Category Archives: Deep Mind
Kaira Jewel Lingo on Trusting the Unknown – Tricycle – Tricycle
Do you have the patience to waitTill your mud settles and the water is clear?Can you remain unmovingTill the right action arises by itself? Lao Tzu
I spent fifteen years as a nun in the Plum Village community of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (whom I affectionately call Thay, or teacher in Vietnamese). Often people would ask Thay what to do when facing big life decisions, like which career path to take, whether to separate or stay with their partner, or whether to ordain as a monastic. Thay would often say, Dont try to figure out the answer by thinking about it. In thinking over a question again and again, we do not generally arrive at real wisdom, but we easily tire ourselves out and get even more confused or anxious.
These deeper life questions cant be resolved at the level of the mind, but must be entrusted to a different, deeper part of our consciousness. Thay suggests we consider this big question as a seed, plant it in the soil of our mind and let it rest there. Our mindfulness practice in our daily lives is the sunshine and water that the seed needs to sprout so that one day it will rise up on its own, in its own time. And then well know the answer to our question without a doubt.
But we must leave the seed down in the soil of our mind and not keep digging it up to see if it is growing roots. It wont grow that way! It is the same with a deep and troubling question. We ask our deeper consciousness to take care of it, and then let go of our thinking and worrying about it. Then in our daily lives we practice calming, resting, and coming home to ourselves in the present moment and that will help the seed of our question to ripen naturally and authentically. This process cannot be rushed or forced. It may take weeks, months, or years. But we can trust that the seed is down there, being tended to by our deeper consciousness, and one day it will sprout into a clear answer.
In Buddhist psychology this part of our mind is called store consciousness. This is because it has the function of storing our memories and all the various mind states we can experience in latent, sleeping form. For example, maybe youve experienced trying to solve a problem or find an answer to something that perplexes you. You think hard and circle round and round in your mind, but you feel you dont get anywhere. Then you let the question go, and suddenly when you least expect it, inspiration or helpful ideas come to you in a time of rest, and you just know what to do. That is store consciousness operating. It is working on the problem for you while your day-to-day consciousness rests. Store consciousness works in a very natural and easeful way and is much more efficient than our thinking mind. When wisdom arises from store consciousness, it feels right in the body and we no longer have doubts.
But waiting for the answer to arise can be challenging at times because we may really want to know the answer. We may find ourselves feeling deeply insecure and fearful if we dont know what to do, which path to choose. We worry we will make the wrong choice and we catastrophize about what will happen if we take this or that direction. Its hard to find our way if we continue to feed this worry and fear. We can recognize that we are not helping the situation and stop. Returning to this moment, anchoring ourselves in our body, we will find the solidity of the home inside of us, which is capable of helping us find our way, if only we let it, and if we can let go of trying to figure out the future in our heads.
Some years ago, I was trying to discern whether or not to leave the monastic life after having lived basically all of my adult life, from age twenty-five to forty, as a nun. During that time, I attended silent retreats at the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts, or IMS, for several years in a row that were six weeks or three months long. These retreats were times outside of time, weeks when I could not leave the grounds and take action, but just had to stay home with myself. Being in silence, social interaction was limited, and I had the luxury of time to look closely at myself and do nothing. It was an important time of pause, to look deeply, to return home to myself and let my own consciousness take its time to find the way.
When I decided to ordain as a nun at age twenty-five, in my heart I was making a lifelong commitment. So it was painful and confusing to find myself questioning this vow that I had assumed would carry me through my entire life. In that time of transition, I didnt know who I was anymore and had no idea who I might become. I was in the midst of a process, like the caterpillar that must dissolve itself completely in the chrysalis to become a butterfly. It was terrifying and extremely uncomfortable when I wanted answers and clarity, when I was used to knowing who I was and where I was going.
Joseph Goldstein was one of my interview teachers on these retreats at IMS and when I shared how distressing it was to find myself with no solid ground under me whatsoever, he mentioned Alan Watts book, The Wisdom of Insecurity. It points out that when we are clear and sure about what we are doing, we cannot be open to the many other possibilities available. But when we let ourselves hang out in the space of not-knowing, there is enormous potential and life could unfold in innumerable ways. So, rather than avoid and fear this place of uncertainty, we can embrace it and all its gifts.
When we are clear and sure about what we are doing, we cannot be open to the many other possibilities available.
What I found on these long silent retreats was not an answer to my dilemma of whether to disrobe or continue as a nun, but rather the ability to dwell more and more comfortably in the condition of not-knowing. I learned to allow the seed of my question to rest in the deeper layers of my consciousness. I was able to touch peace, joy, and wellbeing in the midst of not-knowing, in the midst of awkwardness and confusion. I learned to let go of fear and resistance right in the midst of dissolving and losing my identity.
By slowing down, choosing to rest back into the uncertainty rather than fighting it, I was able to touch into a sense of space, precisely in moments when it felt like there was no way to keep going, and I would be totally overwhelmed. If we can breathe in and out, putting our mind completely on our breathing, or feel our bodies and put all of our attention on the sensations in the body, we can create that space. We slow things down and let our nervous system recalibrate and center. The external situation may not change, but weve changed in relation to our external situation. If we can stop, we have the chance to touch into something deeper than overwhelm. This practice of pausing, or stopping, helps the seed of our question to mature and ripen into the guidance and direction we need.
In a sense, our culture, our society is dissolving. We are collectively entering the chrysalis, and structures we have come to rely on and identify with are breaking down and we dont know what the next phase will be like. We are in the cocoon. Learning to surrender in our own lives is essential to our collective learning to move through this time of faster and faster change, disruption, and breakdown.
***
To begin the practice, find a comfortable position, sitting, standing, or lying. Connect with your body and how its making contact with the chair or the floor. Allow yourself to rest back in some way and really feel the support of whatever is holding you. . . Every time you breathe out, let your body rest even more into the support of the earth.
Allow your face to soften, releasing the forehead, the muscles around the eyes, the jaw. . .
Let the tongue rest in the mouth. . .
Be aware of the shoulders and as you breathe out, let the shoulders soften. . .
Bring attention to the chest and belly, allow them to release and soften on the next exhale. . .
Notice your arms and hands, with the next exhale let them grow a little heavier, releasing tension. . .
Feel your legs and feet, as you exhale release, soften and let go. . .
Feel your whole body now as you inhale and exhale, allowing the whole body to soften and release its weight even more onto the earth. . .
Now bring to mind some question or challenge you may have right now notice how you feel about it, and the pull that may be there to resolve it. . . Without trying to figure out an answer or solution, see this question or challenge as a seed you are entrusting to the soil of your mind, down in its depths. . . just allow it to lie there, peacefully, quietly. . . let yourself rest back into the unknown, inviting your body to just slightly, actually lean back a tiny bit. . . let yourself reconnect with the feeling of being held by the earth. . . you can rest on the earth, just as this question can rest in the depths of your mind. . . while it may be scary not to know, there is also infinite possibility here. . . take a few deep breaths. . . feel your body, settling, present. . . and give the seed permission to take the time it needs to ripen into an answer. . . trust your own consciousness to show you the way when the time is right.
You may like to practice,
The Buddha is in meI have confidence
And if its helpful, you are welcome to practice it along with your breathing,
Breathing in, the Buddha is in me,Breathing out, I have confidence
It means the capacity of awakening is your nature. You can trust in this.
Let yourself breathe and open to this truth of your own ability to access presence, wisdom, patience, ease, even in the midst of uncertainty. You can do this.
Trust, resilience, wisdom is my nature,I have confidence.
I entrust myself, I entrust myself, to the earth, to the earth, and she entrusts herself to me. Plum Village song
***
You can bring this quality of resting back into your daily life. When you notice yourself leaning into the future, tensing up, trying to predict what will happen, straining to figure out what to do, whether on your own or with others, see if you can actually physically rest back. Open up the front of your chest, let your arms hang by your sides, and lean backwards slightly. This can support your mind to rest back, release and let be, even for a short moment and to whatever degree you are able.
Excerpted from We Were Made for These Times by Kaira Jewel Lingo (2021) with permission of Parallax Press.
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Kaira Jewel Lingo on Trusting the Unknown - Tricycle - Tricycle
I Took a Deep Dive Into Zo Kravitz’s Outfits, and Now I Need These 8 Basics – Yahoo Lifestyle
If there's anyone who has mastered the art of wardrobe basics, it's Zo Kravitz. The actress has been on my Pinterest boards and Tumblr mood boards for as long as I've been interested in celebrity style, and I've yet to tire of her simple yet effortlessly cool outfits. If you've been keeping up with all things Kravitz, you'd know that she's been stepping out in New York (with boyfriend Channing Tatum, no less) in outfits that have been making the internet lose its mindthis editor included.
While 2021 Zo Kravitz is a total vibe, taking a look at her recent street style has inspired me to do a deep dive into the archives of some of her all-time best ensembles. After spending the morning going through tons of street style imagery, I've decided that, in order to emulate her incredibly simple yet chic vibe, I need to stock up on a handful of specific basics. Nothing about Kravitz's style is particularly revolutionary, but there's something so refreshing about the way she styles her wardrobe classics, and she's inspiring me to revisit mine.
Ahead, take a look at my list of the best Zo Kravitzinspired basics, complete with shopping options I'm considering for each one.
On Kravitz: The Row boots
The Row Leather Ankle Boots ($1490)
Who What Wear Sowyer Platform Chelsea Boot ($149)
Musse & Cloud Biena Platform Chelsea Bootie ($135)
On Kravitz: The Row shirt, pants, shoes, and bag
Mango Pocket Modal Shirt ($80)
Zara Satin Effect Poplin Shirt Special Edition ($70)
Topshop Oversize Cotton Poplin Button-Up Shirt ($56)
On Kravitz: The Row skirt and sandals; Telfar bag; Oliver Peoples x The Row sunglasses
Kes Eve Rib Tank Top ($120)
BP Crop Ribbed Tank ($19)
Amo Long Rib Tank ($85)
On Kravtiz: Saint Laurent loafers; Prada coat
Saint Laurent Adrien Leather Penny Loafers ($695)
Vagabond Shoemakers Alex Loafers ($160)
Miista Crimsom Loafers ($410)
Story continues
Who What Wear Collection Brianna Midi Slip Skirt ($95)
Raey Dip-Hem Silk-Satin Midi Slip Skirt ($225)
The Drop Maya Silky Slip Skirt ($45)
Mango Lapels Wool Coat ($230)
Isabel Marant toile Lojima Double-Breasted Wool-Blend Coat ($870)
H&M Long Coat ($70)
On Kravitz: The Row sandals
Urban Outfitters MLB Baseball Hat ($29)
Totme Wool-Blend Baseball Cap ($260)
Madewell Broken In Baseball Cap ($30)
Sporty & Rich Logo-Embroidered Cotton-Blend Hoodie ($155)
Tna by Aritzia Cozy Fleece Perfect Hoodie ($70)
Hanes Heavyweight Pullover Hoodie ($17)
Up next, see the 33 cool Nordstrom finds I'm recommending to anyone who will listen.
This article originally appeared on Who What Wear
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I Took a Deep Dive Into Zo Kravitz's Outfits, and Now I Need These 8 Basics - Yahoo Lifestyle
Goldman Sachs-backed digital bank Starling expects to go public within two years – CNBC
Starling Bank CEO Anne Boden.
Starling Bank
LONDON British digital bank Starling expects to go public in two years' time, CEO and founder Anne Boden said Tuesday.
An initial public offering is "a year or two off," Boden told reporters. "It's at least one year away. But we're talking about one or two years away."
Starling, which counts Goldman Sachs, Fidelity Investments and Qatar's sovereign wealth fund as investors, is one of the U.K.'s leading challenger banks.
Along with other start-up competitors like Monzo and Revolut, Starling has attracted millions of users through only an app and a linked payment card no physical branches.
Boden said Starling's IPO was likely to take place in London, where the company is headquartered.
"I very much hope we can do it in London," she said. "I think that would be the default option, unless we're persuaded otherwise."
A stock market debut for Starling would add to a series of high-profile floats in the U.K.'s fledgling technology sector.
Fellow fintech firm Wise listed directly on the London Stock Exchange at an $11 billion valuation earlier this year. Food delivery giant Deliveroo had less success with its IPO, with shares sinking as much as 30% on the first day of trading.
Though Britain has produced successful tech companies like Google-owned artificial intelligence firm DeepMind and Arm, the chip designer being sold by SoftBank to Nvidia, it has yet to mint publicly-listed tech companies of a scale matching that of those in the U.S. or China.
Founded in 2014, Starling began life offering fee-free checking accounts through an app. It has since branched into lending and business banking, both of which helped the company break even recently.
The early days of Starling were marred by a bitter dispute between Boden and co-founder Tom Blomfield, who left to start rival online bank Monzo. The spat was the subject of a book released by Boden last year, called "Banking On It."
"It occurred to me that, up until now, I'd always marked our progress against Monzo, since they were our rival challenger bank and had launched at almost the same time," Boden said in a new print version of her book, which is due to be released Thursday.
"The extraordinary experiences of the year 2020 made it clearer than ever that our competitors are now Lloyds, Barclays et al."
Still, the challengers remain some way away from stealing significant market share from much larger incumbents. Starling, which was last privately valued at $1.5 billion, made 97.6 million ($133.2 million) in 2019, a figure that pales in comparison to that of traditional lenders like HSBC, Barclays and NatWest.
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Goldman Sachs-backed digital bank Starling expects to go public within two years - CNBC
Who is Jazmin Bean? A deep dive into the multidiverse mind behind ‘Worldwide Torture’ – Screen Shot
From musician, to makeup artist, to fashionistaand even finding the time to be a dedicated BarbJazmin Bean does not fit into any one category. But who exactly is Bean anyway? Well, that particular question doesnt have an answer with a neatly wrapped bow around it. Instead, the answer takes you on a rollercoaster ride. From the streets of Harajuku, Japan, to the glorious and topsy-turvy world of Tim Burton, youll encounter Bean at the intersection of your worst nightmare and your favourite daydreama visual and musical collision of the darkest corners of our imagination, as The Forty Five puts it. Bean is a hybrid of both the terrifying and the terrific. Creating a myriad of gruesome gore visuals and musical aesthetics, the artist firmly places themself in a lane of their ownand everyone should pay attention.
Who is Jazmin Bean?
Whats underrated? Bean, according to the artist themself.
Jasmine Adams, professionally known as Jazmin Bean, is a British singer, songwriter, makeup artist, beauty brand owner, business entrepreneur, and of course, style iconso, just about everything under the sun. The artist is non-binary, goes by the pronouns they/them, and toes the line between popstar and underground rebel on a daily basis. Their Spotify following is only growing by the minutecurrently sitting at over 700,000 monthly listeners, you might recognise them from Reading Festival earlier this year where they donned a conservative yeti but very pink fit. The artist detailed their experience to NME as a first-time performer, saying that it is all I ever wanted to do. Bean did a set at the Pit stagenotorious for the moshing mix of fans that rock out in it. Now that youre clued up a little, heres what you really need to know about the singer.
As a champion of multiple aesthetics, Bean has been credited for their fearless approach to blending various styles together, sonically and visually, in their music career. I create music and film that pushes the boundaries of beauty and societal standardsand throws itself into extremes, they said in an interview with Dazed. There is a certain allure in the dark and lurid appeal of Bean, with their website currently featuring an image of them holding a giant blade. Frequently linked to other acts like Grimes, Rina Sawayama, Babymetal, Poppy and Melanie Martinez, the rising popstar has cemented their place in the alternative genre. Beans art seems to pull all ends of the spectrum, from nightmarish visuals to lullaby lyrics which both transform the way we enjoy and interact with music.
Bean has managed to gather a dedicated following that is just as into the weird and wonderful as they are. As for those who arent in on it, the artist shared that they love to play with them, On the weekends, I would go to clubs and perform and do the most extreme things that I could do and see how many people I could shock, they recalled in an interview with DIY Mag. They once even dumped a big jug of chicken liver on themself on stage to really push it. They dub this their shock era, though to the rest of us common mortals, theyre still in itthere was a point where the artist considered trying to pee on stage and drink said pee live from a cup to Primadona Girl by Marina and The Diamonds. Luckily, it just didnt work cos I was so nervous.
However, Bean goes beyond simply stepping out of the box. An issue the performer finds important is animal rights, I feel like humans really need to get off the Earth so that animals can roll out, when profiled for Dazed 100. Also, Im passionate about ending capitalism and everyone being equal. Two-for-two, Bean. A lot needs to change, and loud art is the best way to do it.
What is Jazmin Beans music style?
The lovechild of heavy metal and sunshine popdont worry well break these downBean is certainly unique. This is translated clearly in singles like Hello Kitty and especially, Yanderea Japanese word for an individual who is head over heels for their love interest, to violent and destructive extremes. The single encapsulates this with lyrics like, This might get a little messy, Im sure, heads rolling for the one I adore. This may become a little brutal, if Im honest, but its any-anything for you, my dear, I promise.
Gen Z seem to have a liking for mixing the old and the new, with artists such as PinkPantheress taking the world by storm with dance-pop tracks that send us all into the haze of wired earbuds, Motorola Razrs, and painstakingly waiting for another Pierce The Veil song to pop-up on MTVartists are starting to take hold of the power of nostalgia. With genres like pop punk making a resurgence in the modern music world, artists such as Bean are able to call back nostalgia while refreshing it with their own vivid and unique sound.
Beans musical influences range from many prevalent artistswith their dream musical collaborators being Avril Lavigne, Nicki Minaj and Gwen Stefanithey stated that theyd probably have a stroke or something, if they got any of them on a song. That being said, their most notable influence is SOPHIE. In an interview with tmrw, Bean talked about the death of the singer and the impact it left on them, Obviously, SOPHIE was like a celebrity but I took her work very personally. Ive never really cried over a celeb death or anything like that. I was genuinely frustrated, like What do you mean? Shes going to come back.
Remaining relatively unknownwith their subreddit only hosting a small following of 1,000is actually a prerogative of Beans, Id really like to remain with my small circle of fans but I really want more people to find out about me. I want people to see me on certain platforms and be like Why is this person there? and be confused about it, they shared with tmrw. When it comes to their music, the craft seems to be more important than the praise.
Released towards the end of 2020 under Beans independent label aswang birthday cake (stylised in all lowercase), Worldwide Torture is a metal-pop heavy EP consisting of five songs. Tracks like Saccharine, Little Lamb and War Zone Urchin contain messages that are both vulnerable yet, simultaneously, volatile. Some of the lyrics include talking about gouging out [their] eyes out with love, and being scared that you will leave, so Ill keep pulling at your sleeve.
Along with the passion and intensity of the lyricism, the EP is also accompanied by Beans artistic horror-pop visuals. The theatrical camp art of Worldwide Torture comes from its medly of fun and fright. Though short, Worldwide Torture is still able to span various genres of music. When discussing the EP with tmrw, Bean said they were very unhappy while making it. I hated myself, said the artist, but Worldwide Torture was a learning curve for them. Making it was a turning point of sorts for the young artist, who is currently 18. This work helped me fall in love with myself and put boundaries with certain people, they further told tmrw.
Nu metal and sunshine pop
Beans music, though alternative to its core, can be claimed as part of the bygone subgenre nu metal (also stylised nu-metal or n-metal). As one of the many subgenres of metal music from the 90s, nu metal took from preceding genres and now stands as inspiration for others such as modern American heavy metal. Despite its influence, the genre has had its fair share of critics, with NME slating it as one of the worst genres of all time as well as claims it is rocks most maligned offshoot,almost 20 years after the genre had apparently fallen out of mainstream popularity.
It is an alternative subgenre that fuses heavy metal music with other styles like hip hop, grunge, alternative rock, hard rock, and funk, as stated by Masterclass. With elements like jazz, rap metal, groove metal, and industrial metal all contributing to the sound and style of nu metal, the genre was influenced by many experimental rock groups like Faith No More. Less aggressive than death metalmeaning less harsh on the earsit has become part of hybridised umbrella names like metalcore and deathcore.
Differentiating itself from its parent genres common guitar solos, nu metal features rapping and mixed vocals that are often a cross between screaming and singingso, if youre looking for that racket your parents complain about, youll find it here. Theres also a heavy emphasis on syncopationa syncopated beat will emphasise traditional weak beats and tend to sound more striking than non-syncopated rhythmic patterns. The heavily syncopated riffs and beats give nu metal an often jarring, asymmetrical sound, but the lyrics contrast that dissonance, as they are usually direct and angsty. However, not all of the lyrics in this genre are necessarily angry, they also cover a variety of interesting and subversive topics. Like Worldwide Torture, nu metal lyrics often explore bullying and betrayal, others are about partying, moshing at concerts, hope, and even humor, according to Masterclass.
When it comes down to Beans music, not only do they embody the core elements of nu metal, but the influence of the niche genre sunshine pop (also called soft pop) is evident in their work. With a very small following dedicated to unearthing groups that fit the genre on reddit, sunshine pop is classed as a pop sub-genre that, like nu metal, originated in California, surfacing in the mid-1960s. Laced with limerent comments on the world that are often paired with nostalgic or anxious moods, the genre takes a sunny, soft appreciating look at the worlds beauty. Bean has also been grouped into hyperpop by many publications like this feature list by The Forty Five.
What is Jazmin Beans aesthetic inspiration?
As if straight out of Harajuku, you will find Bean adorned in all kinds of kawaii-inspired clothing with pink garments galore. It is clear that the artist, whos also the owner of Cult Candytheir very own makeup brandhas a very keen and solidified sense of style right down to their influences. In a feature with Vogue, they gave tips on how to achieve their outlandish look, a cat-eye mouth complete with scary spikes and stunning violet contacts. They called themself a genderless monster in an interview with Truly, and their aesthetic appears to be exactly that. Here are some of the most prominent influences of the standout style-icon if you ever want to dabble in this world.
1. Tim Burton
Bean is majorly in love with Tim BurtonI mean, who isnt?and cites him as one of their biggest influences. Being obsessed with dollslike the Monster High ones they grew up withas well as all things macabre, its no wonder the Hollywood director of cult-classics like Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas is an inspiration of theirs. Burton, known for making freakishly fantastic films, has an aesthetic similar to Beans, one where the gore and the gorgeous meet. In their interview with Dazed, Bean stated that Emily, from Burtons 2005 classic Corpse Bride, is a character they most identify with.
The artist has also got Toxic Boy, from the 2008 animated short of the same name, tattooed on themself.
2. Yami kawaii and gurokawa
The look Bean channels through their visuals and fashion sense is heavily influenced by Japanese pop culture. Their style and carefully crafted outfits seem to be a melting pot of a number of unique trends such as Harajuku style, the Lolita aesthetic and Yami kawaiiJapans softer take on emo. Yami kawaii is a fashion movement that brings to light some of the most prohibited subjects of discussion in Japanese culture: depression and mental illness. It is also part of Anti-kawaii, a movement that aims to bring forth and highlight opposing elements to the typically known kawaii style, in order to leave a greater impact. Although the artist has never explicitly labelled these aesthetics as direct influences, their love of many Japanese trends is clear as day. Never missing a patch of pink in almost every outfit, their whimsical style is always cooky and creative.
Although its safe to say that Yami kawaii is dark enough by itself, throughout their style Bean adds an even darker element to their vibrant pink outfits, one known as gurokawa (which is often translated to Creepy Cute in the west)a popular style of the 2010s combining the grotesque with the kawaii.
3. Filipino folklore
Many times I have described Beans aesthetic as something straight out of a nightmarewell, theres a reason for thatand it lies within the artists connection to the Aswang (of which her record label is named after). A frightening mythological creature in Filipino cultureknown to be shape-shifting monstersthey appear as normal people during the day (usually presenting as women) and transform into horrifying beings at night, hunting humans as their prey. The nocturnal beasts have a thing for human flesh, you see, even craving the taste of childrenbringing to mind lyrics from songs like Super Slaughter, yeah, my teeth areextrasharp, catching allmy prey to slit.
Beanof Filipino descentproudly talked about the creatures to NME, stating that they love to scare bitches. There is a clear connection between the mythological lore of the Aswangs and Bean, much like Bean has described themself, they also disguise themselves by using sinister vocal tricks to distract their desired prey.
Bean uses art to reflect their worldviewto push for more. When asked what the role of a new gen artist was by tmrw, they said, We shouldnt go backwards, and that they hope to continue to push and inspire their fans in years to come. All artists seek nothing more than to make their mark on the world with their music and Jazmin Bean is certainly one of them. With a mashup of mixed genres such as electropop, metal, trap, pop rock and of course, indieyou name it, the singer has managed to create a lane for themself as a hybrid of opposites. I mean, who would have thought that screaming death metal and sugary sweet pop could go together so perfectly?
Who is Jazmin Bean? A deep dive into the multidiverse mind behind Worldwide Torture
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Who is Jazmin Bean? A deep dive into the multidiverse mind behind 'Worldwide Torture' - Screen Shot
Leading with Character: Diversity of the Mind – HS Today – HSToday
For the past two weeks, Ive blogged on diversity. I believe diversity is far broader than physical appearance. To reduce people to what they look like sells them short on the richness of who they are or how they think. There are three kinds of diversity: demographic diversity (what you look like), experiential diversity (what you know and what youve done), and cognitive diversity (how you think and your personality).
Cognitive Diversity: Perspective and Personality
Perhaps the least understood, and most meaningful, type of diversity is cognitive diversity, which relates to the mind and brain. Cognitive diversity represents how people think, particularly as it pertains to new, uncertain, and complex situations. It covers mental reasoning, intellectual curiosity, and personality traits.
Cognitive diversity isnt directly associated with race, gender, or ethnicity. A Military Leadership Diversity Commission issue paper examined several studies on the relationship between gender and personality versus race/ethnicity and personality. Results indicated the differences in personality between members of different races, genders and ethnicities are minor, whereas differences in personalities are greater within those demographic groups.[i]
In other words, the differences between men and women and between the different racial and ethnic cohorts arent as large as the spectrum of personalities present within any given cohort. For instance, a man and a woman who both have the same personality type may be more similar in many respects than two women with completely different personality types. It follows from the study results that increasing demographic diversity wont necessarily increase cognitive diversity. To increase cognitive diversity, an organization or a team must actively recruit or assign people with different personalities and ways of thinking.
Those findings resonated with me. Throughout my career, people asked me for advice based on the presumption that all women thought the same. Nothing could be further from the truth! Ive served with groups of women who looked like me but whose personalities and perspectives set them as far apart as the walls of the Grand Canyon. Likewise, Ive participated in outwardly diverse-looking but effectively homogenous teams composed of people with perspectives so similar they all fit together as uniformly as brown and white eggs nestled in a carton. I can attest from experience that better results come from the teams rich in cognitive diversity.
Homogenous Workplace Cultures Stifle Individualism and Reward Conformity
Although the value of cognitive diversity seems obvious to me, the longstanding association of diversity with outward appearances runs deep in our society and must be addressed. Alison Reynolds and David Lewis published interesting research on cognitive diversity in the Harvard Business Review. Their findings matched my observations of teams over the years: teams diverse in factors of outward appearance alone (i.e. race, gender, ethnicity) didnt improve group performance. Instead, they found the higher-performing teams were rich in cognitive diversity. I was intrigued by their conclusion that, while cognitive diversity is plentiful in society, its seldom recognized or valued. Too often, homogenous organizational cultures stifle individualism and reward conformity.[ii]
Unfortunately, evidence of this problem abounds throughout society today. People in the group convinced theyre on the right side of an issue or worse yet, on the right side of justice seek to suppress, rather than understand, those on the other side. In seeking a deeper understanding of what we hold to be true, we all have a responsibility to reach out our hand to meet people on the other side of an issue where they are. The goal must be to bridge the differences by better understanding others beliefs, not by undermining those beliefs.
Leading with Character in a Diverse Workplace
American society desperately needs more leaders with the moral courage to promote civil discourse that will unite and strengthen, not divide and weaken. Those leaders of character must encourage different yes, even dissenting points of view. Conversations and discussions in a diverse workplace must be approached with openness, curiosity, and most importantly, humility. If such conversations are grounded in respect, the full benefits of diversity may be realized.
Of the three diversity categories discussed, I believe cognitive diversity is the most impactful, yet is the least understood or valued. Cognitive diversity transcends the segregation sometimes associated with demographic and experiential diversity. People who learn to understand and respect each others perspectives and beliefs can leverage their differences to create innovative, productive outcomes in the workplace.
Look in the Mirror: When building a winning team, do you consider all the elements of diversity, including cognitive diversity?
Please join me again next week for more on Leading with Character.
[i] Military Leadership Diversity Commission, Definition of Diversity, Issue Paper #4 http://mldc.whs.mil/
[ii] Alison Reynolds and David Lewis, Teams Solve Problems Faster When Theyre More Cognitively Diverse, Harvard Business Review, March 30, 2017. https://hbr.org/2017/03/teams-solve-problems-faster-when-theyre-more-cognitively-diverse
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Leading with Character: Diversity of the Mind - HS Today - HSToday
NAMI San Diego and The California School of Professional Psychology Join Forces for ‘The Mind Collective’ – PRNewswire
The group aims to educate, empower, and end stigma. The mission is to create heartfelt communications to help people navigate the world of mental health ideas, concepts, treatments, and realities, while the vision is to promote compassion and understanding through education about mental health facts and lived experiences.
"Uniting to eliminate stigma builds bridges of community, care, and compassion and we are thrilled to be part of such an important initiative," said Cathryn Nacario, CEO of NAMI San Diego.
The newly created website https://www.themindcollective.orgfeatures the highlights of this partnership, including videos, resources, and links to Wellness Wednesdaysan interactive monthly online presentation that generally features a NAMI peer or family member and a CSPP professor speaking on a topic related to mental health and wellness, followed by a Q and A session with audience participation and sharing. The one-hour sessions are free and start at 1 pm on the third Wednesday of every month. Participants can register for the events in the 'Upcoming Events' section on the website.
Along with Wellness Wednesdays, the Mind Collective website will feature videos and podcasts, interviews with peers and professors, and related blogs. The goal is to offer a robust site for the latest in mental wellness news, trends, and information as well as a place for interaction and support.
"This is a cause which is societally vital and also mission-driven and aligns to our university values," said Andy Vaughn, President and CEO of the Alliant International University System. "We are grateful to be a part of building this community and fostering this dialogue."
Mental illness affects everyone in one way or another. One in five people in the United States experience mental health conditions and the numbers are rising in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mind Collective takes a deep dive into the numbers, the stories, the education and, ultimately, the hope.The goal may be lofty, but if this collaboration can help people see that there is a way to live well with mental illness, experiencing recovery through education, support, facts, resources, and sharing, then it could help create a compassionate shift in the culture towards mental health healing, wellness, and understanding.
About NAMI San Diego
The National Alliance on Mental Illness in San Diego is the city's voice on mental illness. It is an affiliate of the grassroots, non-profit, national NAMI organization founded in 1979 by family members of people with mental illness. The mission is to provide support, education and advocacy services for everyone affected by mental illness (including family members and friends). At the heart of NAMI San Diego's vision is the sharing of information and striving to end the stigma associated with mental illness. Their services include education classes, support groups, outreach, housing opportunities, a clubhouse and much more. To learn more, visit http://www.namisandiego.org.
About Alliant International University
Alliant is a private university accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) which offers programs inpsychology,education,business management,forensic studies, andlaw.
Alliant's mission is to prepare students for professional careers of service and leadership, and to promote the discovery and application of knowledge to improve the lives of people in diverse cultures and communities around the world.
Alliant's vision: An Inclusive World Empowered by Alliant Alumni.
More information is available atwww.alliant.edu.
Contact: Cielo VillasenorAVP of CommunicationsAlliant International University [emailprotected]
SOURCE Alliant International University
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NAMI San Diego and The California School of Professional Psychology Join Forces for 'The Mind Collective' - PRNewswire
More states are enacting restrictive abortion laws. Maine Planned Parenthood’s response is to go deep with voters – Maine Public
This year, states have enacted more than 100 restrictions on access to abortion, the most since the landmark case of Roe vs. Wade. In Maine, the legislature considered six bills, and while none of them passed, pro-choice advocates say reproductive rights are under threat. As a response to that, Planned Parenthood in Maine is sending out volunteers to go door to door to garner support. And it's using a strategy called deep canvassing that's designed to move people's opinions, even on hot button issues.
Every Saturday, Planned Parenthood volunteers meet outside the Windham library. They've been going door to door all summer and fall in this southern Maine community which is evenly divided between Democratic, Republican and unenrolled voters.
"We are taking action in this key district. We are learning and growing, always learning something new from our conversations each time," says Kim
On this morning, organizer Katie McClelland tells the eight volunteers that their goal is to have four conversations with voters over the next two hours. Then she gives a pep talk. Knocking on strangers' doors can be intimidating, especially when you're trying to engage them on the subject of abortion.
"I want to acknowledge we may encounter tough voters today while you're at the door. It happens," McClelland tells the volunteers. She reminds them that they're trained and ready, then sends them out.
Patty Wight
After a short drive, volunteer Sarah Mahoney arrives in her assigned neighborhood. She has a list of addresses of moderate voters. Compared to staunch opponents, they're more likely to shift views on abortion.
No one answers at the first couple of houses. But as Mahoney heads up the street, she sees an opportunity. A woman is out for a walk.
"Hey! We're out canvassing. What's your address? I'll see if you're on my list," Mahoney asks.
This woman, who we're only identifying by her first name, Kerry, is not on the list. But she's open to talking so Mahoney begins by asking a baseline question: on a scale of zero to 10, how does she rate her support for access to abortion? 10 means anyone should be able to get an abortion for any reason. Kerry says she's a 7. If this were a typical door to door canvas effort, Mahoney might talk about a political candidate, remind Kerry to vote, and then be on her way. But this is deep canvassing. Mahoney is here to talk about a single issue. She asks Kerry a series of questions to better understand her values. Why does a 7 feel right for her? What's shaped her views on abortion? She doesn't shy away from the personal question, either.
"Have you known anybody personally who's had an abortion, a friend or a family member?" Mahoney asks.
"My mother," Kerry says.
Kerry shares that her parents were young when they had her and weren't ready for another baby. Then Mahoney, who's 60, shares her personal story.
"I know for myself, I had an abortion when I was in my early 20s. I was a little conflicted about it," Mahoney says. "I wanted to have a family, but I was in no way ready to do that."
Mahoney points out to Kerry that they share similar values about responsibility. Because both she and Kerry's mom knew what they were up for when they faced unplanned pregnancies and made the choice that was right for them. They talk for several more minutes, then Mahoney asks her opening question again to see if Kerry has shifted her position on the zero to 10 scale for abortion access.
"Still around 7," Kerry says.
"And just so Im clear, what would be the circumstances where you would say, no they shouldnt have the right to have an abortion?" Mahoney asks.
Kerry pauses to consider. "Thats a good question."
She takes another long pause, and they talk some more. Ultimately, she says she can't think of a circumstance where someone should be denied an abortion.
"There should be no judgment," Kerry says.
She moves her position to a 10. After a 20 minute conversation, this voter just moved on abortion rights.
"What we've found doing this is that it is an effective way to change minds about abortion," says Amy Cookson, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood in Maine. She says they started deep canvassing in 2015. Republican Governor Paul LePage had just been re-elected, and Cookson says Planned Parenthood realized they needed to talk to voters differently. The strategy had been used in California to garner support for same sex marriage. And subsequent research by Josh Kalla , an assistant professor of political science at Yale University, has found evidence that deep canvassing can change people's deeply held beliefs. The critical elements, Kalla says, are listening without judgment and sharing stories, especially from the canvasser.
Patty Wight
"So whether the person had an abortion is talking about their abortion story, or whether the person is an ally and is talking about a friend or family member who had an abortion and is sharing that story, the effects seem to be quite similar," Kalla says.
Kalla has studied Planned Parenthood's efforts in Maine, and says they've added another element that's effective: moral reframing. Canvassers listen carefully for the moral values a voter emphasizes, and then incorporate that value into the story they share. At the end of these conversations, voters are asked to take action, such as urging members of Congress to support Medicaid funding for abortions. Kalla's research finds that people are more willing to take political action. And they're more likely to support reproductive rights, even though that support wanes over time.
"We're in a world right now with booster shots. Maybe you need a booster shot with a canvassing conversation, would be one idea," Kalla says. "Or a second idea is maybe they're just different things that we could have done in that initial conversation to make it stronger."
Back in Windham, canvasser Sarah Mahoney strikes up a conversation with a man named Chris. He opposes abortion except in cases of sexual assault. He tells Mahoney he had his first daughter when he was 15.
"Do you talk about, I'm curious, birth control and abortion?" Mahoney asks.
"I do with her a lot. Because I dont want her to have to make a decision like that. Because its going to be hard for her, and I dont know what I would do, if I would let her or try to change her mind," Chris says. "But then again, its her own life, I dont know if I would even try to change her mind. Because its her decision."
As they talk more, Chris seems to support choice. But at the end of their conversation, he doesn't budge on the rating scale. Mahoney says that's okay. Not everyone is going to change their mind right away.
"The worst way to think about this is that like, it's some kind of Jedi mind trick. And I'm going to let them talk about themselves, and then - pow! We'll change their mind," Mahoney says.
She just hopes people think more deeply about the nuances around abortion. And she says that sharing her story, which she mostly kept a secret before doing this work, has helped her feel less stigmatized.
"I just feel like we all need to be taking steps to hear one another and move towards each other. Instead of just diving into this divisive, contrary, hostile, Red and Blue world," Mahoney says.
In the five years she's been doing this kind of advocacy, Mahoney says she hasn't had a single unpleasant conversation. She hopes there will be more discussion on the issue of abortion in the months ahead. And there likely will be. Planned Parenthood in Maine has trained affiliates in other states on the process of deep canvassing.
Softmax-free Vision Transformer With Linear Complexity: Achieving a Superior Accuracy/Complexity Trade-off – Synced
While vision transformers (ViTs) have achieved impressive performance in computer vision and advanced the state-of-the-art for various vision tasks, a bottleneck impeding further progress with ViTs in this area is their quadratic complexity.
In the NeurIPS 2021 spotlight paper SOFT: Softmax-free Transformer with Linear Complexity, researchers from Fudan University, University of Surrey and Huawei Noahs Ark Lab identify the limitations of quadratic complexity for ViTs as rooted in keeping the softmax self-attention during approximations. To alleviate this computational burden, the team proposes the first softmax-free transformer (SOFT), which reduces self-attention computation to linear complexity, achieving a superior trade-off between accuracy and complexity.
The team summarizes their studys main contributions as:
In traditional ViTs, given a sequence of tokens with each token represented by a d-dimensional feature vector, a self-attention mechanism aims to discover the correlations of all token pairs, thus producing the problematic quadratic complexity. The proposed SOFT instead employs a softmax-free self-attention function with the dot-product replaced by a Gaussian kernel. To solve the convergence and quadratic complexity issues, the researchers leverage low-rank regularization, which enables SOFT model complexity to be reduced significantly by not computing the full self-attention matrix.
The team evaluated the proposed SOFT on the ILSVRC-2012 ImageNet-1K dataset, reporting top-1 accuracy for model performance, and model size and floating-point operations to assess cost-effectiveness.
SOFT achieved the best performance in the experiments, bettering recent pure vision transformer based methods ViT and DeiT, as well as the state-of-the-art CNN RegNet; and outperformed all variants of its most architecturally similar counterpart, the Pyramid Vision Transformer (PVT).
Overall, the study shows that SOFTs novel design eliminates the need for softmax normalization and yields a superior trade-off between accuracy and complexity.
The paper SOFT: Softmax-free Transformer with Linear Complexity is on arXiv.
Author: Hecate He |Editor: Michael Sarazen
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Mindfulness Gifts: The 15 Best Holiday Gifts for Mindfulness – Healthline
Do One Thing Every Day That Makes You Happy: A Journal
Visual learners will find ample opportunity for focus, gratitude, and delight inside and outside of themselves with this journal. Prompts, exercises, and insight from writers, philosophers, musicians, and leaders provide a chance for quiet reflection.
We give this journal bonus points for being so well thought out, complete with spaces for date entries. As a bonus, its the gift that keeps on giving: Its intended for a few minutes of daily mindfulness, so people can measure their growth throughout the entire year.
There are regular bath bombs, and then there are Bathorium bath bombs. A fragrant, comforting soak is a wonderful way to encourage loved ones to ease into relaxation, and this set makes it easy and completely indulgent.
This set comes with 5 fizzy, slow-releasing bath bombs in bewitching scents (think eucalyptus, rose, and patchouli) that are free of artificial fragrance and phthalates. Bathorium uses organic, ethically sourced ingredients and recycled materials, making this gift as eco-friendly as it is thoughtful.
Sometimes, we need a little help practicing mindfulness. This meditative gift card set from Uncommon Goods has more than 50 prompts and exercises divided into 4 sections:
Pick a card, any card, for gentle guidance into breathwork and the art of staying present. Its a simple, thoughtful gift that will be appreciated again and again.
This set is for the little ones, and its specifically designed for smoother, easier bedtimes. The bedtime collection features 40 beautifully watercolored illustrations with kid-friendly guided meditations and prompts to help calm active bodies and busy minds. By focusing their energy, the cards (and the included detailed instructions for parents or caretakers) can help guide your child to a restful place and with a little luck, off to sleep in no time flat.
Adult coloring books are a comforting, familiar way to focus the mind and relax the body. This mindfulness coloring book is filled with dreamy, creative illustrations and patterns (along with gentle reminders to breathe). Illustrations are printed on single-sided sheets, so bleeding ink wont ruffle anyones feathers and take them out of the moment.
Aromatherapy is a holistic treatment that frequently uses fragrant plant extracts (lavender, eucalyptus, or tea tree, for example) to improve the health of the mind, body, and spirit. This grounding treatment can be used to unwind or ease stress.
The mindful edition of the Pocket Farmacy from Saje means your gift recipient has essential oil roll-ons to promote awareness, stillness, focus, and energy, no matter where they go. The 5 blends can be used in myriad ways they can rub it into their palms and cup their hands over the nose and mouth, breathing deeply. For on the go relaxation, giftees can apply oils to pulse points for a quick moment of (fragrant) Zen.
This beautiful, cordless diffuser is a perfect mini replica of the moon. Made of textured, BPA-free plastic and recycled wood, the artisan design doubles as a diffuser and a lamp. Your gift recipient can enjoy the fragrance of their favorite essential oil and choose from 3 options that mimic the moons natural light.
A dimming feature makes it perfect for enjoying late at night, and the diffuser manages to capture the same soothing wonder that comes from gazing at the moon.
With its ideal shape and height, this organic meditation pillow from Avocado will elevate your gift recipients meditation practice (in more ways than one). The buckwheat fill offers firm yet comfortable support that yields to curves and properly supports the spine, allowing them to channel their thoughts, focus their mind, and breathe. Plus, the sturdy handle is a smart design feature that makes this pillow super easy to tote around.
Im Outside captured forest air and bottled it. Giftees can spritz this super refreshing scent and take a few deep breaths as an immediate shortcut to feeling calmer and more balanced, even when stuck inside. The self-care mist (dont mistake it for a perfume or a home fragrance) blends tree oil phytoncides from cypress, spruce, Japanese mint, and pine with vitamin D3 and microalgae for a little dose of positive energy you cant help but lose yourself in the moment in the very best way.
The Shift is an organic breathing tool that doubles as a stylish necklace, inspired by Japanese monks. Shaped like a whistle, its a simple, quiet way to slow the exhale and promote the feeling of calm. Deep, diaphragm breathing promotes mindfulness and relaxation, acting as the bodys natural tranquilizer.
With a choice of 4 colors and an upgraded chain option, this is a beautiful, thoughtful way to give someone the gift of daily mindfulness.
With its subdued solstice pattern, this eye mask and neck wrap set are designed for ultimate relaxation. You can drape the wrap around the neck and slip the mask over the eyes for a few minutes of soothing, mindful relief. Handmade with 100% cotton and linen and filled with unscented lentils, both the neck wrap and the eye mask can be applied warm or cold their choice and makes for a wonderful, functional gift.
The WonderScape is a piece of heirloom art and a sensory stress-relief tool in one. Handmade in a Portland studio from start to finish, the understated set comes with a 9-inch handmade wooden tray, two patterned cement spheres, and fine sand. Roll and press the spheres in the sand to promote focus, peace, and playfulness. Its a functional piece of art and a truly thoughtful gift.
This is the mindfulness gift for the person in your life who believes everything happens for a reason. The set of wellness dice includes 6 color-coded blocks with 36 practices, which means there are thousands of possible combinations for calming meditations, mantras, movements, breathwork, journaling, and self-care.
What wisdom does the universe hold? Roll and see.
Painting with water on stone is a quiet meditation thats been practiced for thousands of years by Zen Buddhist monks, and this set makes the practice accessible to just about anyone. This simple slate tablet and brush delivers a lesson in impermanence (a Buddhist belief of the ongoing process of living and dying at the same time). As the water evaporates, designs and words disappear. Your gift recipient can use it, again and again, to get thoughts, struggles, and affirmations out of their head and into the world, to practice calligraphy, or just to doodle.
This impressive little app is designed to alleviate stress and anxiety, help people fall asleep faster, boost energy, and improve endurance, all through the power of breath work. While the app is free to everyone, the pro subscription unlocks over 100 additional exercises, progress tracking, a customizable homepage, and other perks.
Over 800,000 users have already found out what a difference a few minutes of intentional, guided breathing can make in their day. Right now, Breathwrk is offering a get breath, give breath annual subscription deal to benefit you and the friend or family member of your choice. Its a good way to spread a little mindfulness around.
Jessica Timmons has been working as a freelance writer since 2007, covering everything from pregnancy and parenting to cannabis, chiropractic, stand-up paddling, fitness, martial arts, home decor, and much more. Her work has appeared in mindbodygreen, Pregnancy & Newborn, Modern Parents Messy Kids, and Coffee + Crumbs. See what shes up to now at jessicatimmons.com.
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Mindfulness Gifts: The 15 Best Holiday Gifts for Mindfulness - Healthline
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This repository contains implementations and illustrative code to accompanyDeepMind publications. Along with publishing papers to accompany researchconducted at DeepMind, we release open-sourceenvironments,data sets,and code toenable the broader research community to engage with our work and build upon it,with the ultimate goal of accelerating scientific progress to benefit society.For example, you can build on our implementations of theDeep Q-Network orDifferential Neural Computer, or experimentin the same environments we use for our research, such asDeepMind Lab orStarCraft II.
If you enjoy building tools, environments, software libraries, and otherinfrastructure of the kind listed below, you can view open positions to work inrelated areas on our careers page.
For a full list of our publications, please seehttps://deepmind.com/research/publications/
This is not an official Google product.
This repository contains implementations and illustrative code to accompany DeepMind publications
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GitHub - deepmind/deepmind-research: This repository ...