Friday, June 18, 2010

Courtship & Your Wallet; How They Are Linked?

Experimental studies show that when men think about attractive women, they tend to spend more money on conspicuous goods (cars, watches, and expensive holidays) than on inconspicuous goods (washing machines, toasters, medicine).

Whereas when women think about attractive men they tend to spend more time on acts of conspicuous charity (volunteering to help the poor or the sick) than on acts of inconspicuous charity (picking up trash when no one is looking or conserving water while taking bath).

So during courtship, men are likely to display their wealth more while women are likely to display their kindness more.

Knowing this may help a lot of us! For starters; we may be able to pick out who is putting his money where his mouth is! And yes; it may help in being fiscally prudent and avoiding a lifestyle of liability creation.

Let me also say that like all studies in science/psychology, based as they are on Inductive Logic, that this study is not the final truth on anything. It’s just a good pointer of behavior.

(Idea expressed by Geoffrey Miller, Professor of Psychology at the University of New Mexico, US in his recent book “Spent-Sex, Evolution and Consumer Behavior)

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Tuesday, June 8, 2010

The ONE Instrument Every Psychiatrist & Counsellor Must Have

While I was doing my post graduation; I was told to look into my patient’s eyes and understand his mental state. I soon realised that I need to look into one more set of eyes; that is the eyes of the patient’s father/mother/spouse/ sibling or child. They, as the primary caretakers, go through a lot too. Sometimes the stress of caring for their loved one makes them clinically depressed.

To be able to feel the pain of the man sitting across our consultation room must stir us up. To feel his handicap and discomfort must put fire in our bones. To know that your patient has not done anything to deserve what he is going through keeps you from passing judgements on him. To know that you could have been in his shoes keeps you humble.

A Cardiologist will be known by his expensive stethoscope, a Surgeon by his sharp scalpel but a Psychiatrist will have to be known by his genuine empathy. That is one instrument which he can’t afford to not have when he gets in to his consultations.

The imperfection of Psychiatric medication can only be mitigated by grace in our attitude as doctors.

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Tehelka Does A Story On The State Of Psychiatric Treatment In India

“65 million Indians suffer from psychiatric disorders. But is it not just the number of people suffering from mental illness that is staggering. The corresponding figures for their care and rehabilitation tell an even more frightening story. The most startling figure is that there are only 3,500 accredited psychiatristsfor a population of one billion people in India.”

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main44.asp?filename=Ne150510coverstory.asp

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