Bullying Description

Bullying can be described as aggressive behaviors toward others that are unwanted, repeated, and that can result in physical injury, social and emotional distress, illnesses, self-harm, high stress, and even death. Bullying behaviors are intentional and repeated attempts to cause another person to experience discomfort, fear, or injury. Due to their need to control and to feel powerful, perpetrators try to threaten and intimidate weaker individuals with the goal of humiliating them. Bullying behaviors can be overt or covert, witnessed or clandestine, identified or anonymous, so subtle that they pass unnoticed or dramatically staged. Perpetrators may bully in person or through electronics and social media. They may target others because of their appearance, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, politics, perceived wealth or poverty, disability or mental disorder, or due to envy and jealousy. Typically, there is a perceived imbalance of power, but not always. If manipulation is present, the bullying behaviors are considered abusive.

Bullying 101

 I thought bullying was behind us. Is it really still a problem? Does it still exist? What type of brain bullies others anyway? I

Bullying behaviors may be used in an attempt to destroy the credibility and reputation of other individuals. Perpetrators may feel threatened by their target’s giftedness, integrity, confidence, popularity, or success. Each perpetrator has their own unique style with preferred tactics to intimidate and control their targets. They may work hard to make friends with their victims, all the while planning to jerk the rug out from under them or find a way to stab them in the back. Some historians think that Julius Caesar was assassinated because of his earlier bullying behaviors toward Roman senators. Bullying behaviors negatively impact everyone: the perpetrators, the targets or victims, families and close friends, anyone who witnesses bullying behaviors, and sometimes even those who simply hear about the events. Bullying can increase the risk among targets or victims for anxiety, depression, poor academic achievement or work performance, and suicide attempts.

 Please subscribe to my YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/@braingurutaylor/videos

Homographs & Heteronyms, 3

Homographs are words that are spelled the same but that have more than one meaning. Heteronyms are homographs that although they are spelled the same are pronounced differently.

• A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
• When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
• I did not object to the object.
• The farm was used to produce produce.
• The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
• We must polish the Polish furniture.
• There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
• They were too close to the door to close it.
• The buck does funny things when the does are present.

 A new video is posted every Saturday morning

https://www.youtube.com/@braingurutaylor/videos

Intellectual Humility Clarification

Intellectual humility differs from general humility, modesty, perspective-taking, and open-mindedness. General humility involves how people think about their shortcomings and strengths. Modesty emphasizes increased social awareness and not wanting to monopolize the spotlight or draw too much attention to one’s accomplishments. Perspective-taking is the ability to recognize and understand alternative points of view. Open-mindedness refers to unbiased or fair consideration of different views regardless of one’s beliefs. None of these, however, may consider the limitations of one’s own knowledge or beliefs. Intellectual Humility is the is the ability to recognize shortcomings or potential limitations in one’s own point of view and identify one’s own ignorance and intellectual fallibility.

Porter, T., Elnakouri, A., Meyers, E.A. et al. Predictors and consequences of intellectual humility. Nat Rev Psychol 1, 524–536 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-022-00081-9  September 2022 

Intellectual Humility Confusion

An article published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin reported on investigations of what the researchers labelled Cognitive and Interpersonal Features of Intellectual Humility. There is some confusion about what is healthy and desirable in terms of Intellectual Humility. In part, this is because the concept of humility has been perceived by some as representing unassertiveness, servility, lack of appropriate personal pride, submissiveness, a healthy level of self-esteem, and so on. Especially in developed countries, these words rarely are seen as representing desirable characteristics. Rather they describe a persona that, as one individual put it, “everything that I do not want to be.” Recent studies have helped reduce this confusion, because that is what it represents in my brain’s opinion: confusion. People can suffer due to confusion.
 

Intellectual Humility & Talent

Humility can be described as a recognition that although some have amazing talents and skills that differentiates them from others, it does not make them innately “better than” others. Or that less gifted individuals are "less than" human. High Intellectual Humility is evidenced by a consistent and courteous respect for the humanity of others. Professor Mark Leary has been quoted as saying: “If you think about what’s been wrong in Washington for a long time, it’s a whole lot of people who are very intellectually arrogant about the positions they have, on both sides of the aisle. But even in interpersonal relationships, the minor squabbles we have with our friends, lovers and coworkers, are often about relatively trivial things where we are convinced that our view of the world is correct—and their view is wrong.” What is dangerous is a free society (so called) are individuals who not only believe they know what is best for everyone, but are hell-bent on forcing others to believe that. It's how a would-be dictator becomes a "Hitler," and ruins the lives of millions as well as an entire country.

Intellectual Humility Research

According to the research, Intellectual Humility has huge and far-reaching implications. It may be “The Perfect Personality Trait For Intelligent People!” Studies have revealed that being aware you could be wrong is a fundamentally important personality trait; perhaps the most fundamentally important personality trait for a thoughtful person. People who are intellectually humble are better able to assess evidence, tend to stick to their principles once established, and show more integrity. According to Professor Mark Leary, lead author for a study on Intellectual Humility, “There are stereotypes about conservatives and religiously conservative people being less intellectually humble about their beliefs. We didn’t find a shred of evidence to support that.” The research showed that in terms of politics, there was no difference between liberals and conservatives. There are individuals ‘on both sides of the aisle’ who come across as very intellectually arrogant, who think they really ‘know.’ Not being afraid of being wrong—that’s a value, and I think it is a value we could promote.”

 Please subscribe to my YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/@braingurutaylor/videos