Thinks I find along the way
The distinction between face coverings designed to protect the wearer, and those that may protect other people, has been central to the recent debate about face masks: Does Your Face Mask Protect You or Other People?
How rest helps our brain process during quarantine: The Importance of Sleep During Covid-19
White-throated sparrows made a change to their familiar call that quickly spread across Canada: Sparrow Song Undergoes Key Change
An adolescent-assisted list of alternate conversation starters: 100 Questions to Ask Your Teen Other Than “How Was School?”
“Tone your wants and tastes low down enough, and make much of negatives, and of mere daylight and the skies.” Walt Whitman on What Makes Life Worth Living
How to give an effective and meaningful apology: Why Apology Is So Difficult for Some People
If you have a serious need to memorize, you must make notes: The Value of Taking Notes
If you don’t understand why it’s critical that these confederate monuments be removed then you just don’t understand enough about why they are there in the first place! Perhaps this short video from the PBS Newshour will help you understand the way it did for me:
You see, most of these statues were erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy to support the glorious ‘Lost Cause’ and promoted racism. They weren’t erected after the war — most were erected from 1890 to 1920 as a strong antithetical racist backlash to the early success of African Americans during the reconstruction under President Grant (the first civil rights president).
I hope that if you take a moment to learn why these statues are so offensive, then you too will want them removed!
Recommended reading: As a Black woman from the South, removal of Confederate symbols is personal – CNNPolitics
Yes, you want your kids to succeed. But you also want them to be grounded, emotionally intelligent humans: Why ‘EQ’ Is The Most Important Thing You Can Teach Your Kids
I recommend this op-ed piece in the New York Times.
Descendants of Frederick Douglass read excerpts from one of his most famous speeches: What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? Douglass gave this speech to a group of abolitionists 168 years ago: Frederick Douglass’ Descendants Read His Famous ‘Fourth Of July’ Speech
As children we are taught to seek out confirmation that we have done well. A reward through a treat or a hug becomes the norm. As we grow through to adult life, this belief system continues and builds our need to be affirmed, validated and have our needs or feelings recognised by those around us. Yet, in today’s world, the need for recognition and validation is portrayed as a trait that needs to be overcome – even though it is something that forms the very core of who we are as humans. As we work our way through the COVID-19 pandemic, how can we take this innate need for recognition, and use it to support those around us through crisis and build a stronger, more resilient community when we come out the other end?
We naturally find evidence to support our own views, which makes debate useless!
The article “You Will Never Win Your Political or Relationship Arguments” discusses the inherent biases in human nature that lead us to seek evidence supporting our preexisting beliefs. It argues that this tendency can render debates ineffective, as individuals often focus on confirming their views rather than understanding differing perspectives. The author suggests that recognizing this phenomenon can help improve communication and foster more constructive discussions in both political and personal contexts.
Go to the source: You Will Never Win Your Political or Relationship Arguments
Four Evidence-based Reasons to Prioritize Vacation Time This Summer: Why Business Leaders Should Make Vacation Time Mandatory
New research on persuasion shows there’s a simple way to get what you want: To Get Someone to Do What You Want, Try This
One antidote to the culture of overwork is simple: log off. Studies show leisure time out of the office actually boosts performance and mental well-being inside it: 2 psychological factors to ensure you have a mentally restorative vacation
To understand what’s happening today, I need to understand why it is happening today. We live in a world colored by the myth that the Civil War settled the issue of race in the US once and for all. In fact, the North may have ‘won’ the war, but the South won the peace and continued to treat African Americans much the same way they had before the war but without institutionalized slavery.
Bright, shiny objects! 
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