ANXIOUS  GENERATION                 Reward-seeking parts of the brain mature earlier. The frontal cortex - essential for self control, delay of gratification and resistance to temptation - is not up to the full capacity until the mid-20s. Pre-teens are particularly vulnerable. As they begin puberty, they are often socially insecure and easily swayed by peer pressure.                The generation born after 1995 is popularly known as generation Z. Generation Z teens got sucked into spending many hours of each day scrolling thru the shiny happy posts of friends,  ...

                                            STUCK IN THE PLACE WHERE YOU ARE BORN                 The notion that people should be able to choose their own communities - instead of  being  stuck wherever they happen to be born - is America's most profound contribution to  the world. Many of  our country's most glaring injustices result from the ways in which this  freedom has been denied to  those who need it most. America is a nation of migrants. At the  end of 19th century roughly 1/3 of all  Americans changed addresses each year. On average  migrants have always grown more prosperous  than those who have stayed in one place.  Mobility has been the great engine of American prosperity.  But for the last 50 years, the  engine of American opportunity has been grinding to a ha...

                                                                  MAULANA  AZAD                Maulana Azad was one of the political leaders  who played a prominent role in India's struggle  for independence from the British rule. He was born in a Muslim family which was imbued with deep  religious beliefs. But as he grew older, he could not reconcile himself with the prevailing customs and  beliefs of his family. He decided to adopt the pen name of "Azad" to indicate his freedom from his  inherited beliefs. He was in favor of studying modern science.                Azad followed Gandhiji after he appeared on the Indian screen. He joined the Congress party which adopted Gandhiji's idea of civil disobedience in the fi...

                                                            MOURNING                 Every adult human being goes thru an experience of loss of a loved one.  A period of mourning follows. Some of us try to cut short this period by escaping into  addiction, religious ritualism or a travelling spree. But this is not the best way to deal with the loss. We have to bear with the process of mourning. First thing to do is to stay in the same place with  courage and tolerate the pain and sadness of our loss. We have to digest all emotions of grieving. Recall all details of the event, again and again, without stopping tears. What is likely to follow is  some peaceful reckoning with reality and regaining positivity and motivation for life. 

                                              POVERTY   AND  GOVERNMENT  POLICY                        1)      Unfortunately countries which are relatively poor spend lower fraction                                of  their gdp    behind social welfare,  compared to  richer  countries.                                           2)    Giving free money to the poor, contrary to widely held belief, does not                           make them lazy or work less. This has been shown in empirical re...

                                                2024  USA   ELECTION           This November our presidental election is critical. One candidate is a person who is  unpredictable, authoritarian, of flawed character and non-inclusive. The other one at least  is  predictable and faithful to US constitution. Choice is clear. We should vote to preserve  our democracy and associated freedoms and rule of law. Do not neglect to vote this  November.

                                                TO BE GRATEFUL  &  TO BE FORGIVING                Remembering somebody who has enriched our life, with a sense of gratitude, gives a  soothing feeling to our heart. From our parents, our teachers, great writers, to inspiring leaders:  frequently and sincerely expressing our gratefulness to those who have helped us in any way, brings  peace to our mind.                Another thing to do to be happier is to let go of past resentments. To forgive someone who may have offended us in the past is a wise thing to do. Just as carrying a light luggage in travel  makes our journey more comfortable, reducing vengefulness toward  persons who may have caused us  a grief at some point in life, relieves us of a bu...

                                                            ATTITUDE           In our life and death  there are very few things we can control. Our mental attitude is one of those things which we can relatively control. Our attitude toward things and  people plays a large role in our being happy or miserable.           Some of our suffering is caused by being bothered about what other people think or  talk about  us. Think: "other people's feelings or opinions do not touch my skin. Why  should   I be bothered? It is OK if some people do not like me. So what?"           We often make ourselves miserable by brooding about regrets and resentments  of the past: Why did my father always put me down? Why did I not get admission to a...

                                                     PLIGHT  OF   PALESTINIAN   ARABS                The current Israel-Gaza war is a tragic war. Barbaric killing of Israeli civilians  (including women and children) by Hamas radicals, on October 7, 2023, must be deplored. But the retaliatory Israeli bombardment of Gaza Strip (on a massive scale) has led to killing  and wounding of thousands of innocent civilians. This is equally unacceptable. Many  Gazan cvilians have been uprooted from their homes and are suffering from lack of enough food, water, electricity and medical care. The ravages of this war continue uninterrupted. There is an urgent appeal from international quarters for a ceasefire. What needs to follow  is a multiparty effort at peace negotiations with an u...