Depression is a serious condition that negatively affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. While normal sadness is common in all, but clinical depression is continued and often interferes with a person’s ability to experience or anticipate pleasure and it significantly interferes with functioning in daily life. If untreated, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years; and if inadequately treated, depression can lead to significant loss, other health-related issues, and in some cases, it can lead to suicide.

Adolescence depression can lead to emotional changes like irritability, low self-esteem, and anger, as well as behavioural changes such as over sleeping, loss of appetite, withdrawal, binge-eating and a decline in academic performance. Treatment options, which should be discussed with a psychologist it can include psychotherapy and, in some cases, medication.

Depression is twice as common among young women as among men. About 20 percent of women will experience at least one episode of depression across their lifetime. Scientists are examining many potential causes for and contributing factors to women’s increased risk for depression. Biological, life cycle, hormonal and psychosocial factors unique to women may be linked to women’s higher depression rates. Researchers have shown, for example, that hormones affect brain chemistry, impacting emotions and mood. Women experience natural hormonal shifts during several key life stages: puberty, menstruation monthly cycle, pregnancy, postpartum (after childbirth), and perimenopause and menopause. More than 50% of children will engage in a form of sexual behaviour before the age of 14 (around puberty), including sexual experiences with other children.

Before adolescence, girls and boys experience depression at about the same frequency. By adolescence, however, girls become more likely to experience depression than boys. Research points to several possible reasons for this imbalance. The biological and hormonal changes that occur during puberty are likely to contribute to the sharp increase in rates of depression among adolescent girls. In addition, research has suggested that girls are more likely than boys to continue feeling bad after experiencing difficult situations or events, suggesting they are more prone to depression.

Adolescence presents challenges related to physical changes, emotions, and social development, including issues with body image, mood swings, and peer pressure. Teens also face risks like substance abuse, early pregnancy and abortion , and violence, as well as mental health concerns like depression and anxiety. Developing a sense of identity and independence is a major focus during this time. Hormonal changes lead to puberty, which can cause self-consciousness about body image, weight, and height.  Adolescents are vulnerable to stress, depression, and anxiety, which can be heightened by hormonal shifts and academic pressure.

A desire for independence and peer approval can lead to risky behaviours like consuming drugs, alcohol, unsafe sex, and violence. Common health issues include mental health problems, early pregnancies due to unsafe sex, sexually transmitted infections, violence, and malnutrition.  Teens feel a strong need to belong to a peer group, which can lead to conformity and risky behaviors to gain acceptance. At adolescents’ youngsters crave for identity and independence.

German-born American psychoanalyst and developmental psychologist best known for his theory of psychosocial development and for coining the term “identity crisis”. He is renowned for his work on human development, which he theorized occurred across the entire lifespan in eight stages. According to Erik Erikson, the teenage years are defined by the fifth stage of development, identity versus role confusion. During this time (ages 12–18), adolescents grapple with the question “Who am I?” by exploring different roles, beliefs, and goals to forge a sense of self. Success leads to a strong identity, while failure can result in a confused sense of self and future.

Adolescents experience intense emotional swings, such as anger, jealousy, and frustration. Majority of the youngsters get attracted to excessive use of electronic devices can contribute to problems with self-esteem, cyber addiction, and even musculoskeletal issues from constant texting, as well as impact school performance and behaviour.  Adolescents face problems with social media including mental health issues like depression and anxiety, cyberbullying, poor body image, sleep disruption, and exposure to harmful content and predators. Excessive use can also lead to a fear of missing out (FOMO), reduced in-person interaction, and difficulty focusing on other activities like schoolwork.

Social media use is linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety, especially with excessive use. The fake social media shows curated versions of others’ lives which can lead to negative feelings about one’s own life and self-worth. The pressure to stay connected, maintain a certain image, and receive approval (likes, comments) can cause significant stress. Constant exposure to others’ leads to anxiety about being excluded from social events or trends.

Adolescents are frequently targets of cyberbullying. Online harassment, which can involve name-calling, rumours, threats, and unwanted explicit content. Social media platforms can expose teens to content like pornography, self-harm depictions, violence, or illegal substances and drugs. Online predators target teenagers who exploit and times extort them.

Careless online activity can lead to long-term reputation damage and make them more vulnerable to marketers and fraudsters. Body shaming, physical and behavioral issues, sleep disruption due to using social media before bed, especially with blue light from screens, can disrupt sleep patterns and delay melatonin release. Children get sluggish because of bad junk food consumption and decreased physical activity their body clock goes haywire. Time spent on social media often displaces time that could be spent on physical exercise and other healthy activities.

Conclusion

Though depression affects people of all ages, teenagers are at a high risk, with recent estimates suggesting that up to one in five adolescents may experience depression. This is a major public health concern, with depression being one of the leading causes of illness and disability in this age group, notes the World Health Organization. Several factors contribute to this, including a combination of genetic, biological changes like hormonal changes, and environmental factors, such as stressful life events, family history, and peer issues. Adolescent health requires directed attention from parents, family, teachers and society due to their vulnerability to risky behaviours. In India, overall, 39.7% of students experienced persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness, 28.5% experienced poor mental health, 20.4% seriously considered attempting suicide, and 9.5% attempted suicide. Overall, the teenagers and early twenties behaviours need attention. I have written this passage because of my experience as a teacher of Management Studies for past 24 years. 

Understanding and influencing human behavior is crucial for a variety of reasons, people with whom we work every day, deal on regular basis, for our personal growth and strong relationships for effective teamwork and societal progress. Good behavior fosters positive environments, builds trust, and contributes to a safer and more inclusive society. It also impacts mental and emotional well-being and can influence productivity and success in various aspects of life. 

Personality is fixed and it’s difficult to change, so it makes sense to focus our efforts at the point where changes can be made. Since behaviour is within our condition of control, affirmative feedback on behaviour offers a positive lead for personal development, showing where and how we can adapt to meet the needs of a particular situation or job role. Counselling largely helps to change our behaviour.

Behaviorism is a branch of psychology which primarily studies observable actions and responses, rather than internal mental processes like thoughts or feelings. It suggests that behaviors are learned through two main types of conditioning: classical conditioning which is associating stimuli with responses and modified conditioning  which is learning through consequences of behavior. I list here below few famous theories of behaviourism.

John B. Watson’s classical behaviourism

Watson’s theory focused on observable behavior as the primary subject of psychological study, rejecting introspection and mental processes. He believed that behavior is learned through conditioning and can be manipulated by environmental stimuli, emphasizing the role of external factors over internal ones. His experiment famously known as ‘the little Albert experiment’, conducted by John Watson and Rosalie Rayner in 1920, aimed to demonstrate that fear could be conditioned in humans through classical conditioning. The experiment involved a nine-month-old baby, Albert, who was initially not afraid of a white rat. Researchers repeatedly paired the rat with a loud, startling noise, causing Albert to associate the rat with the noise and eventually fear the rat itself. The white rat was initially a neutral stimulus, meaning Albert didn’t have an innate fear of it. The loud noise was the unconditioned stimulus, which naturally caused fear in a way the unconditioned response in Albert. 

Watson argued that only behaviors that can be observed and measured objectively are valid in scientific psychology. He believed that behaviors are learned through conditioning, where provocations in the environment are paired with responses, leading to learned associations. Watson rejected the study of thoughts, feelings, and other internal mental processes, arguing that they are not directly observable and therefore not suitable for scientific study. Watson emphasized the role of environmental factors in shaping behavior, suggesting that individuals can be trained to exhibit specific behaviors through conditioning. 

B.F. Skinner’s Reinforcement Theory

Skinner’s behaviorism theory, also known as radical behaviorism, suggests that all behavior is learned through interactions with the environment, primarily through reinforcement and punishment. This theory emphasizes observable behaviors and argues that internal mental states like thoughts are not relevant for understanding behavior. Skinner’s work focused on challenging conditioning, where behaviors are modified by their consequences. It is built on the assumption that behaviour is influenced by its consequences. Reinforcement theory is the process of shaping behavior by controlling consequences of the behavior. Reinforcement theory proposes that you can change someone’s behaviour by using reinforcement, punishment, and elimination. I give here example of Abraham Lincoln who was the president of the United States in a pivotal moment during the Civil War. Although he was assassinated before completing his term as president, the relentless work ethic and unmatched communication skills that Abraham Lincoln showcased while healing the fractured country made him one of the greatest leaders in U.S. history.

Pavlov’s theory of Classical Conditioning

This is rooted in the idea that behavior is the result of conditioning. He believed that behavior is learned through the process of classical conditioning, where behavior is shaped through the association of stimuli in the environment. His discoveries provided a framework for understanding how behaviors are acquired. His experiments primarily involved dogs, but the principles he discovered have far-reaching implications for understanding human behaviour as well. Classical conditioning, the foundation of Pavlov’s theory, involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response. In one of his famous experiments, Pavlov observed that dogs naturally salivated when presented with food, an unconditioned stimulus. However, through repeated pairings of a neutral stimulus, such as a bell, with the food, the dogs eventually began to associate the bell with the arrival of food. As a result, they started salivating at the sound of the bell alone, even in the absence of the food. This conditioned response demonstrated the formation of a new association between the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus. Mental conditioning is a process which depends on experience, it takes efforts of training your mind to modify your thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs to accept thinking patterns.

Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development

This theory proposes that behaviourism develops through eight stages, each marked by a unique milestone, crisis or challenge that individuals must manage through. These crises involve a struggle between opposing forces, such as trust vs. mistrust, autonomy vs. shame and doubt, initiative vs Guilt, Industry vs inferiority , identity vs Role Confusion, intimacy vs Isolation, Generativity vs Stagnation and Ego Integrity vs Despair. When individuals successfully resolve each crisis, it leads to the development of specific virtues and psychological strengths, while failure can result in difficulties in future stages Our early life experience is very important in terms of  how we grow as individuals.  Our identity evolves at various stages of life; how we perceive and present ourselves throughout our lives, as per our own sense of identity; we keep searching and understanding ‘who we are’. Understanding this process can lead people to question their ‘negative’ identity labelled by society. Half of life is spent in making big changes in the way we perceive ourselves.  Our personalities keep changing as we resolve crises in life; thus, each experience brings a change within us.

Thorndike’s theory of connectionism

This theory suggests that learning is the result of forming connections between stimuli and responses. This theory, developed by Edward Lee Thorndike, is a foundation of behaviorism, explaining learning as a “stamping in” or strengthening of S-R bonds. Thorndike’s work also established three key laws of learning: the Law of Readiness, the Law of Exercise, and the Law of Effect. Thorndike’s theory of connectionism, also known as stimulus-response (S-R) theory, suggests that learning involves forming connections or associations between stimuli and responses. These connections, or bonds, are strengthened by satisfying consequences and weakened by unsatisfying ones. Thorndike’s theory is based on his experiments with cats in puzzle boxes, where he observed that learning occurred through trial and error. The key aspects of Thorndike’s connectionism are i) learning occurs through the formation of connections between a stimulus – something that triggers a response and a response  which is a behavior or action. Ii) Learning is a process of trying different responses until the correct one is found and rewarded. Iii) Behaviors followed by satisfying moments are strengthened, while behaviors followed by annoying consequences are weakened. Iv) Frequent practice strengthens connections, while lack of practice weakens them.  V) When an individual is ready to act in a particular way, a response is likely to follow. 

Jerome Bruner’s theory of cognitive development

This theory states that children construct their own learning through organising, categorising and then coding information. He believed that the most effective way to do this is to discover information rather than being told it by a teacher. Jerome Bruner’s theory of cognitive development emphasizes that learning occurs through three modes of representation: enactive, iconic, and symbolic. These modes represent how individuals process and represent knowledge, changing with age with mental and physical development. Bruner believed that children could learn difficult concepts with appropriate instruction, and that learning is a continuous process, not a series of stages. They say children are mirror image of their parents and surrounding. Enactive mode, prevalent in early childhood around 0-3 years, involves learning through direct action and manipulation of objects. For example, a baby might learn about size by comparing different-sized colour crayons. The iconic mode starts around 3-7 years; children begin to use images and mental representations to represent experiences. They might use drawings or pictures to recall events or objects. From about 7 years onward, children develop the ability to use symbols, like language, to represent and organize information. They can understand and use abstract concepts without needing a real visual. Bruner believed that development is a continuous process, not a series of distinct stages. 

Conclusion

In simple terms, Sigmond Freud’s theory suggests that human behavior is influenced by unconscious memories, thoughts, and urges. This theory also proposes that the psyche comprises three aspects: the id, ego, and superego. The id is entirely unconscious, while the ego operates in the conscious mind. Behaviorism is primarily associated with the belief that all behaviors are learned through interactions with the environment. It focuses on observable actions, emphasizing the role of stimuli and responses, and rejects the study of internal mental processes. Key figures in behaviorism include John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner. 

Psychology helps people in all walks of life because it can explain why people behave the way they do. With this kind of professional insight, a psychologist can help people improve their decision making, stress management and behavior based on understanding past behavior to better predict future behavior. The true purpose of psychology as studying the function of behavior in the world, emphasizing adaptive processes in individuals. Psychology is a branch of philosophy.  I am giving  writeup about few branches of psychology. 

Forensic Psychology

When psychologists apply forensic theory to a criminal investigation to understand psychological problems associated with criminal behaviour the term used is forensic psychology. The field has experienced dramatic growth in recent years as more and more psychology students are interested in this applied branch of psychology. Popular movies, television programs, and books have helped popularize the field, often depicting brilliant heroes who solve vicious crimes or track down killers using psychology.

In forensic psychology, punishment is the penalty imposed on a person who has committed a crime. The severity of the punishment is usually in line with the seriousness of the crime. The main goal of punishment is to deter the offender and others from committing similar crimes. 

Example of forensic psychology is Tandoor Murder Case (Naina Sahani) in 1995. The tandoor murder case shocked the nation. This case, where a woman was murdered and her body disposed of in a tandoor oven, is considered one of the first high-profile cases in India where forensic evidence played a crucial role in conviction. Naina Sahni’s murder remains one of the most sensational cases for the criminal and justice system. Discovering a burnt body of a woman chopped into pieces in a tandoor of a restaurant in Delhi indeed shook the country’s conscience to a completely new level. While no specific forensic psychologist is directly named as having solved the Tandoor murder case, T.D. Dogra, a forensic medicine expert, played a crucial role in the investigation by leading the second autopsy which revealed the true cause of death, a pistol injury. 

Forensic psychology encompasses evaluating competency to stand trial, making sentencing recommendations, offering expert testimony, performing child custody evaluations, participating in jury selection, and providing psychotherapy to criminal offenders.

Sports Psychology

Studies the psychological factors that influence athletic performance, including motivation, anxiety, and stress management. Sports psychology is a branch of applied psychology, it uses psychological principles to study and improve athletic performance and well-being, encompassing areas like motivation, anxiety management, and goal setting. Coleman Roberts Griffith is known as “Father” of sports psychology.

Depending on a sports psychologist’s unique specialization, their key aim is generally twofold: They help athletes achieve greater sports performance and recover from injuries with evidence-based psychological techniques. They help their clients reduce mental or emotional suffering through physical therapies. Tennis player Leander Paes has been working with a US-based sports psychologist, Dr. Jim Loehr, since the 1990s, Paes   highlights the long-term benefits of sports psychology. Shooter,  Abhinav Bindra has been counselled by  sports psychologist Amit Bhattacharjee, with whom he trained for five years. Virat Kohli has spoken about the positive impact of working with Paddy Upton, a former mental conditioning coach for the Indian national team, who helped him regain his perspective during the 2022 T20 World Cup. 

Educational Psychology

Explores the psychological principles of learning and teaching, with applications to curriculum development, classroom management, and student support.  Educational psychology, a field that studies human behaviour within educational contexts, encompasses understanding learning processes, classroom environments, student development, and effective teaching methods, ultimately aiming to improve educational outcomes.  Narendra Nath Sen Gupta is widely recognized as the founder of modern education psychology in India, having established the first independent Department of Psychology at the University of Calcutta. Dipti Yadav is an honourable psychologist and career counsellor who promotes holistic well-being. She can diligently lead groups and individuals in educational arena.

Howard Gardner is an American developmental psychologist and the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Research Professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard University. He  is a developmental psychologist who has penned numerous research papers and books, many of which involve his Multiple Intelligences Theory. This theory states that information process occurs in a variety of different ways. According to Gardner, there are eight primary intelligences: linguistic, logic/mathematical, musical, bodily/kinaesthetic, spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic. There are also two additional intelligences that may be added to that list, which are pedagogical and existential.

Cultural Psychology

Examine how culture influences thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, contributing to a globalized understanding of human behavior. Cultural psychology is the study of how people are shaped by their cultures, focusing on the interplay between the mind and culture. They draw from various social science disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, and psychology.  This field is more than simply examining traditions or language; it is also the exploration of what drives human behavior, the attitudes, ideas, and actions of different cultures. Culture plays a major role in our lives and in global economy. I am referring to corporate culture in below given passages.

Cultural psychologists investigate how cultural norms, values, beliefs, and practices influence various aspects of human psychology, including cognition, emotions, social interactions, and development. They examine similarities and differences in psychological phenomena across different cultures, seeking to understand how cultural contexts shape human behavior. Cultural psychologists contribute to the development of psychological theories and practices that are culturally sensitive and relevant to diverse populations. By studying cultural differences, they aim to foster greater understanding and tolerance among people for cross cultural understanding and removing biases.

An example, in organizations  we see a common bias during hiring. It is that the hiring panel favors male candidates over female candidates even though they have similar skills and job experience. Another well-known example is the gender pay gap. As of 2021, the average median salary for men is about 18% higher than women’s. Ageism refers to stereotyping or discriminating against others based on their age, often happening to older team members. 

Organizations refuse to hire people over or under a certain age. asking for someone’s age at a job interview when it is not relevant to the work and enacting policies that unfairly privilege one age group over another. viewing older people as out of touch, less productive, or stuck in their ways.

Virtual Reality and Psychology

This area studies how virtual reality can be used for therapy, training, or research, including exploring VR applications in the treatment of phobias, stress, and other mental health conditions. Virtual reality (VR) offers psychologists a powerful tool for studying human cognition and behavior in highly controlled, immersive environments, with applications ranging from social and cognitive research to clinical interventions, like exposure therapy for phobias. 

For example. patients suffering from the agony of burn injuries find relief in immersing themselves in SnowWorld, a simple virtual reality game where they throw snowballs at penguins and snowmen. It distracts them so much from their real life that they sometimes even forget about their pain. Psychologists started using VR decades ago to treat phobias, such as the fear of riding trains and planes, and it is now being used for a range of mental health issues. “The potential is that VR treatment can be faster, more powerful, and have a greater appeal for patients than traditional mental health approaches,” says Daniel Freeman, founder and director of the University of Oxford VR lab for mental health disorders. However, the benefits often remain to be proven in clinical trials. Psychologists started using VR decades ago to treat phobias, such as the fear of riding trains and planes, and it is now being used for a range of mental health issues.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Psychology

As AI has been more integrated into our lives, psychologists are researching how AI can be used in therapy, diagnosis, and research, and the ethical implications of AI in mental healthcare. Recently development in AI presents countless opportunities and challenges to psychology in world. AI provides psychologists the opportunity to analyse vast amounts of data efficiently. In the context of education, AI can be a helpful support for code and essay writing, assignments, tests, and background summaries in mere seconds. It also allows for harnessing massive search power. AI is relevant to the practice of psychology insofar as it will become increasingly implicated in the daily lives of professional psychologists and in the health/functioning of the clients and patients whom they serve.

AI is transforming psychology, offering tools for accessible therapy, research, and training, including AI chatbots for initial support, AI-powered interventions, and machine learning for data analysis. Few examples follow elaborate AI’s contribution to psychology.

Wysa: An AI-powered chatbot that provides mental health support and guidance. 

Talkspace: A platform that uses AI to match users with therapists and provide virtual therapy sessions. 

7Cups: A platform that uses AI to provide support and guidance to users who are struggling with mental health issues. 

In psychology and sociology, masking is the process in which an individual disguises his/her natural personality or behavior to conform to social pressures, to fight any harm or agitation.

Personality is any person’s collection of unified behavioral pattern, cognitive and emotional threshold, how the person adjusts to life, unique personality traits such as adaptability, mindful or arrogant, dishonest etc. The character traits are interrelated patterns which comprises of human personality. The traits can change over long periods of time. Personality comprises of moods, attitudes, opinions and is most clearly expressed in interactions with other people. It includes behavioral characteristics, both inherent and acquired, that distinguish one person from another. Personality is a base to our relationship with the society.

Some people mask their original personality, which can be described as hiding one’s emotion by portraying another emotion, most often, people conceal negative emotions with positive emotions. Masking is to behave in certain ways that would help one hide or curb their emotions that are not approved by those around them. In the context of mental health, masking refers to underplaying or overplaying of behavior; it also refers to coping mechanism of an individual. It can be hiding their true thoughts, feelings, or difficulties related to their circumstances or mental health. It involves presenting oneself in a way that conforms to societal expectations or norms, even if it undermines what one is truly experiencing internally.

People engaged in masking for fear of stigma, judgment, rejection, or a desire to maintain a sense of normalcy. Masking can occur in different forms and involves suppressing emotions. It is important to admit that masking is not a healthy or sustainable strategy. Open communication, seeking professional help, and cultivating a supportive network of understanding individuals can be more beneficial in promoting mental well-being. 

How can you tell if someone is masking? Usually criminals change their body language, tone of voice, or facial expressions around specific people or in certain situations. They make less eye contact. Identifying whether someone is masking their true emotions or mental health can be challenging at times.  I quote here Rahul Gandhi – Congress Vice President and the leader of opposition in Loksabha who is caught in his masking games several times. Facing flak on social media, and from Gujarat BJP leaders, after news emerged that Rahul Gandhi’s name was entered in a register meant for “non-Hindu” visitors at Gujarat’s Somnath temple, the Congress spokesman has said the party vice-president is a Hindu who wears the sacred thread and dismissed reports on the entry in contention as “fraud’’ and a “conspiracy”.

Gandhi, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, took a swipe at the ruling BJP in the House on Monday, saying those who call themselves Hindus are engaged in “violence” and “hatred” round the clock. Goa CM demanded apology after Rahul’s dig at BJP calling them ‘not Hindus’

In another incident as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was leaving after his first speech in Parliament after being reinstated as an MP, he blew a kiss to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs. Calling Rahul’s behaviour inappropriate, women MPs from BJP filed a complaint with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Rahul Gandhi’s behaviour is termed as many psychologists and psychiatrists that he is facing Identity Crisis, and he is Genetically or Compulsive liar and born as a crooked person and he carried a masked behaviour.  

Even Mahatma Gandhi had a masked personality. He was self-centred, and biggest hypocrite.  In his whole life Gandhi kept on shouting that, he supports ahimsa. However, at the time of the Second World War, he himself sent the Indian army to fight from England’s side. Gandhi was awarded the highest civilian award Kaiser-I-Hind (The British Ratna) for his loyalty towards the British Raj by providing Punjab regiment soldiers for World War II.  Gandhi never opposed or would never get involved in any disagreement with wealthy people like Birla, Bajaj, Tata, Wadia etc. Also, he took care not to offend Nehru who knew very well that M.K.Gandhi was a British plant (British supporter). Sarojini Naidu’s, statement says it all, “It costs a lot to keep Bapu in poverty”, confirming that money was spent to build a false favourable image of Gandhi among the Indian public. Well, Gandhi was a fully masked personality. M.K.Gandhi’s personality is an example of inconsistent emotions. The person consistently displays emotions that seem contrasting with reality and circumstances. He may have appeared compassionate, overly cheerful, positive, or composed, but was a biggest hypocrite. He cheated deadly even when facing challenging situations. There was a noticeable difference in his public and private life behaviour. On many occasions he let his guard down and show his slimy side, his greed, his lust which he couldn’t disguise.

Masking refers to an individual’s ability of hiding his identity intentionally. It often occurs unconsciously over time as an individual receives negative feedback for his true behavioural presentation. Masking also is referred to as camouflaging. Social masking is most common. It refers to when someone engages in social behaviors that do not come naturally to them, such as complimenting people unnecessarily, overfriendly behaviour, showing off false status/wealth etc.

When people mask their behaviour, consciously they change their body language, tone of voice, or facial expressions around specific people or in certain situations. Perhaps they try to force themselves to make eye contact depending on the person. Insecurities could make someone avoid eye contact. A common sign of lying is minimal eye contact. If someone’s being deceptive, they may unintentionally avert their gaze. 

Cherry blossom symbolizes spring which is a time of renewal. It also symbolizes the transitory nature of life. Cherry blossoms bloom in several shades; the common colour is light pink and dark pink colour. But they come in shades of white, yellow, and green. The yellow-green or white-green blooms turn pink as they age. The trees grow and establish themselves relatively quickly, but they don’t last very long. These blooms often last not more than two weeks therefore they symbolize transient nature of life. Though the blooms are short lived, they represent beauty and hope.

In psychology, cherry blossom personality implies an introverted, analytical, yet knowledge seeking person who understands the world around him/her. But these people are happier from inside. The don’t waste their energy much on talking, they are observant, and they make decisions based on their observations.  

Cherry Blossom is the national flower of Japan; they call it Sakura. To the Japanese, cherry blossoms indicate the coming of spring, hope, and renewal. In a more symbolic sense, due to their delicate nature and short lifespan, for the Japanese, they are pure expression of the temporary nature of life and beauty. The outer beauty of human is temporary. Japanese hold ‘flower watching’ parties known as Hanami which is celebrated as a springtime custom. It is about appreciating the beauty of the seasonal flower.

In China, cherry blossoms hold elevated status signifying love and the female charm which is beauty, strength, and sexuality. But, nowhere in the world are the elusive flowers more cherished than in Japan, home to thousands of cherry blossom trees.

The pops of pink mark the ending of winter and signify the beginning of spring. Due to their quick blooming season, cherry blossoms also symbolize the transience of life which is a major theme in Buddhism too.

In India we get to see cherry blossom in some parts. In Meghalaya, in the east’s Khasi Hills people experience a beautiful season of cherry blossoms as soon as the spring season approaches. Shillong even hosts a festival, International Cherry Blossom Festival that is dedicated entirely to the blooming flowers. Shillong is known as India’s cherry blossom hub. The whole town is covered with lush and fragrant cherry blossoms, so much so that even the sky looks pink. In November, the city also hosts the International Cherry Blossom festival. The Northeast states Sikkim and Nagaland also celebrate the season of cherry blossoms.

Bangalore bursts into bloom in March, swamping locations such as like Silk Board and Kundanahalli Gate with pink cherry blossoms. They are lovingly referred as “Bengaluru’s own cherry blossoms.” Bangalorites eagerly document their city’s cherry blossom on social media pages. To witness Bengaluru’s version of cherry blossom trees, one needs to head to the city’s iconic Cubbon Park.

Even Mumabi sees the bloom in certain parts of Eastern Express Highway in Vikhroli from December to February.  The scent of cherry flower is indeed subtle and mild.  The scent features like lilac, rose, and magnolia with a mild tone of vanilla. These days cherry blossom perfumes are available in the market. 

I am concluding this article with Murasaki Shikibu (famous Japanese Novelist) quote “There is much to be said for cherry blossoms, but they seem so flighty. They are so quick to run off and leave you.”

Intuition is not logical. It is not the result of a set of considered steps that can be shared or explained. It cannot be evaluated; it does not have options and solutions. This may be because people tend to fixate on their first idea. Or, because few of us can comprehend the interaction effects between many different components of a situation.

In one of his interviews conducted by Saturday Evening Post in 1929, the genius Albert Einstein was asked about the source of his intellect, Einstein had answered “I believe in intuitions and inspirations. I sometimes feel that I am right. I do not know that I am.” It was much better to trust those instincts and test them later than to dismiss them out of hand, he further said.

Many of us feel intuitive about something coming, it might be good or bad, but we feel that in advance. We may or may not recognise the feeling as a signal. At times when we go to purchase a house, a car, jewellery, we go for admission to an institution, considering a new job we feel an inexpressible hunch when something is right or wrong which is short of being able to articulate as a reason for our decision. This feeling is called ‘gut feeling’ or ‘sixth sense.’ Explaining intuition is very difficult to others. The why, when, what if, good, bad etc don’t have logical answers but whenever we take decisions based on out gut feelings, ninety nine percent times we make the right choice.

Our sixth sense or intuition is not paranormal. It is very natural. In the past two decades, psychologists and neuroscientists have done massive work in identifying the sources of our gut feelings and their essential role in our lives.  Intuitive thinking is going with one’s first instinct and reaching decisions quickly based on reflex of the processes. Intuitions come as a flash. They are momentary in nature. The science says that about one third of the population in world are intuitive.

Intuitive thinking is a type of thinking and a decision-making process that relies on instinctive understanding and feeling. It’s often used to make quick decisions or solve problems. Intuitive thinkers don’t need a lot of information or conscious reasoning to come to a conclusion, they just know the answer.  This can make intuitive thinking very helpful in fast-paced, stressful situations. However, because it’s based on feelings and instincts, intuition may lead you amiss.

Steve Jobs, CEO and co-founder of Apple, and chairman and major shareholder of Pixar Animation had a daily habit of wearing the same design of outfit as every other day so he didn’t have to spend energy deciding on what to wear. Jobs saw himself as one of the few people who understood the importance of intuition in producing technology. He practiced the teachings of Zen and Buddhism in the time he spent in India in the 1970s where his sense of intuition was influenced by the spiritual people with whom he stayed with and studied. He saw that people in India were not purely rational thinkers, but were guided by intuition. Jobs followed Neem Karoli Baba in India.  

Whatever profession you are in – you can rely on your intuition. Intuitive thinking can help you develop ideas. At times a brilliant thought, a sparkling idea or a bright reflection appears in our mind and even before we start processing it – in flash of seconds it vanishes, it’s gone. Some other urgent thoughts replace this brilliance. It happens to poets, authors, painters, composers, to all creative minds. It is so difficult to catch or detect this subtle idea or thought again because of its abstruse nature.

Srinivasa Ramanujan – the great Indian mathematician saw infinite. He began developing his theories in mathematics and published his first paper in 1911. He was mentored at Cambridge by GH Hardy, a well-known British mathematician who encouraged him to publish his findings in a number of papers. In 1918, Ramanujan became the second Indian to be included as a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Some psychologists say that Ramanujan could connect a process in his brain that gave him deep insights into infinities and more without the use of analytical reasoning. Yet mathematical intuition probably works like intuition in everyday life, and also rests on some blend of experience and rapid pattern spotting that cannot be explained.

Ramanujan, who died in 1920 aged just 32, had an altogether stranger explanation for his source of creativity. He gave credit of his mathematical analysis to Namagiri, a local avatar of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of good fortune. Ramanujan credited his profound insights to the Hindu goddess, which were flashes of inspiration.

Human intuition works on two parameters: a pattern recognition and emotional tagging. We store our experiences and judgments in our memory. The emotions associated with these experiences lead us in making decisions. Quite often the significances of the decisions we make, also attach themselves to these memories as emotional tags. When we encounter a new situation, we subconsciously do pattern matching by comparing the current situation to the past experiences stored in our memory.  

Please note that flashes of intuition come anytime when our brain is occupied with some work, while we are doing some daily chore, while driving, while cooking, while speaking to somebody, but we miss them because we don’t have a pen and paper in hand to immediately write it down. This is one reason why so many successful people attribute their success to luck. The flash of intuition comes out of nowhere.

We tend to choose familiarity everywhere in life. We prefer knowledge of something through previous experience which increases our awareness; we go for things which matches our perception. We feel convenient with known people, known surrounding, known food items, known fragrance, known location etc.  It’s a sort of fixation. In social psychology, this effect is sometimes called the familiarity principle. familiarity has been defined as relational knowledge of another individual. Familiarity is a dyadic construct, based on the relationship between two individuals. Dyadic describes the interaction between two things or between two individuals.

Most often we get along with people who are like us. In psychology this is called certainty of being liked. We assume that someone who has a lot in common with us is more likely to like us. And in turn, we are more likely to like people if we think they like us. We enjoy being around such people because we can carry on enjoyable interactions with them without feeling cautious. It’s just more fun to hang out with someone when you have a lot in common. For example, one dog owner gets friendly with another dog owner easily because they have so much in common to share about their pets. Their love for dog makes them familiar with each other.  

The mere-exposure effect is a psychological phenomenon by which people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. People who are familiar with each other’s indulgences, preferences and personalities can communicate more quickly. There is a connection and level of familiarity that streamlines and simplifies dialogue and decision-making. These “familiar people” collaborate and work faster and smarter because they understand how the other in a group thinks.

In marriage, when the partners cannot adjust or are unable to tolerate the time and money a partner puts into nurturing hobby, it can become a source of conflict.  

There is a large body of research which confirms that we tend to like people who are similar to us. But, the reasons why we like people who are like us can be complex; first, there is a difference between actually having a lot in common with someone which is called ‘actual similarity’ and believing that we have a lot in common which is ‘perceived similarity’. But research conducted by Condon & Crano in 1988, shows that perceived similarity has a stronger effect on attraction than actual similarity.

For example, Srinivasa Ramanujan and Godfrey Harold Hardy’s friendship bloomed as Hardy was the only one to recognize Ramanujan’s genius, Hardy brought him to Cambridge University, and was his friend and mentor for many years. The two collaborated on many mathematical problems, although the Riemann Hypothesis (a complex mathematical ratio) continued to defy even their joint efforts. It’s said that the role played by Ramanujan’s tutor Hardy in his life is very great. The Cambridge mathematician worked tirelessly with the Indian genius, to tame his creativity within the then current understanding of the field. It was only with Hardy’s care and mentoring that Ramanujan became the scholar the world knows him as today. I am giving this example to elaborate how similar interest bosoms friendship in two very different individuals. In this case it was mathematics. Both theses geniuses were very different in many ways yet the friendship among them brought out the base in the genius Ramanujan.    

When people take decisions about partnership in life based on actual similarity, often it doesn’t work especially in marriages. For example, a lady meets a new man. Gets along for few years and makes him her soulmate. It excites her like a new adventure. She feels the spark, passion and many good points in the man. She makes him her soulmate. She’s having a lot of fun, whilst learning and discovering more about this new soulmate in her life.

A few months or years go by and it seems like the spark has gone.  She starts feeling her life a little dull now.  She takes this person for granted. Because she knows the man inside out, she knows everything about him. She runs out of things to talk about, doing things together with him bores her because of too much of similarity. At this juncture, she perhaps starts ignoring some good points about him and notices more of his bad points instead. That’s the Law of Familiarity in action. The more time you spend with a person, the more you get familiar with him/her, the more you take the person for granted.

Similarity comforts us for some time, it helps taking thing little easy, it helps us relaxing, but it does not help us when we get challenged. When adversities arise in life, you need different strengths to fight. You also need new ideas, people to correct you when you are miserable.  If you hang out only with people who are like you, you can be out of touch with the big, lovely diverse world out there.

The obsession called Gossip

We are obsessed with gossip. From items like who’s doing what, who’s wearing what, who’s dating whom, who’s making how much money, who’s eloped with whom, why somebody is in the job, why somebody is out of job, why somebody got promotion, who is suffering from which disease, we want to gossip without break. People visit social functions like marriage, engagements, parties, etc just to meet friends and opportunity to gossip. We all forget that while words have the power to destroy, they also have the power to heal. It all up to us whether to destroy or heal!

Gossip is casual or unchecked conversation about other people, typically involving details which are not confirmed as true. It is idle talk or rumor especially about personal or private affairs of others. Gossip has been researched in terms of its evolutionary psychology origins. This has found gossip to be an important means by which people can monitor cooperative reputations and so maintain widespread indirect reciprocity. Indirect reciprocity is defined here as “I help you and somebody else helps me.”

Gossip has many synonyms such as chat, yak, scuttlebutt, gab, dish, and chewing the fat. It is also called the grapevine. We describe it as ‘the word of mouth’ – sometimes straight from the horse’s mouth. All those TV channels, news papers gossip columns, social sites flourish on the pedestal of gossip!!

Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary biologist views gossiping as an aid to bonding in large groups. Anthropologists have long assumed that language developed in relationships among males during activities such as hunting. Dunbar’s original and exceptionally appealing studies suggest otherwise: that language in fact evolved in response to our need to keep up to date with friends and family. We needed conversation to stay in touch, and we still need it in ways that will not be satisfied by teleconferencing, email, letter, or any other communication technology. As Dunbar shows, the impersonal world of cyberspace will not fulfill our elemental need for face-to-face contact. Now isn’t this a fact? Don’t we crave to meet our friends personally, so to catch up with all those news? What happens when we meet in person the facial expressions and body language fill in the gaps, those in between lines which are not spoken deliberately.

With the advent of the internet gossip is now widespread on an instant basis, from one place in the world to another what used to take a long time to filter through is now instant – in a jiffy that it. Things go viral today. The small video clips (at times morphed), emails, sms, networking sites like WahtsApp, Twitter, face book you name it; if you love gossiping things are at your fingertips these days.

And why do we gossip? When people are feeling bad about themselves, they sometimes think they’ll feel better if there were people worse than them. The easiest way for them to make sure someone else is on the bottom is to make up a rumor that puts somebody down. And, if everybody else is gossiping or spreading rumors, you might feel you have to do the same thing in order to fit in the group; because we all need this “sense of belonging”. When you’re “in the list of people knowing the secret,” you’re in the group. Sadly, the person who the gossip or rumor is about is obviously left out of the group.

Gossip hasn’t always been considered a bad word. The word gossip first meant godparents or a familiar acquaintance and was used to describe someone who told of a family’s news and developments. In Shakespeare’s time, a gossip was also someone who sat with a woman through childbirth, perhaps to talk, offer comfort, or to help her pass though the labor pain.

Gossipers always want attention. Their attention seeking need is so high that they can go to any extent – may be criticizing/maligning somebody’s image. Some people always want to be in control and at the top of the ladder. When people are at the top of the popularity scale, or are determined to climb higher, one way they do this is by reducing the popularity of the person, the so called “status” of him/her to pull them down. Spreading rumors and gossip is one of the main ways people reduce another person’s status. These days, we see men are leading women in spreading rumors. Marilyn Monroe said “when it comes to gossip, I have to readily admit men are as guilty as women”.

Another reason to gossiping is jealousy. If you’re jealous of someone’s looks, popularity, or money, you might gossip about that person in order to hurt him or her. If you feel that someone’s done something bad to you, or deserves to be hurt, making up a rumor might satisfy your sense of justice.
Some people get immense happiness in spreading rumors especially sometimes, a period where everyone is happy and getting along just seems kind of-dull. Spreading some juicy rumors might shake things up a bit. All those tabloid newspapers and TV shows full of celebrity gossip are pure proof that rumors are a popular form of entertainment.

Can we stop gossiping? Most people would be horrified at the idea of being called a ‘gossip monger’ and terrified to be caught talking behind someone’s back. We usually don’t mean to talk about others but we do because we aren’t thinking! The first step in ridding your life of gossip is to be aware of it.

Gossip is what no one claims to like, but everybody enjoys. – Joseph Conrad.