Toxic People 2: The Unintelligent

Toxic People 

2. The Unintelligent

I’m not talking the kind of dumb that can’t be helped; I’m talking about the kind of dumb that is a result of an immense ego, voluntary ignorance and self-righteousness. Most of us know at least one or two people who are completely unintelligent as a result of continually making bad decisions and not learning from their mistakes for their entire lives.

Image: ThatOneRule.com
Text inspired by TruthSeekerDaily.com

Toxic People 1: Show Offs

Toxic People 

1. Show Offs

Those who feel the need to be showy are always compensating for something and trying to prove their worth to themselves. Unfortunately for them, this is how you know they have little worth. Showing and trying to make other people envious is a waste of time, unless you’re trying to make yourself feel better about yourself at the expense of others. People that do such things are not the kind of people you want to keep around.

Image: Spicie.com
Text inspired by TruthSeekerDaily.com

Toxic People

There is something about the people we are drawn to and the people that we draw in turn to ourselves; the energy that we give out and the energies we attract and recieve. Either can be positive or negative. 

Sometimes things happen entirely by accident, but for now, let's consider that our energies and actions are charged either negatively or positively. To be positive is to be mentally strong. Mentally strong people understand the importance and influence that human beings have on one another and use this knowledge to their advantage. The mentally strong aren’t flawless or impervious to damage and sometimes even the strongest will fall. 

One trick though, is to plan ahead and avoid the people that make up the worst of the worst. These people are toxic ones and drag you down. Pay heed :) 

Over the next set of posts, I will explore ten types of toxic people, that should, by all accounts be avoided. These posts are inspired by TruthSeekerDaily.com 

Adapted from TruthSeekerDaily.com

Image: Cauldrons and Cupcakes

2014: Make it Good

Welcome 2014

There isn't much difference between 23.59, December 31st and 00.00, January 1st. I stopped up last night (typical) and ushered in the New Year. It was a quiet affair, at home reflecting on the celebrations being broadcast from around the world. I can't say I felt different from one year to the next.

This past year gone has been a work hard year. I'm reaching that stage in life where I know that I am caught between personal ambition and responsibilities. The latter appears to dominate and one of the reasons I appear to have opted for regularity is because the external pressures around me have grown. Responsbilities to others I believe in, to a point. but an honest confession would be that the head and the heart conflict on this matter, so I wonder what the future holds. As I get older I know that there are fewer opportunties, but ultimately we restrict ourselves don't we? 

We are just microspecs in the universe and yet we are still surrounded by too much conflict in the world around us and in our personal lives. Hope remains my favourite word because it allows our dreams and motivations to thrive, and prayers are made to Allah Almighty. 

Where we are responsible for controlling the events in our own lives, I want to begin 2014 with one simple thought. 

Make it good.

Mandela, Thank You and Farewell

In rememberence of the passing of a man who symbolised freedom, triumph and hope, I reproduce here, the lyrics of the protest song by Special AKA. The lyrics by Jerry Dammers written at a time when Mandela was incarcirated formed part of the movement to end apartheid. Another 6 years were to pass before Nelson Mandela was to emerge from his political imprisonment. 

I remember the televising of Nelson Mandela's walk to freedom and in the months to follow the images of black South Africans lining up to for miles when they were granted the right to vote for the first time. Mandela, who became President, may not have closed the opportunity gaps between white and black South Africans, but he will be remembered for his belief in the fight for equality and the hope and possibility of redress and reconciliation.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013). Sir, we love you.

Nelson Mandela

(Jerry Dammers/Special AKA)

Free Nelson Mandela
Free free
Free free free Nelson Mandela

Free Nelson Mandela

21* years in captivity
Shoes too small to fit his feet
His body abused, but his mind is still free
Are you so blind that you cannot see

Free Nelson Mandela
Free Nelson Mandela

Visited the causes at the AMC
Only one man in a large army
Are you so blind that you cannot see
Are you so deaf that you cannot hear him

Free Nelson Mandela
Free Nelson Mandela

21* tears in captivity
Are you so blind that you cannot see
Are you so deaf that you cannot hear him
Are you so dumb that you cannot speak

Free Nelson Mandela
Free Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela

*27 years, in fact

A Song for Peace - سوله

بریښنا امیل - سوله

Quite understandably, I guess, we Pashtuns are good at lamenting our troubles in our music and poetry. I like the optimism in this song however and Sola (Peace) by Brekhna Ameel gives us a chance to savour the positivity. May Allah be merciful and guide us.

'Free' Schools

I learned a long time ago to trust my own judgement and instincts and this has been at odds with the system I have found myself in over the recent past. In fact, over the last year, one of the things I have increasingly noticed about schools is how conditioned teachers can be. I don't know about others, but I resent operating within a straight-jacketed learning environment. So, last week, when I was offered another role at another school outside the state system, I confess to some sense of relief. It remains to be seen how much there will be an attempt to quash individuality, but having worked in three continents in many schools delivering different curricula, I think it is fair to say that I am able to pick and choose with some sense of informed accuracy and experience.

The demand for alternative types of schooling indicates how many of us believe that there are many forms of education that offer a much wider (or specific) set of experiences for acquiring skills and knowledge. Within this broad range, in schools that do not operate under direct state or local authority control (such as free schools, academies, home-schooling, independent schools etc.), a 'teacher' may not have a state-issued certificate or teaching license.

How important is this? In short, a teacher is someone who inspires, motivates, cares, and is willing to impart their skills and knowledge. By virtue, anyone who does this, from parent, to a highly-skilled artist, to a classroom practitioner or a colleague, is a teacher. It is not necessarily someone who has spent hours studying at an institution being trained in pedagogy and educational ideology. In fact this process of training may institutionalise them and narrow them as teachers by removing their openness and passion.

It is rather surprising then that the Deputy PM, Nick Clegg should have spoken this week about ensuring that all teachers in free schools needing to be 'qualified' (i.e.'certified'). Do we mean ideologically programmed to lack an alternative view? This too, from a man who was educated privately (that is, outside the state system) where there are more creative educational freedoms? It all sounds rather hypocritical, both for him to speak and for him to expect. I speak as a 'certified'/'qualified' teacher (UK/EU) who is passionate about the rights of educators for sound pay and conditions where clearly that is not what he is speaking of.

There has been something of an understandable media backlash over the past few weeks on 'free schools' following investigations into mismanagement, quality of service or misappropriation of budgets. I am not here to defend this or previous government's educational policies and understand that there is that element of controversy when it comes to public money being spent on alternative education. That is a completely separate issue. I strongly believe, however, in the principle that freedom in education is what makes it so appealing and worth fighting for and that many of the most enriching experiences for children/students do not necessarily stem from the institutionalised forms of education.

Still from: Another Brick in the Wall Pt 2 (Education) by Pink Floyd
Further Opinion: Nick Clegg and his thoughts on Qualified Teachers