but we can feel its presence.
We don’t see God
but we can feel His essence.
Monday, 7 January 2013
A word a day... (07-01-13)
We don’t see the wind
but we can feel its presence.
We don’t see God
but we can feel His essence.
but we can feel its presence.
We don’t see God
but we can feel His essence.
Sunday, 6 January 2013
The Commonality of Humanity; the Things that make us ONE! (5) – Facial Expressions and Microexpressions!
In these series, I've talked about the things that make us one – the commonalities of humanity. The first was on sleep. That was followed with the series on our common birth, our common blood and our common conscience. I’m writing these series to remind myself and others that no matter how different we may be in our actions, words, cultures, religions and the likes, there are things we all share in common. These things do not support evolutionary theories as some would claim. Rather, they support the fact that we were created by a superior intelligence, one Mind in a one God. In this article, I’ll focus on another fascinating subject, facial expressions and microexpressions.
Wikipedia.org states: ‘Facial expressions are a form of nonverbal communication. They are a primary means of conveying social information among humans, but also occur in most other mammals and some other animal species.’ - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facial_expression
Wikipedia.org also states: ‘There are seven universally recognized emotions shown through facial expressions: fear, anger, surprise, contempt, disgust, happiness, and sadness. Regardless of culture, these expressions are the same. However, the same emotion from a specific facial expression may be recognized by a culture, but the same intensity of emotion may not be perceived.’ -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facial_expression
The import of the above quotes is that we all share similar but not purely identical facial expressions. Irrespective of the causative emotion, we all smile or cry or laugh in the same way, whether you are black or white or brown, rich or poor, educated or illiterate, and so on. If you take a look at the picture of a man in America , a lady in Europe, a wealthy merchant in Asia, a manual worker in Africa , you can tell whether they have the appearance of a happy or sad or angry person. We share similar expressions; although, it may not be wholly identical. Some people may be more overly expressive of their emotions than others. Nonetheless, in the similarities lie our our commonalities.
Microexpressions! Wikipedia.org states: ‘A microexpression is a brief, involuntary facial expression shown on the face of humans according to emotions experienced. They usually occur in high-stakes situations, where people have something to lose or gain. Microexpressions occur when a person is consciously trying to conceal all signs of how he or she is feeling (the person knows how he or she is feeling but doesn't want you to know)… Unlike regular facial expressions, it is difficult to hide microexpression reactions. Microexpressions express the seven universal emotion... Nevertheless, in the 1990s, Paul Ekman (a renowned US
Essentially, microexpressions are very transient facial or body movements that betray the true intent of someone. It can help tell when someone is lying or withholding an information. Paul Ekman has spent decades doing extensive research in this field and his works was the basis of the American TV series, ‘Lie to me.’ It’s one of the best American series that I have ever watched. In the film, the main protagonist helps to solve crimes by using microexpressions to tell when a suspect is lying. These microexpressions are universal.
This brings me to the subject of the Universality Hypothesis. This was advocated by the pioneers of the evolutionary theory. It advances the idea that since we all share basic expressions; that that in itself supports the teaching that we evolved from animals who also share some form of nonverbal means of communication. I don’t agree with that conclusion. Darwin
A Joke a day keeps the doctor away! (06-01-13)
There was this man who had a sick wife at home. He left
the wife at home; took public transport to a hospital that was several kilometers
away. When he got to the hospital, he stayed in a queue to collect a
consultation card. Thereafter, he stayed in another queue waiting to see a
doctor. When it got to his turn, the doctor asked him, ‘What’s the problem?’
The man replied: ‘I’m not the one who is sick. It’s
my wife.’
Doctor: ‘Where is your wife?’
Man: ‘She’s at home. Please, let me tell you her
problems so that you can write the drugs she needs and I’ll take it to her.’
Doctor thought within himself: “Wow. This kind of ‘loving’
husband! He won’t mind swallowing the drugs on the wife’s behalf.”
My piece for the day … (06-01-13)
My Penelope!
O my lovely Penelope,
How comely you are.
Your face radiates
In outstanding essence;
The epitome of elegance!
Your voice, oh, so calm;
Your thoughts, so firm!
It echoes in wisdom.
It beams with emblems
Of hope and optimism!
You are a rare gem!
You are nice
Even when I met you briefly once;
Like the taste of ice
On a parched palate!
I don’t mind a ‘7-year’ service;
You are my choice
And you make my heart rejoice.
You are kind.
Your soothing voice is mild.
You kept my mind
In a spellbind
With the power of your being!
Your person, so hard to find!
O pretty one,
My heart for you is one.
You are the one
For whom my heart aches.
My hand trembles
My feet shakes
In anxious wait and distress!
Please, come to thee,
My love!
(A poem for a lost love; Penelope is a pseudonym.)
Saturday, 5 January 2013
A Joke a day keeps the doctor away! (05-01-13)
A lady went for a job
interview in Nigeria Imo State; but she was not a native of that state
‘What’s your state of origin?’
Her reply:
‘My
maternal grandfather is from Imo state.’
The Commonality of Humanity; the Things that make us ONE! (4) – Our Conscience!
Every religion
talks about it. Philosophers have spent ages debating about it. Psychologists,
neurologists and other scientists have tried to explain it. Eminent jurists,
lawyers and different national constitutions try to relate with it. Writers of
all ages have written about it. We hear it in music, art and motion films. Some
called it the ‘voice within,’ others say it’s the ‘inner light.’ Albert
Einstein called it the ‘inner voice.’ I’m talking about the conscience. It is
something we all have in common. There is no simple definition of it but to
guide us on what the conscience is, Wikipedia.org states:
‘Conscience is an
aptitude, faculty, intuition or judgment of the intellect that distinguishes
right from wrong.’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscience)
That means that one
who has a conscience has the capacity to decide on what is considered right or
wrong. All humans have this capacity and to that effect, the United Nations
Universal Declaration on Human Rights states:
‘All human beings
are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and
conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood’
—United Nations,
Universal Declaration on Human Rights Article 1
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscience)
The conscience is
recognized legally. That is why, a person who refuses to serve in the military
on the basis of his faith, his conscience and freedom of thought is called a
conscientious objector and anyone arrested on the basis of that and other
related issues is called a prisoner of conscience.
Some people reason
that if we all have a conscience, then why do many commit horrendous crimes
like what happened in US yesterday. Why on earth would an adult male shoot
point-blank on kids that are aged between 5 and 10 years of age? Does such a
man have a conscience? The fact is that we all have a conscience. That
conscience can be modified and altered by exposure to a host of personal and
environmental factors. Why do armed robbers, assassins, mass murderers, etc
take hard drugs, alcohol and other mood-modifying agents before going out on
such missions? They do that because they want to dull or numb their conscience.
Some undergo spiritualistic rituals and take blood oaths because they know that
people can change their minds on the basis of their conscience and then fail to
follow through on their assignments. Some carry out their missions not because
they don’t have a conscience but because they are afraid of the repercussions
of a failed mission. Sergeant Rogers of the infamous Death squad once said that
of those he killed, there was one lady who pleaded dearly for her life. At
first, he hesitated. For a moment, his conscience was at work. Later, when he
thought of what will happen to him if he failed, he decided to carry out the
mission regardless.
There is also the
issue of mental illness. There are several mental health conditions that can
make the sufferer lose his inhibitions and thus do things that are
unconscionable. Even at that, if it’s a treatable condition and such
individuals receive the needed help, they can regain their insight and the
ability to exercise their conscience. Many of these persons suffer for long
upon a realization of the harm they've caused. Soldiers are trained to cope
with the agony of war and the kills. They are trained to withstand whatever
comes their way. Yet, in spite of that training, many still have post-traumatic
stress disorders. Why? They have a conscience. The conscience can be compared
to a light bulb and a switch. When you turn off the switch, the light goes off.
It does not mean there is no power. The power is there and any time the switch
is turn on, the light comes back. Some people switch off their conscience, so
to speak. That doesn't mean they don’t have one. Later on, whether they like it
or not, the switch is put back on, and they suffer miserably from the guilt of
their conscience.
No matter where you
are on the earth, when we hear about the horrible deeds of others, we are
terrified and shocked because we have a conscience. Even in the midst of wars
or disasters, people risk their lives to save others because they have a
conscience. Many persons have shown remarkable courage, stood up to dictators,
fought against the norms of their society on the basis of their conscience. We
are not robots. We were created with free will and with that a conscience that
will guide us in the exercise of that free will.
People of all
races, nationalities, tribes, religions and from whatever background have a
conscience. It is that conscience that has guided people who live even in
seclusion from modern civilization to enact laws to protect those who are vulnerable.
It is that conscience which God created in all of us that makes us liable and
accountable for whatever misdeed we commit. Ignorance of the law is no excuse
because we all have an inherent and intrinsic conscience that guides us to
distinguish right or wrong. God can call us to account because he created us
with a conscience. One conscience! One God!
The Commonality of Humanity; the Things that make us ONE! (3) – Our Blood: Red Gold!
There has been a
lot of effort on the part of racially inclined individuals to explore the
differences between their race and that of others. For many selfish reasons, some
persons over many centuries now have stuck with whatever theories or propaganda
they can lay hands on to explain the superiority of their race. Some centuries
ago, the idea of the ‘blue blood’ was propagated. To quote directly from an
online source:
"It was the
Spaniards who gave the world the notion that an aristocrat's blood is not red
but blue. The Spanish nobility started taking shape around the ninth century in
classic military fashion, occupying land as warriors on horseback. They were to
continue the process for more than five hundred years, clawing back sections of
the peninsula from its Moorish occupiers, and a nobleman demonstrated his
pedigree by holding up his sword arm to display the filigree of blue-blooded
veins beneath his pale skin--proof that his birth had not been contaminated by
the dark-skinned enemy." Robert Lacey, Aristocrats. Little, Brown and
Company, 1983, p. 6.
{Online link:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleanliness_of_blood}
Simply put, those
individuals promoted the idea that they were superior to others on the claim
that their blood was blue. That erroneous notion was partly helped by their
light coloured skin which made their veins look visible and bluish. For many
centuries, this was used to advance their selfish course and to perpetuate the
erroneous belief that they were better than others. Now we know the truth. To
quote another online source:
“In vertebrates and
other hemoglobin-using creatures, arterial blood and capillary blood are bright
red, as oxygen imparts a strong red color to the heme group. Deoxygenated blood
is a darker shade of red; this is present in veins, and can be seen during
blood donation and when venous blood samples are taken.” - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood
“Vertebrates
include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles,
mammals,and birds.” - (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertebrate)
This implies that
all humans on earth, other mammals, birds and many other living creatures have
the same blood colour: red.
Why is this
relevant? Remember, we are focusing on the things that make us one; the things
that we all share. It does not matter whether you are male or female, black,
white or brown, rich or poor, educated or illiterate and no matter your
religion; we all have the same blood colour. When other people look down on you
and make you feel inferior, just remember: the same blood flow in our veins.
Yes, there are some
differences in some micro-contents of our blood: blood types or groups etc.
Such micro-differences may reflect our genetic make-up, geographic origin and
the environment we live in, but those things do not alter the macro-appearance
of our blood. If blood is withdrawn from an individual or there has been an
accident and blood is on the scene, you can’t look at the blood with your bare
eyes and say: ‘Oh, that’s a white man’s blood or that is Blood group A or B or
that is a blood of a person from so and so religion.’ Don’t get me wrong, when
our body is exposed to certain poisonous substances, it can temporarily change
the colour of the blood but if that individual survives that ordeal, his/her
blood colour returns to the universal colour. If a man is sick and he’s anaemic
or cyanotic, it changes the colour of the blood. After treatment, his blood
colour returns to normal. These temporary changes are indicative of the ills
and deficits of the wicked world we live in.
Nevertheless, these
things don’t take away the fact that we all are the same. The colour of our
blood is another proof that we all have a lot in common and one of it is our
red blood, a red gold that flows endlessly throughout the body of a living
being in testimony to our One Creator.
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