Human existence can be viewed and accepted differently: positively or negatively. It’s the usual order of things—light vs. darkness, white vs. black, obscurity vs. luminosity, yi vs. yang. I see know in between’s in the order of the world. These might be taken as extremes nonetheless; I consider them as the reality of life, the former becomes the basis of the other: whether one is good or he is bad; simple or complex; specific or general. In much the same way, one’s personality may be perceived as either clear-cut or indistinct.
Scholars dealing with the mind have considered a child’s brain as a “tabularasa” or a plain slate that is ready to receive recordings from significant others (the environment, biological parents, other individuals the person comes into contact with). It did not follow however, that each individual development as how another person in a different locality has progressed. Certain factors where linked to such differences (i. e. variations in the stimuli received from his significant others. Hence no person is quite the same as any other person, even as with a fraternal twin.
Moreover, every person differs from another in how he views, responds and reasons to specific stimulus. How we think and respond to what we have thought of are in every way determined by what our sensory preceptors receive. Pollock, in his article Understanding Anxiety 3 titled, “Epistemology, Rationality and Cognition,” he stressed that, “epistemic cognition is subservient to practical cognition… When we reason, we do not reason at random, drawing conclusions willy nilly as they come to us.
Rather, we seek to answer specific questions, derived initially from queries posed by practical cognition” (n. d, 1). This implies that our reactions, or those physical manifestations of our behavior, are based on our evaluation of the stimuli we received. Since no one is quite the same as another person, even two persons are viewing the same objects, events or situations they would have different response to these stimuli. Consequently one act irrationally even after much evaluation of a particular situations.
In another article, Pollock (Irrationality and Coginition, n. d. ) explains such contrast, “Epistemic irrationality is possible because we are reflexive cognizers, able to reason about and redirect some aspects of our own cognition” (1). And further stressed that, “irrationality as the nemesis of the cognizer, and they often think of their task as that of formulating rules for rationality (2). ” Examples or forms of irrationality described in this work includes wishful thinking or when one “make[s] [himself to] believe something just by wishing it were true” (Ibid, 14).
Irrational thinking, which Pollock attributes to certain factors (hasty thinking, ignoring evidence and inadequate arguments) (Ibid, 13- 14), may in extreme instances result to an individual having anxieties. Though considered a normal situation, but when the feelings of anxiety “interferes with a person’s ability to lead a normal life,” this is already considered a mental disorder. Example of such disorder is “social anxiety disorder. ” WebMD characterizes such disorder as “involves overwhelming worry and self-consciousness about everyday social situations.
The worry often centers on a fear of being judged by others, or behaving in a way that might cause embarrassment or lead to ridicule (Anxiety Disorder, n. d. ). ” The Anxieties Disorders Association Understanding Anxiety 4 of America (ADAA) identifies physical symptoms accompanying such disorder as “heart palpitations, faintness, blushing, and profuse sweating” (Brief Overview, n. d). As earlier pointed out, realities may be perceived in two ways and how one perceives reality depend on how he rationalizes each stimuli he receive.
Only the individual has the power to utilize his ability to reason out in order to accept these stimuli positively or otherwise. For one to have a better understanding of the world and not be consumed with imperfections one has to have a positive mental attitude toward things, people and of himself. In the process one needs to differentiate which should be changed and which ones should be accepted as such. This will make him more rational and as a result act appropriately in any situation.
References:
“Anxiety Disorder,” Retrieved April 09, 2009 from WebMD Website: http://www.webmd. com/anxiety-panic/guide/mental-health-anxiety-disorders “Brief Overview of Anxiety Disorder,” Retrieved April 09, 2009 from the Anxieties Disorders Association Website http://www. adaa. org/GettingHelp/Briefoverview. asp Pollock, John L. “Epistemology, Rationality and Cognition. ” Retrieved April 09, 2009 from http://oscarhome. soc- sci. arizona. edu/ftp/PAPERS/Epistemology,%20rationality,%20and%20cognition. Pdf Pollock, Ibid. “Irrationality and Coginition. ” Retrieved April 09, 2009 from http://oscarhome. soc-sci. arizona. edu/ftp/PAPERS/Irrationality. pdf