh Gill is the son of Dr. Khem Singh Gill, former Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana (PAU).

At the age of 24 he was pursuing his Masters in Plant Breeding and Genetics at PAU and was due to submit his thesis. He had received an offer of fellowship from Kansas State to undertake doctoral research which he was planning to take-up soon after. But just months later in 1985, Kuki Gill found himself charged with the murder of prominent Congress politician Lalit Maken and his wife Geetanjali following the aftermath of the 1984 genocide in Delhi.

To evade capture he had escaped to the USA where he spent 13 years in New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center. In May 2000, Kuki Gill along with companion and fellow inmate Sukhwinder Singh relinquished their appeals to remain in the US of their own volition and opted to return to India. Upon arrival, Kuki was immediately imprisoned.

In 2003, having spent 17 years in detention Kuki was released from prison on parole under strict conditions restricting his movement, whilst awaiting a final hearing to determine his future. At this time his mother was terminally ill and she passed away some time after.

From that time Kuki remained within the confines of Ludhiana along with his supportive father and the devoted wife whom he married after being released.

Early in 2009, the lengthy trial concluded by reaffirming the life sentence that was facing Kuki Gill, and after surrendering himself to police in Delhi he entered the prison system once again. But finally, almost 25 years after the event that changed his life forever, Ranjit Singh Gill became a free man when his sentence was commuted by the Chief Minister of Delhi.

Today, Ranjit Singh ‘Kuki’ Gill is rebuilding his life by working hard with young people from across the Punjab, inspiring them to expect better from their own lives and the society in which they live. He is encouraging countless more Punjabis and Sikhs across the globe through his work with us at Naujawani.com and we are proud to provide the platform to do so.

An extract from the book --' ਕਿਰਸਾਣੀ ਕਿਰਸਾਣੁ ਕਰੇ ' by Ranjit Singh 'Kuki' Gill 

ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਸਰਕਾਰਾਂ ਵਿਕਾਸ ਦੇ ਨਿਰਮਾਣ ਦਾ ਮਤਲਬ ਹੀ ਬਦਲ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਹਨ । ਕਿਸੇ ਵੀ ਮੁਲਕ ਤੇ ਸੂਬੇ ਦੇ ਨਿਰਮਾਣ ਦਾ ਅਰਥ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਇੱਥੋਂ ਦੀ ਆਰਥਿਕਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਸਮਾਜਿਕ ਪੱਧਰ ਦਾ ਨਿਰਮਾਣ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਵੇ । ਭਾਵ ਸੂਬੇ ਦੀ ਆਰਥਿਕ ਖੁਸ਼ਹਾਲੀ ਤੇ ਜੀਵਨ ਦਾ ਰਹਿਣ - ਸਹਿਣ ਉੱਚਾ ਚੁੱਕਣਾ ਤੇ ਆਲ਼ੇ - ਦੁਆਲ਼ੇ ਦੀ ਵਸੋਂ ਤੇ ਇਨਸਾਨ ਦਾ ਬੁਨਿਆਦੀ ਤੌਰ ਤੇ ਵਿਕਿਸਤ ਹੋਣਾ ਹੈ । ਜਦੋਂ ਕਿ ਅਜ਼ਾਦੀ ਤੋਂ ਬਾਅਦ ਆਈ ਕਰੋਨਾ ਦੀ ਮਹਾਂਮਾਹੀ ਨੇ ਦੇਸ਼ ਤੇ ਸੂਬੇ ਦੀਆਂ ਬੁਨਿਆਦੀ ਸਹੂਲਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਜ਼ਾਹਰ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਹੈ । ਪੰਜਾਬ ਜੋ ਗੁਰੂਆਂ - ਪੀਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਧਰਤੀ ਹੈ ਤੇ ਉੱਥੋਂ ਦਾ ਜੀਵਨ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਵਿਆਖਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ । ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਕੁਦਰਤ ਨੂੰ ਸਰਬ ਵਿਆਪੀ ਸਰੂਪ ਦਰਸਾਇਆ ਹੈ । ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਇਹ ਦਰਜ ਹੈ : 

ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਦਿਸੈ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਸੁਣੀਐ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਭਉ ਸੁਖ ਸਾਰ ॥ 

ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਪਾਤਾਲੀ ਆਕਾਸੀ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਸਰਬ ਆਕਾਰੁ ॥ 

ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਵੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਣ ਕਤੇਬਾ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਸਰਬ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥ 

ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਖਾਣਾ ਪੀਣਾ ਪੈਨ੍ਹਣੁ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਸਰਬ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥ 

ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਜਾਤੀ ਜਿਨਸੀ ਰੰਗੀ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਜੀਅ ਜਹਾਨ ॥ 

ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਨੇਕੀਆ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਬਦੀਆ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਮਾਨੁ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੁ ॥ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਪਉਣੁ ਪਾਣੀ ਬੈਸੰਤਰੁ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਧਰਤੀ ਖਾਕੁ ॥ 

ਸਭ ਤੇਰੀ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਤੂੰ ਕਾਦਿਰੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪਾਕੀ ਨਾਈ ਪਾਕੁ ॥ 

ਨਾਨਕ ਹੁਕਮੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਵੇਖੈ ਵਰਤੈ ਤਾਕੋ ਤਾਕੁ ॥੨ ॥

ਇਹਨਾਂ ਸ਼ਬਦਾਂ ਦੀ ਰੌਸ਼ਨੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੀ ਸੂਬਾ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਅਵੇਸਲੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦਾ ਪੌਣ - ਪਾਣੀ ਸਰਕਾਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਦਰਸਾਏ ਨਿਰਮਾਣ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਦਿਨੋਂ ਦਿਨ ਪਲੀਤ ਹੋ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ । ਇਸ ਗੰਭੀਰਤਾ ਤੋਂ ਵਿਹੂਣੀਆਂ ਸਰਕਾਰਾਂ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਸੱਭਿਆਚਾਰਕ ਤੇ ਸਿਆਸੀ ਦੁਰਦਸ਼ਾ ਵੱਲ ਲਗਾਤਾਰ ਇਸ਼ਾਰਾ ਕਰ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਹਨ ।

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Two Trait Approaches to Personality - Allport & Cattell

 

The trait approaches are said to be the best examples of trait approach:

(a)    Allport’s Theory

Gordon W. Allport was the first theorist who by rejecting the notion of a relatively limited number of personality types adopted the trait approach for the description of highly individualized personalities. He gave the following three types of traits:

(i)               Cardinal Traits are primary traits that are so dominant in one’s personal disposition that they colour virtually every aspect of one’s behaviour and attributes. For example, if a person has humourousness as a cardinal trait, he will bring a sense of humour into almost all situations.

(ii)              Central Traits represent those few characteristics tendencies which can be ordinarily used to describe a person. For instance. Honesty, kindness, submissiveness etc.

(iii)            Secondary Traits are not as dominant as the cardinal or central traits. They appear in only a relatively small range of situations.

(b)   Cattell’s Theory

The most recent advanced theory of personality based on the trait approach has been developed by Cattell (1973). He defined a trait as a structure of personality inferred from  behaviour in different situations and described four types of traits:

Common traits – The traits found widely distributed in general population like honesty, aggression and co-operation.

Unique traits – Traits unique to a person such as temperamental traits, emotional reactions.

Surface traits – These can be recognized by manifestations of behaviour like curiosity, dependability etc.

Source traits – These are the underlying structures or sources that determine behaviour such as dominance, submission.

 

In 1946, Cattell compiled a list of 17,000 traits and then reduced it to 171 dictionary words related to personality and called these traits – elements.

In the next step, he identified 35 specific groups and called them surface traits.

Geetanjali Shree wins International Booker Prize 2022

 

Indian author Geetanjali Shree and US translator Daisy Rockwell have won the International Booker Prize for Hindi novel “Tomb of Sand”, a first for a book in an Indian language.

This prestigious award of 50,000 ($63,000, 59,000-euro) is awarded to fiction from around the world that has been translated into English. The award is shared between the author and translator.

Judges hailed “a book that is engaging, funny, and utterly original, at the same time as being an urgent and timely protest against the destructive impact of borders and boundaries, whether between religions, countries, or genders.” Judges panel chair Frank Wynne said the novel “has an exuberance and a life and a power and a passion which the world can do with right now”.

International Booker Prize should not be confused with Booker Prize, they are two separate awards. International Booker Prize is given to an author for their work written in an international language, then translated into English. Meanwhile, Booker Prize is awarded to a book/novel written in English.

Indians who won Booker Prize

Five Indians have won the prestigious Booker Prize award till now: 

• VS Naipaul won the award for In a Free State in 1971
• Salman Rushdie for Midnight’s Children in 1981
• Arundhati Roy for The God of Small Things in 1997
• Kiran Desai for The Inheritance of Loss in 2006
• Aravind Adiga for The White Tiger in 2008

 

Indians nominated for International Booker Prize: 

Six Indians have been nominated for International Booker Prize apart from Shree:  

• Salman Rushdie in 2007,
• Mahasweta Devi and VS Naipaul in 2009,
• Rohinton Mistry in 2011
• UR Ananthamurthy in 2013
• Amitav Ghosh in 2015

 

Three Types of Personalities

 

Three Type Theories of Personalities

 Theories adopting the type approach advocate that human personality can be classified into a few clearly defined types and each person belongs to a certain type according to his behavioural characteristics. The following are few type theories of personality:

 (A) Kretschmer’s classification

Kretschmer classified all human beings into certain biological types according to their physical structure and has alloted following definite personality characterisitcs associated with each physical make-up.

(i) Pyknic (having fat bodies) – Their personality traits are that such people are sociable, jolly, easy-going and good-natured.

(ii) Athletic (balanced body) – Such people are energetic, optimistic and adjustable.

(iii) Leptosomatic (lean and thin) – Such people are unsociable, reserved, shy, sensitive and pessimistic.

 

(B) Sheldon’s classification

Sheldon too like Kretschmer, classified human beings into types according to their physical structures and attached certain temperamental characteristics to them as shown below:

(i) Endomorphic – Persons having hightly developed viscera but weak somatic structure (like Kretschmer’s Pyknic type). Such persons are easy-going, sociable and affectionate.

(ii) Mesomorphic – Balanced development of viscera and somatic structure (like Kretschmer’s athletic type). Such persons are craving for  muscular activity, self-assertive, love risk and adventure.

(iii) Ectomorphic – Weak somatic structure as well as undeveloped viscera (like Kretschmer’s Leptosomatic) characteristics such people. They are pessimistic, unsociable and reserved.

 

(C) Jung’s classification

Jung divided all human beings basically into two distinct types – introvert and extrovert – according to their social participation and the interest which they take in social  activities. Later on he further sharpened his two fold division by giving sub-types. In this process, he took into consideration the four psychological functions – thinking, feeling sensation and intuition – in relation to his previous extrovert and introvert types. This division can be criticized on the ground that in general the different types or classes as suggested by Jung do not exist.