LitRadar - May 2, 2026 - Biopics as Memory Machines - Michael (Part 1) - Movie Review

At one level, Michael (directed by Antoine Fuqua) operates as a memory machine. Biopics don’t just recount events; they reorganize a life into a sequence that feels meaningful. In doing so, they participate in what memory scholars would call a shaping of collective memory—how we, as a public, come to “remember” Michael Jackson. The film doesn’t simply show his childhood; it frames it in a way that invites viewers to retrospectively interpret discipline, pressure, and genius as interconnected. 

This is where nostalgia enters, but not in a simple, sentimental sense. Jackson’s work—especially Thriller or Billie Jean—circulates today as fragments: a bassline, a dance move, a short video clip. These fragments trigger what we might call micro-nostalgia: brief, repeatable encounters with the past that don’t require full context. Unlike many older works that depend on album continuity, Jackson’s precision allows even a few seconds to carry emotional and aesthetic completeness. Memory here is portable and loopable, shaped by platforms like Spotify.

But the biopic complicates this nostalgia. Instead of letting us stay with the polished surface—the moonwalk, the spectacle—it pushes us toward the conditions of production: the rehearsals, the discipline, the early exposure. In memory studies terms, this is a shift from prosthetic memory (consuming iconic images) to a more contextual memory, where we begin to ask: what did it cost? 

There’s also a tension between individual memory and cultural memory. Jackson’s personal experiences—his childhood, his search for freedom—are reframed as part of a larger cultural narrative about fame, labour, and artistic expectation. When we recall “Michael Jackson,” we are rarely recalling a single person; we are recalling a constructed figure, assembled from performances, media representations, and now biographical storytelling.

Biopics intensify this process because they stabilize ambiguity. A life as complex as Jackson’s resists easy definition, yet a film must impose coherence. It selects, emphasizes, and arranges. In doing so, it risks smoothing over contradictions even as it gestures toward them—the disciplined performer versus the individual seeking escape from pressure. That tension, as you noted, becomes central to how he is remembered.

Finally, nostalgia here is not just backward-looking; it is structural. Much of contemporary pop—artists expected to sing, dance, and deliver visual narratives—echoes Jackson’s template. So, when audiences watch Michael, they are not just remembering the past; they are recognizing the origins of the present. Cultural memory works through the familiarity factor, the influence becomes so embedded that it feels natural.

So, the film doesn’t simply revive Michael Jackson. It re-mediates him through memory, reshaping how nostalgia operates—less as longing for a lost past, and more as an ongoing recognition of how that past continues to structure what we see and hear today.

Reference: 

https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/why-michael-jackson-still-feels-relevant-today/article70910889.ece

Journeying with Stranger Things - Review

          

I’ve spent a lot of time with Stranger Things over the years. Watching it stretch across five seasons feels a bit like growing up alongside it—except somewhere along the way, I think I started drifting apart from it.

Take Winona Ryder, for instance. I know her performance is meant to be intense, even frantic at times, but it often felt a little too much for me. Instead of pulling me into the moment, it sometimes pushed me out of it. When every emotion is turned all the way up, it stops feeling real. And then there’s the way the kids speak. Hearing children casually throw around lines like “dipshit” or “suck a fat one” just didn’t sit right with me. It felt less like natural dialogue and more like the show trying too hard to sound edgy. But it’s not all criticism—far from it.

What I genuinely appreciated is how the series handles memory. There’s this lingering sense that the characters are not just fighting monsters, but also trapped inside their own pasts. The Upside Down almost feels like a physical version of memory itself—dark, distorted, and impossible to escape. The idea of children being taken away into something unknown taps into a very primal fear. It reminded me of stories like Weapons, where that sense of vulnerability is front and centre. That said, the heavy focus on teenage emotions—romance, heartbreak, longing—did feel a bit overwhelming at times. Maybe it’s just me, but the “mushy teen” energy didn’t always land. And I can’t help but wonder: is the show leaning too much into it, or am I just no longer the audience for it?

Visually, though, the series is stunning. The creation of the Upside Down and the eerie presence of Vecna are genuinely impressive. The world feels textured, detailed, and alive in its own unsettling way. The music especially the use of 1980s pop and rock n roll tracks deserve a special mention too. It quietly threads everything together—sometimes you don’t even notice it, but it’s doing a lot of emotional work in the background. It connects moments, memories, and characters in a way that feels almost invisible.

And credit where it’s due—the Duffer Brothers have managed to hold attention across 42 episodes, which is no small achievement. That kind of consistency takes vision. I also loved the effort put into recreating the 1980s. The costumes, the sets, the tiny details—it all feels carefully built, not just thrown together for effect.

But more than anything, what stayed with me is a quieter thought: maybe I’ve changed. 

Maybe I’m no longer able to connect with that teenage emotional world in the same way. And that’s not really a flaw in the show—it’s just where I am now. In a strange way, Stranger Things ends up doing something unexpected. It doesn’t just tell a story about growing up. It makes you realise that you already have.

LitRadar - April 30, 2026 - Echoes of Unspoken Pain: Understanding Transgenerational Trauma – Article Review

  

Trauma does not always end with those who directly experience it; it can continue across generations in complex ways. This inherited trauma may appear as unexplained fear, anxiety, or emotional distress in individuals who have not personally faced the original events. Scholars suggest that such transmission happens through a mix of biological, psychological, and social factors. Epigenetic research indicates that severe stress can influence gene activity, potentially shaping how future generations respond to stress. At the same time, family silence, fragmented memories, and unspoken grief reinforce the continuation of trauma. In India, historical events such as Partition, conflict, and social inequalities have contributed to this phenomenon, often intensified by stigma around discussing emotional pain. As a result, many individuals grow up sensing unresolved histories without being able to articulate them. Experts argue that healing involves recognising these hidden wounds, encouraging open dialogue, and fostering supportive environments. Effective responses must go beyond individual therapy to include community awareness, education, and policies that address collective memory and social healing.

 

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/when-trauma-is-inherited-what-the-growing-body-of-research-on-this-says/article70674803.ece

Building Intelligence Without Knowing What It Is: The Paradox of AI’s Rise - Article Review

The article argues that while artificial intelligence has become one of the most powerful and heavily funded technological movements of our time, there is still no clear or shared understanding of what “intelligence” actually means. Drawing on the works of Karen Hao (Empire of AI), Max Fisher (The Chaos Machine), and Dwarkesh Patel (The Scaling Era), the piece presents a critical overview of the AI industry’s ambitions, contradictions, and consequences. It highlights how AI development is largely driven by the assumption that human intelligence can be reduced to language and replicated through massive data and computation, despite the lack of a precise definition. The article also connects current AI expansion to earlier technological patterns—especially social media—where engagement-driven systems reshaped human behavior in unintended and often harmful ways.

 

 At the same time, the narrative exposes a deeper “god complex” within the industry: a belief among some technologists that building superintelligent systems is both inevitable and beyond human control, even as they acknowledge the risks. This mindset is paired with enormous environmental and social costs, including resource extraction, energy consumption, and global inequalities. While AI has already contributed to advances in medicine, science, and everyday life, the article suggests that its development is proceeding without sufficient ethical clarity or accountability. Ultimately, these books collectively portray AI not just as a technological revolution, but as a reflection of human ambition, uncertainty, and the unresolved question of what it truly means to think, know, and be intelligent.

Roots of Resistance: Reading the Rise of Dalit Literature - Article Summary - 5-04-26 - Sunday Literary Magazine - The Hindu

In recent years, Dalit literature has moved from the margins to a more visible and powerful space in Indian literary culture. What was once confined to regional languages and limited readerships is now expanding through translations, academic engagement, and a growing community of readers. This shift is not just literary—it is deeply political and cultural.

 

At its core, Dalit writing is rooted in lived experience. It speaks of caste oppression, humiliation, survival, and resistance, but it also goes beyond testimony. Contemporary Dalit literature experiments with genres—fiction, memoir, speculative writing, philosophy—and reimagines history, memory, and identity. It challenges dominant narratives and asks uncomfortable questions about justice, equality, and representation.

 

What makes this body of work especially significant is its diversity. There is no single Dalit voice. Instead, there are multiple perspectives shaped by region, gender, class, and experience. Writers engage with themes such as labour, spirituality, sexuality, and modernity, while also dialoguing with global ideas. For instance, works that bring Ambedkar into conversation with Western philosophy open new intellectual pathways.

 

Importantly, Dalit literature is not only about critique—it is also about reclaiming dignity and imagining alternatives. Concepts like Begumpura envision a just society free from caste hierarchies. Similarly, narratives rooted in community life foreground resilience and collective memory.

 

 

Books to Explore 

Sanatan – Sharankumar Limbale (translated by Meena Kandasamy)

The Ambedkar and Nietzsche: Provocations – Ankith Kawade

The Vulgarity of Caste: Dalits, Sexuality, and Humanity in Modern India – 

Shailaja Paik

Untouchable Spring – G. Kalyana Rao (translated by Alladi Uma & M. Sridhar)

The Blaft Book of Anti-Caste SF (Blaft Publication)

Gail Omvedt's Seeking Begumpura (Navayana)

S. Karuppasamy's first book, Naan Loco Pilot Aana Kathai 

(The Story of Becoming a Loco Pilot, Tathagata Publishing House)

 

Measuring Nonwhiteness: Remembering Toni Morrison and Nina Simone - Article Summary

The Hindu - Text and Context - February 20, 2026 

 

In their birth month, we revisit the extraordinary legacies of Toni Morrison and Nina Simone—two artists who confronted racial injustice in profoundly different yet equally powerful ways. At a time when racial violence and systemic discrimination continue to shape public life, their work reminds us that “nonwhiteness” is not just an identity category but a lived condition marked by scrutiny, vulnerability, and resistance. Simone turned the stage into a site of protest. Through songs like “Mississippi Goddam,” she gave voice to anger, grief, and defiance. Her music did not soften racial trauma—it named it, performed it, and made it impossible to ignore. Morrison, on the other hand, worked in the intimate space of fiction. In novels such as Beloved, she explored how history lives in the body and memory. For Morrison, the body itself becomes an archive—bearing scars, silences, and stories that demand recognition. Together, Simone and Morrison transform art into remembrance. One sings the nation’s wounds in public; the other writes them into the interior spaces of home and history. Both insist that memory is not passive—it is a form of resistance.

 

This blog summary was prepared with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model.

Booker Prize Winner 2025

Hungarian-British writer David Szalay won the Booker Prize for his novel Flesh, a stark, pared-back narrative that traces the life of a Hungarian man from youth to middle age against the backdrop of post-socialist Europe. Praised for its sparse prose and unsettling honesty, Flesh offers an unflattering exploration of masculinity, class, migration, power, trauma, and bodily existence, resisting sentimentality or moral resolution. Across reviews and critical essays, the novel is positioned alongside works by writers such as László Krasznahorkai, sharing a concern with late- and post-socialist European life where institutions persist, freedoms feel procedural, and individuals adapt rather than transform. Critics note that Flesh records lived experience rather than delivering judgment, documenting how people endure history’s slow movements—through military service, migration, precarious labour, sex, and exile. Judges described the novel as “singular” and “extraordinary,” highlighting its disciplined minimalism and its focus on an often-overlooked working-class male subject. Collectively, the articles frame Szalay’s Booker win as part of a broader literary turn toward unsentimental, anti-nostalgic narratives that preserve the textures of ordinary life in contemporary Europe, especially in the shadow of political rupture, institutional memory, and ongoing conflict.

Article Review - The Need for Health Humanities

One of the sentences that stayed with me from the article "Repair those Rifts - Why Integrating Health Humanities into the medical curriculum is vital," which appeared in the Education Plus supplement of the Hindu on December 1, 2025, is: "Education is not just about ticking check boxes." As teachers and students, we have observed the tendency to do things merely for the sake of doing them, without any deeper significance or reflection. This resonated strongly with the line from Thrushes by Ted Hughes – ‘his act worships itself’. The authors recommend Paulo Freire's practice of ‘critical consciousness’, which helps us understand the nuances of real, everyday experiences—the way life is felt, endured, and understood in practice, not just in theory. They advocate for integrating the humanities into medical practice. Humanities departments study illness as a cultural narrative, whereas observation, clinical empathy, and communication are components of healthcare education. Malcom Gladwell’s Talking to Strangers highlights the importance of a patient’s backstory in doctor-patient communication. This aligns with "narrative medicine," where a story aids diagnosis and treatment. Understanding the backstory fosters empathy and more effective, holistic care.  

Three examples are given to show that academic courses are being offered in the West based on these concepts. The first is Columbia University’s narrative medicine training, which focuses on listening beyond symptoms. The Stanford course pairs literature and bioethics to examine autonomy and justice. (Dr. Paul Kalanithi, author of When Breath Becomes Air, was a physician, writer and neurosurgery resident at Stanford University—King's College London, blending philosophy and history to debate resource allocation and end-of-life care. In India, the Medical Council introduced electives in Health Humanities. The National Medical Commission included Attitude, Ethics and Communication (AETCOM) in the curriculum. There is a need to integrate humanist socio-cultural and economic inquiry into the medical curriculum, which remains a distant dream. The authors propose a five-point framework to achieve this. (Check the poster)

The coursework for these academic programmes will involve rigorous, experiential learning and will be reinforced through fieldwork, outcome reviews, and work with advocacy groups, with patient voices at the centre. This will equip healthcare professionals and academicians to join global conversations linking medicine, anthropology, ethics, technology and democratised access to healthcare. Only by integrating humanities and medical science can India develop clinicians who not only treat diseases but also combat discrimination and mend the divides between science and society, technology and humanity.

References and further reading: 

https://www.thehindu.com/education/why-integrating-health-humanities-into-the-medical-curriculum-is-vital/article70329471.ece

https://allpoetry.com/Thrushes

Freire, Paulo. Education for Critical Consciousness. Bloomsbury Academic, 2013.                           

https://sps.columbia.edu/academics/masters/narrative-medicine/master-science/curriculum-courses

https://med.stanford.edu/bioethics.html

Gladwell, Malcolm. Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know. Little, Brown and Company, 2019.

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/courses/philosophy-of-medicine-and-psychiatry-ma

Mahajan, Rajiv, and Tejinder Singh. Humanities in Medical Education. Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers, 2018.

Kleinman, Arthur. The Illness Narratives: Suffering, Healing, and the Human Condition. Basic Books, 1988.

Homebound - A review

Homebound is India’s official entry to the Oscars 2026 in the Best International Film category. Big names like Martin Scorsese and Karan Johar back the movie. The movie is based on a true story, which appeared as an article in the New York Times (NYT) on July 31, 2020, titled ‘A Friendship, a Pandemic and a Death Beside the Highway’. It is written by Basharat Peer, a staff editor for Opinion, who is the author of “Curfewed Night,” a memoir of the conflict in Kashmir, and “A Question of Order: India, Turkey, and the Return of Strongmen.” Peer describes the connection that he made with the image, which was widely circulated on social media during the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic. 

Basharat Peer writes in the article, “The gift of friendship and trust it captured filled me with a certain sadness, as it felt so rare. I felt compelled to find out more about their lives and journeys”.  

I watched Homebound last night, and it felt like the story of these two friends represented the India we live in. Unemployment, social injustice, gender discrimination, failed civic systems, corruption, all these and more get a space in the movie. At the core of the film is the friendship between Mohammed Shoaib Ali and Chandan Kumar, played by Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa.  Janhvi Kapoor plays Chandan's love interest. Her character in the movie is not the glam doll kind of role she typically portrays. The film is just two hours long, but its impact will not fade for some time. Excellent photography and soft music complement the narrative, intensifying the experience. 

Homebound is currently streaming on Netflix. 

Reference

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/31/opinion/sunday/India-migration-coronavirus.html

Untamed - A review

Untamed is a slow burner. The series moves at such a slow pace that there are moments when you're tempted to check your phone or glance out the window for a quick dopamine hit. It is an investigative thriller set in Yosemite, one of the country's stunning national parks. I remember there was once a Mac OS called Yosemite, and recently I watched a travel video on YouTube by Jeff Brooks, who explored three of the most important national parks in the US by train. Eric Bana is a composed figure, a perfect fit for the role of a park ranger. The story develops more as a family drama rather than an investigative thriller. The plot mixes the death of a child, divorce, domestic violence, Christian, native American rituals, drug cartels, and office politics. The beautiful landscapes of Yosemite Park provide the perfect setting for these plot elements to unfold. This six-episode series has been renewed for another season. It is streaming on Netflix.  

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg – Book Review

The importance of Keystone Habits: Although achieving lasting change in life is difficult, it can be done by focusing on habits. As many as 40 per cent of the actions we perform each day are based on habit. Not all habits are equal; some, known as keystone habits, hold more significance because adhering to them produces positive effects that extend into other areas of life. Keystone habits can also aid individuals in making changes. Keystone habits function by offering small wins –early successes that are relatively easy to achieve. Developing a keystone habit fosters the belief that improvement is possible in other aspects of life, which can trigger a cascade of positive changes. That's why the golden rule for quitting any habit is not resisting the craving but redirecting it. 

The Power of Willpower: Willpower is the most critical keystone habit. One keystone habit you can easily adopt is to start each day by making your bed. Research has shown that this can increase your general well-being and productivity. An experiment involving kids and marshmallows found that those who had exhibited the most excellent willpower and waited had the best grades in school. Schools and colleges should design activities that will strengthen students' willpower. This can be known as a willpower workout. The lack of autonomy also negatively impacts willpower. When people act because they are ordered to rather than by choice, their willpower diminishes much quicker. 

Habits and Organisation: While working in an organisation, developing a few habits beyond the prescribed paths is essential. Under the surface, most organisations are battlegrounds on which individuals clamour for power and rewards. We should develop certain habits to keep the peace, which will help us mind our business. 

LATTE and Starbucks: Starbucks developed the LATTE method, which outlines steps to take in a stressful situation. By repeatedly practising this method, Starbucks baristas learn precisely what to do when a stressful situation arises, allowing them to remain calm. 

 L is Listening to the customer. 

A is Acknowledging their complaint. 

T is for Taking steps to resolve the problem. 

T is Thanking the customer, and, lastly, 

 E is Explaining why the issue occurred. 

Brain and Habits 

Maintaining habits occurs in the basal ganglia, a small neurological structure deep within the brain. Even if the rest of the brain is damaged, the basal ganglia can still function normally. Habits penetrate the human brain and psyche profoundly, influencing our lives in numerous ways. By learning how habits work, you can begin to utilise their power. 

What is Chunking? 

Transforming a series of actions into an automatic routine is known as “chunking,” and it is foundational to habit formation. “Chunking” is a concept from cognitive psychology that plays a decisive role in forming habits. It involves grouping individual pieces of information or actions into larger, more manageable units (chunks), making them easier to remember and execute.

Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven – Book Review

Something as simple as making your bed daily can significantly impact your quality of life. A tidy bed allows you to commence your day positively. Accomplishing your first-morning task is the most effective way to kickstart your day. 

Never evaluate someone by anything except their character. This principle also applies when deciding whether to trust a stranger blindly. 

U.S. Navy SEAL training includes various gruelling trials. One such test is the sugar cookie ritual, where trainees plunge into the Pacific Ocean and immediately roll in the hot beach sand. These exercises cultivate strength and resilience among SEALs. 

Another crucial lesson is the value of having trustworthy teammates. Everyone faces moments when they require support from someone who believes in them. You can't navigate life solely on your own. 

Embrace your failures, and don’t hesitate to take risks. Even setbacks can be advantageous with the right mindset. One effective way to learn from failure is by being open to risks. Be brave as you continue to chase your goals. Everyone has fears, but you shouldn’t allow them to hinder your progress. 

 Constantly strengthen those around you, offer support, and never give up. Remember that life is beautiful despite its painful chaos. Your choices shape life, and life will return the efforts you invest in it.

The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch – Book Review

The 80-20 principle indicates that 80% of our desired results stem from only 20% of our activities. You can accomplish more with less effort by pinpointing what truly brings you joy and focusing on those elements. 

Many believe that putting in long hours boosts productivity; however, the 80-20 principle reveals that working fewer hours can lead to even greater success. For instance, a freelancer given a week to complete a project may procrastinate, while limiting himself to just one day encourages greater focus and efficiency. 

Embracing an 80-20 lifestyle requires prioritising key areas in both personal and professional spheres. Consider how to focus your efforts on these areas to maximize results with minimal input. It is essential to act, as progress is key. The concept of time often feels overwhelming. Time is a valuable and finite resource, making many feel they don't have enough hours to chase their passions.

Start by identifying your " “happiness islands"- the moments when you feel your happiest and when you're most creative or productive. Richard Adams illustrates this approach well. As a mid-level bureaucrat in the British civil service, he found his job dull and the working hours lengthy. Nevertheless, he cherished moments spent sharing stories with his daughters. By emphasising these joyful intervals, he ultimately turned them into his renowned book, Watership Down. 

Interestingly, 80% of our relationship satisfaction is derived from just 20% of our relationships. Focusing on vital connections, particularly with romantic partners, is essential to nurture a fulfilling life. 

Simplicity is at the heart of a good life, but what exactly defines such a life? This question has been pondered by philosophers for generations. One answer from the Greek philosopher Epicurus aligns with the 80-20 concept. He highlighted food, shelter, clothing, friendships, freedom, and the quest for knowledge as the fundamental aspects of a meaningful existence. Living with seven friends in a commune, they cultivated their food and rejected the pursuit of wealth, dedicating their time to writing and exchanging ideas. If you aspire to adopt a similar lifestyle, eliminate anything that does not enhance your happiness.

Adolescence - A short review

A four-episode series about how social media can influence young minds. The series is worth watching for the following reasons:- Excellent use of the single-shot technique; every episode is shot in one continuous take.- The atmosphere is effectively created, especially in the police station and the school, making the audience feel claustrophobic and immersed.- The performances of the four lead actors, Jamie, Eddie, Manda and Mrs Fenumore, are noteworthy.- The incorporation of the concepts of the red pill and blue pill (from Total Recall and The Matrix).and the exploration of concepts like the manosphere, incel, and the cult figure Allen Tate.

Streaming on Netflix 

My rating: 5/5

Book review - Extraordinary Delusions and the Madness of Popular Opinion

 

Charles Mackay's 'Extraordinary Delusions and the Madness of Popular Opinion' is a study of crowd psychology that remains relevant even in this post-truth age. The book is a classic example of debunking fake news and rumors. Initially published in 1841, it continues to serve as reference material. Kurt Vonnegut cites it in his novel Slaughterhouse-Five. 

The book primarily seeks to answer some fundamental questions such as: Why do people believe the unbelievable? Why do intelligent individuals believe in bizarre ideas? The author discusses Tulipomania, a phenomenon that captivated the Netherlands during the Dutch Golden Age, when contract prices for sure bulbs of the recently introduced and fashionable tulip soared to extraordinarily high levels. The significant increase began in 1634 and dramatically collapsed in February 1637. The same pattern applies to the collapse of the South Sea Shipping Company’s stock. It is noteworthy that Albert Einstein purchased shares in this company. According to the author, all mania follows a similar pattern: initial excitement fueled by greed leads to a cycle of good news, which encourages further buying, culminating in a crash. 

Essential questions are ignored, and the inner voice of caution is silenced. This also underpins modern pseudoscience. The more we wish something to be accurate, the less inclined we may be to accept reality or seek evidence. Alchemists claimed they could turn metal into gold, deceiving even royalty for money. False narratives can shape reality despite being untrue. The urban legend of the Slender Man serves as another example of how an internet sensation can tap into human fears and desires. These stories or rumors resist rational explanation. 

Witchcraft in Scotland resulted in the deaths of over 4,000 people between 1563 and 1736. People desperately sought someone to blame for failed crops, sick livestock, or dying children. Suspicion often fell on social outcasts such as elderly women living alone, healers using traditional remedies, or anyone who appeared different. Notably, even educated individuals supported these trials. Today, social contagions have spread from coffee houses to smartphones, but the underlying psychology remains unchanged.

Do What You Are - Book Review

Your personality can influence your work. Some people may enjoy it, while others might not appreciate the tasks assigned to them. Personality traits influence this reaction. Understanding personality can help you discover a job you enjoy. These are the main criteria for a personality test:

 1. Likes and dislikes 

 2. Behavioural tests 

 3. The way we interact with the world 

 4. The way we process information 

 5. Make decisions 

 6. Plan our lives 

According to the Myers -Briggs Personality Type Indicator (MBTI), there are 16 personality types. 

 1. Extroversion and Introversion – E & I 

 2. Sensing and Intuition – S & N 

 3. Thinking and Feeling - T & F 

 4. Judging and Perceiving – J & P 

The next step is determining your personality type: INFP, ESTJ, ENFJ, ESTP, ENTP, ISFP, or INTJ. 

There are four basic temperaments: 

 Traditionalists 

1. Sensing judges 

2. Early to Bed 

3. Early to Rise 

4. Order 

5. Stability 

6. Conformity 

 Experiencers 

1. Eat, Drink, and be Merry 

2. Adventurous 

3. Outgoing 

4. Impulsive 

5. Will make a difference in the world 

6. Courageous and Resourceful 

7. Change, adapt and take chances 

8. Sensing Experiences 

9. Good with tools and instruments 

Idealists 

1. Intuitive feelers 

2. Truthful to oneself 

3. Personal growth 

4. Gaining knowledge 

5. Authentic 

6. Integrity 

7. Pitfalls – Moody, Over-emotional, Poor at Handling Criticism and Artists 

Conceptualisers 

1. Be excellent in all things 

2. See great possibilities 

3. Agents of change 

4. Planning and Designing 

5. Innovative Solutions 

6. Pitfalls for individuals with this temperament are Arrogance, disregard for authority, and being too complex for others to understand 

7. Lack of interest in small things 

Applying this to a hospital scenario 

• Finance – Highly organised person – Traditionalist 

• Marketing and Planning Department – Future Minded person like a Conceptualizer 

• Director of Operations – Focus on Here & Now – Experiencer 

• Skills and Abilities are constantly changing 

• Career Path – What are you good at? / What are you interested in?

No Mud, No Lotus - Thich Nhat Hanh

The ideas are drawn from the book by Thich Nhat Hanh, a global spiritual leader, poet, and peace activist known for his impactful teachings and bestselling writings on mindfulness and peace. Pain is inevitable in life, but suffering is not. When life becomes complex, we often avoid confronting it; instead, we escape into distractions. Mindful presence can help us become more authentic and peaceful. We should refrain from falling into the trap of avoidance. The distractions we seek only provide temporary numbness to our problems. We are merely masking symptoms while the underlying injury continues to worsen. The more we escape, the greater the damage done. 

The author encourages the creation of 'bells of mindfulness' throughout the day. We must use these moments to engage in mindful activities. One suggested action is to inhale and exhale while placing a hand on your belly, allowing you to feel its rise and fall. This practice should be performed daily, whether you feel sad or happy. 

As mentioned before, pain is inevitable, but the choice to suffer rests with us. The Buddhist concept of 'two arrows' deepens our understanding of this. The first arrow signifies life's unavoidable pains: failure, loss, injury, and rejection. The second arrow is entirely self-inflicted. While you may experience a stumble because of the first arrow, the second arrow can make you experience a fall. It all depends on the narrative that we create for ourselves. Mindfulness can come to your aid in this situation. When you think only of the sting of the first arrow without dwelling on the second, you can recognise that you have cultivated a sustainable relationship with suffering. 

Another source of mental trauma is the comparison trap. Some of us may feel superior, while others feel inferior. Both attitudes stem from the belief that we must defend our identities. Today's victory may become tomorrow's forgotten memory, while today’s defeat transforms into next year's valuable lesson. Mindful walking is another technique to consider. This practice turns our everyday steps into moments of stillness. Walking and breathing (inhale and exhale) can seamlessly integrate into any environment.

A Wonderland of Words - A Review

 

Shashi Tharoor believes in the philosophy “Words are Power: Words are Magic.”  Chandran Tharoor, to whom the book is dedicated, is described as the ‘author’s author’. Tharoor, in the Introduction, talks about the two word games that were part of the family vacations - 'Scrabble' and the early version of the now famous game 'Wordle'  Tharoor defines his father as a 'milver', an individual who shares a strong interest in words with another person, particularly an interest in usage and wordplay. Most of the 101 essays in this book have appeared in the 'World of Words' column of the Dubai-based newspaper Khaleej Times. It is no wonder that some of the examples used are contextualised in the culture of the U.A.E. 

 

Sample this one:

 

"It's pretty safe bet that there won't be too many readers of the original version of this piece, which appeared in the Gulf newspaper, who suffer from ‘xerophobia’ - an abnormal fear of dryness and dry places such as deserts." 

 

Another one: 

"We don't have too many turkeys around either in India or the UAE, but we have the word, if not the bird." 

 

The book is well-researched, and even though the book ends on page 403, the Notes section extends to 442 pages. Every section has more than 50-60 references. Tharoor acknowledges the help rendered by Professor Sheeba Thattil, who did most of the research for this book. He describes her efforts as 'indefatigable' and ends the acknowledgement with these words. “In many ways, this book is as much to her credit as to mine."

 

According to her X profile, Professor Sheeba Thattil is a consultant copyeditor at Aleph Book Company, Delhi, a Professor of English, and a researcher. The excellent illustration before each section is by Priya Kurian, the Bengaluru-based illustrator and comics maker. I started following her on Instagram because of the beautiful cover and the charcoal illustrations she designed for Manu Pillai's "The Courtesan, the Mahatma & the Italian Brahmin." 

 

The book has thirteen sections covering topics like punctuation, spelling, literary tools, and language of inclusion. I plan to take up some of the book's topics for the next 100-day challenge. 

 

The book inspires me to take non-academic research more seriously. It always amazes me that a busy bee like Shashi Tharoor finds time to write books, deliver well-crafted lectures, and attend literary festivals. The same can be said of Manu S Pillai, who has written his latest book, "Gods, Guns, and Missionaries," which is more than 600 pages long. It is all about the time taken and the quality of research that makes the work great. 

 

Tharoor recently published three books about the power and magic of words. The first one, "Tharoorosaurus,” came out in 2020. The second book, published in 2023, is "The Less You Preach, the More You Learn," a collaboration with Joseph Zacharias. The latest book about the magical world of words is "A Wonderland of Words." As an English teacher, I welcome this shift in the content from arid and squally political topics to much more enriching and inspiring content.

Shōgun

2024 is indeed the year I fell in love with Japanese culture and literature.  It all started with “In a Grove”, which I taught in the second-year English language syllabus in the month of June. This short story authored by Akutagawa Ryunosuke was adapted by Akira Kurosawa as “Rashomon”. I was introduced Japanese crime fiction in the year 2023 with Keigo Higashino’s “The Devotion of Suspect X”, the first in his Detective Galileo series which was followed by “Malice.” This year, I read the other three books in Detective Kaga series namely, “Newcomer”, “A Death in Tokyo” and “The Final Curtain”. 

For my classroom discussions with my students, I delved deep into the Japanese concepts like Ikigai ( purpose and reason for living ), Kaizen ( continuous improvement ), and Wabi-Sabi (accept impermanence). My exposure to Japanese culture continued when I happen to watch an interview with Francesc Miralles, the co-author of the best-selling book “Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life”. “Perfect Days” by Wim Wenders was another window into the world of Japan and the life of Hirayama. One episode in the  Netflix documentary “WWII in Color Road to Victory” presented the historical background of the Pearl Harbour attacks. 

 

Last night, I completed the first season of the series “Shōgun” in Disney Hotstar. The first season of the series had ten episodes, and the second season is expected in 2026. For me “Shōgun” was a continuation of the movie “Silence” by Martin Scorsese. Since the movie came out in 2016, and the series in 2024, the audience had to watch history topsy turvy. It is mentioned that the movie and series are  30 years apart. Both are based on highly acclaimed novels. “Silence” is based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Shūsaku Endō and “Shōgun” is adapted from the 1975 novel by James Clavell. It is interesting to note that James Clavell wrote, produced and directed “To Sir, with Love” featuring Sidney Poitier and based on E. R. Braithwaite's semiautobiographical 1959 book. He spent three years researching and writing Shōgun (1975), about an Englishman who becomes a samurai in feudal Japan.  

 

It was interesting to watch the deceitful ways Portuguese (Roman Catholics) and the Protestant Dutch fought for supremacy in a Japan which didn’t have a Central Ruler Shōgun. The series is slow paced because the Japanese life is also slow paced. Hiroyuki Sanada excels in the role of Lord Yoshii Toranaga. It was good to watch the performance of Hiroyuki Sanada after watching him in the series “Lost.” It was a treat to watch Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko. The last time I watched her perform was in Apple TV+ series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”. I think she has mouthed some of the best lines in the series like “Life and death are the same. Both can have value and purpose.” She talks about the Eightfold Fence which is an impenetrable wall you build within yourself. She says, “Do you know “The Eightfold Fence”? From the time we are small, it is something we are taught to build within ourselves. An impenetrable wall, behind which we can retreat whenever we need. You must train yourself to listen without hearing. For instance, you can listen to the sound of a blossom falling or the rocks growing. If you really listen, your present circumstance vanishes.” Mariko sama is more like a tour guide (translator) for John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) , the marooned sea captain. It is through Mariko-sama's  eyes; we understand the culture of Japan in detail. 

 

 

 

Calm, the app and the book - Review

                                    

Today I would like to introduce the book ‘Calm’ as part of the ‘Books and Authors’ series @ RR. The author is Michael Acton Smith. It is a book which is based on the mobile app by the same name. We can roughly label it as a workbook for the ideas presented in the mobile app. The book (along with the app) is pitched for the sleep-deprived and stressed human beings. I remember posting a note in this blog long back about the significance of sleep in the modern world. 

https://premjithmathew.blogspot.com/2018/11/of-memory-dreams-and-sleep.html

Like Macbeth yearning for sleep, there are many sleep-deprived souls in our midst. How to sleep is only one area that is explored in the book. 

The innocent sleep, 

Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care, 

The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath, 

Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, 

Chief nourisher in life's feast.

The book is part of a new self-help project which has a book, digital version of the book and the mobile app which contains audio clips and short videos. The book deals with mindfulness, relationships, workplace, happiness. The book begins with a beautiful quote - ‘Calm the mind and Change the World’. In the short introduction to the book, the creator talks about the need to develop a calm mindset for acting responsively rather than reactively. They say that attaining this state of calm is one of the greatest challenges of our times. The book is designed in the form of a journal in which the reader can add handwritten notes and jottings. The book heavily borrows from literature in terms of quotes from Wordsworth, William Shakespeare and even from music - George Harrison. If you are interested, you can check out the mobile app to experience 100 + guided meditations and life-changing master classes by world-renowned mindful experts like Pico Iyer and Elizabeth Gilbert. (The premium features are available only for subscribers)