You Are The Average Of Your Five Closest Friends

You Are The Average Of Your Five Closest Friends

We become like the people that we (choose to) expose ourselves to. It follows that you can accelerate your personal growth in whatever direction you desire by spending time with people who already are who you want to become. That will infect you with the behaviors and attitudes that helped them achieve their success, making it more likely that you will realize similar results in your life. So, ask yourself: Who do you spend the most time with? Who are the people you most admire? Are those two groups of people the same? Why not? When it comes to relationships, we are greatly influenced — whether we like it or not — by those closest to us. It affects our way of thinking, our self-esteem, and our decisions. Of course, everyone is their own person, but research has shown that we're more affected by our environment than we think.  While it's ideal to be closely surrounded by positive, supportive people who want you to succeed, it's also necessary to have your critics.  And the more successful you become, the more criticism you'll face.   DISCUSSION TIME!  1. How have your friends and enemies shaped who you are?   2. Think about your most supportive people v.s. Your most non-supporting people, how have they shaped you into who you are?   3. How have YOU shaped YOURSELF into who you are?  Answer in the comments :)

Time To Tell The Truth

In this podcast, we go over truth-telling and lying. How does telling the truth make you feel? How does lying make you feel? What lies have you told that could've been avoided and in what situation is it acceptable to lie?

The Clash Between Personality and Disability

In this podcast, we discuss the clash between personality and disability. The clash can happen when we decide we no longer want to be known for our disability and take the steps to overcome our disability label. You are you-not your disability.

Abstract Thinking

Abstract thinking is the ability to think about objects, principles, and ideas that are not physically present. It is related to symbolic thinking, which uses the substitution of a symbol for an object or idea. A variety of everyday behaviors constitute abstract thinking. These include:  -Using metaphors and analogies -Understanding relationships between verbal and nonverbal ideas -Spatial reasoning and mentally manipulating and rotating objects -Complex reasoning, such as using critical thinking, the scientific method, and other approaches to reasoning through problems -Abstract thinking makes it possible for people to exercise creativity.  Creativity, in turn, is a useful survival mechanism⁠—it allows us to develop tools and new ideas that improve the quality of human life.  Concrete thinking is the opposite of abstract thinking. While abstract thinking is centered around ideas, symbols, and the intangible, concrete thinking focuses on what can be perceived through the five senses: smell, sight, sound, taste, and touch. The vast majority of people use a combination of concrete and abstract thinking to function in daily life, although some people may favor one model over the other.  A study published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience found abstract thinking was tied to parts of the brain occupied with vision. Concrete thinking, on the other hand. activated parts of the brain that focus on actions taken to complete a goal.  Other research found that abstract thinkers are more likely than concrete thinkers to take risks. This may be partly due to the idea that concrete thinkers, more concerned with “how” to perform an action rather than “why,” might be dissuaded from starting a risky task because they’re more focused on the practical effort involved with the task, while the abstract thinker might be more occupied with considering the pros and cons of the risk.  Learning disabilities can inhibit the development of abstract reasoning skills.  People with severe intellectual disabilities may never develop abstract reasoning skills and may take abstract concepts such as metaphors and analogies literally. Since abstract reasoning is closely connected to the ability to solve problems, individuals with severely inhibited abstract thinking ability may need assistance with day-to-day life.  Some mental health conditions can negatively impact an individual’s ability to think abstractly. For example, schizophrenia has been found to impair abstract thinking ability in those it affects. Some other conditions that may impair abstract thinking include Autism Learning disabilities Dementia Traumatic brain injury (TBI) Some research has connected the ability to think abstractly with a stronger sense of self-control. This means that when people were given a reason to do or not to do something, it was easier for them to adhere to that rule than if they were simply told how to follow the rule.  In many cases, it is possible to improve your abstract reasoning skills. Working on your abstract reasoning skills may help you improve your ability to solve problems, understand and communicate complex ideas, and enjoy creative pursuits.   One way to exercise your abstract reasoning skills is to practice solving puzzles, optical illusions, and other “brain teasers.” These thinking exercises allow individuals to practice viewing information from different perspectives and angles. As they may help open a person’s mind to different possibilities through the problem-solving process, puzzles can be an engaging way for both young people and adults to get better at abstract thinking.  Strengthening improvisation skills may also help increase an individual’s creativity and abstract thinking skills. Tasks that require the person to rely mostly on their imagination may help strengthen their ability to think abstractly over time.

Attachment Theory

Attachment theory is a psychological, evolutionary, and ethological theory concerning relationships between humans. The most important tenet is that young children need to develop a relationship with at least one primary caregiver for normal social and emotional development. -Wikipedia  Secure attachment: refers to the ability to form secure, loving relationships with others. A securely attached person can trust others and be trusted, love and accept love, and get close to others with relative ease. They're not afraid of intimacy, nor do they feel panicked when their partners need time or space away from them. They're able to depend on others without becoming totally dependent. Anxious attachment is a form of insecure attachment style marked by a deep fear of abandonment. Anxiously attached people tend to be very insecure about their relationships, often worrying that their partner will leave them and thus are always hungry for validation. Anxious attachment is associated with "neediness" or clingy behavior, such as getting very anxious when your partner doesn't text back fast enough and constantly feeling like your partner doesn't care enough about you.  Avoidant attachment is a form of insecure attachment style marked by a fear of intimacy. People with avoidant attachment styles tend to have trouble getting close to others or trusting others in relationships. They typically maintain some distance from their partners or are largely emotionally unavailable in their relationships, preferring to be independent and rely on themselves.  Fearful-avoidant attachment: is a very rare attachment style. It is a combination of both the anxious and avoidant attachment styles. People with fearful-avoidant attachment both desperately crave affection and want to avoid it at all costs. They're reluctant to develop a close romantic relationship, yet at the same time, they have a dire need to feel loved by others.