The Evolution of Ink and Its Usage in Society

The following is a brief and selective history of the evolution of the usage ink from monks transcribing documents in medieval times to bloggers of the present day.
Northern England, 1323, a monastery: A studious man sits quietly anchored to his desk, penitent and devout as he attends to a seemingly endless task. He has a copy of the Bible in front of him, handwritten by some other monk, that he is copying page by page in a show of his faith. It will be months if not years before he is done, until every page is immaculately rendered, and then the cycle will begin anew. It will be another century before the invention of the printing press gives monks vast blocks of time they never had. This is how books get made.
London, 1590, the Globe Theater: It's been a century and a half now since a former goldsmith named Johannes Guttenberg built the first printing press off of existing screw processes, and the world of printing has come a long way. Nearly 200 million volumes have been printed, and among them is work after work by a playwright with a theater next to the Thames River. William Shakespeare will enjoy modest success and praise in his lifetime and not be a celebrity until two centuries after his death, though the works he publishes will endure to the current day.
Boston, 1850, a factory: Another few hundred years have passed, and printing and the world in general have undergone another metamorphosis. The weaver sits at her loom late into the evening, the sun long since given its notice for the day, the smoke from the oil lamps in her workplace blackening the walls. For her six days and 70 hours of work this week, she will earn approximately $3.25 (about $84 in today's money). Conditions will not change much within her lifetime, though literature has already began to reflect the emergence of the Industrial Revolution. It is making note of her struggles, if only for posterity.
New York, 1909, the streets: It is the best of times to own a newspaper in New York. It is the worst of times. Because of an ever-burgeoning immigrant population as well as a heavy volume of other transplants to America's most populous city, there are now 11 daily newspapers (eight of which will be long-dead a century later.) They are publications with names like World, American, and Mirror, newspapers that fight pitched battles between each other in the battle for supremacy, sending their paperboys out like foot soldiers. Rivers could run black with all the ink in use.
Sydney, current day, a living room: The blogger sits on a barstool at his counter, laptop before him, tapping out his post for the day. His canvas is the Web, his audience digital, and it's rare for him to furnish physical copies of his work. There's simply no need for it. This is what printing has come to. Sure, the blogger has a few unopened Canon ink cartridges in his closet that may be of use at some point in the future but the Internet provides its own means of vast distribution, and in a sense things have come full circle. The blogger is a monk of the modern age.

The Evolution of Ink and Its Usage in Society

The following is a brief and selective history of the evolution of the usage ink from monks transcribing documents in medieval times to bloggers of the present day.
Northern England, 1323, a monastery: A studious man sits quietly anchored to his desk, penitent and devout as he attends to a seemingly endless task. He has a copy of the Bible in front of him, handwritten by some other monk, that he is copying page by page in a show of his faith. It will be months if not years before he is done, until every page is immaculately rendered, and then the cycle will begin anew. It will be another century before the invention of the printing press gives monks vast blocks of time they never had. This is how books get made.
London, 1590, the Globe Theater: It's been a century and a half now since a former goldsmith named Johannes Guttenberg built the first printing press off of existing screw processes, and the world of printing has come a long way. Nearly 200 million volumes have been printed, and among them is work after work by a playwright with a theater next to the Thames River. William Shakespeare will enjoy modest success and praise in his lifetime and not be a celebrity until two centuries after his death, though the works he publishes will endure to the current day.
Boston, 1850, a factory: Another few hundred years have passed, and printing and the world in general have undergone another metamorphosis. The weaver sits at her loom late into the evening, the sun long since given its notice for the day, the smoke from the oil lamps in her workplace blackening the walls. For her six days and 70 hours of work this week, she will earn approximately $3.25 (about $84 in today's money). Conditions will not change much within her lifetime, though literature has already began to reflect the emergence of the Industrial Revolution. It is making note of her struggles, if only for posterity.
New York, 1909, the streets: It is the best of times to own a newspaper in New York. It is the worst of times. Because of an ever-burgeoning immigrant population as well as a heavy volume of other transplants to America's most populous city, there are now 11 daily newspapers (eight of which will be long-dead a century later.) They are publications with names like World, American, and Mirror, newspapers that fight pitched battles between each other in the battle for supremacy, sending their paperboys out like foot soldiers. Rivers could run black with all the ink in use.
Sydney, current day, a living room: The blogger sits on a barstool at his counter, laptop before him, tapping out his post for the day. His canvas is the Web, his audience digital, and it's rare for him to furnish physical copies of his work. There's simply no need for it. This is what printing has come to. Sure, the blogger has a few unopened Canon ink cartridges in his closet that may be of use at some point in the future but the Internet provides its own means of vast distribution, and in a sense things have come full circle. The blogger is a monk of the modern age.

Is Charitable Giving Becoming Part of the Corporate Culture?

Charitable giving has been part of the business culture ever since businesses have begun making huge amounts of money. But these days all businesses are incorporating elements of social responsibility into their corporate culture. In fact, recently Google announced that the employee bonus program at their company will tie 25% of employee bonuses to social activity. But they're not the only one giving.
A women from Shelbyville, TN has been organizing a drive to get fleece blankets to the victims of Japan's recent earthquake. In a recent interview she said, "It's just a small thing we can do. We receive thousands of letters and thank you notes every year from children. Over and over they express how touched they are that a stranger would take the time to make something for them. They really know the difference. Purchased blankets are nice, but handmade blankets are from the heart."
And many companies are joining this idea as they send fleece blankets and sheet sets to disaster stricken areas. Some companies have even taken the idea further and are becoming a "Buy 1 Give 1" business. This means that for every fleece blanket that a customer buys for themselves, the company donates the exact same blanket to a person in need. Though most recipients are children, they are definitely not the only ones that are benefiting from the new form of corporate giving. Many people of all ages and all around the world are becoming more and more connected to these initiatives.
Though some may be skeptical of this new found interest of giving by corporate interests, the facts on the ground currently suggest that this is a trend that is worth developing. As long as companies are being held accountable for the amount of donations they are supposed to give, then this new form of corporate sponsored charity should benefit everyone.
With the success of corporate giving tests like the laptop buy 1 give 1 idea from 2008, many companies are now offering many products that could benefit those in need - from shoes to fleece blankets and sheet sets. All the basic necessities are now being consumed by the giving spree. And despite the cautionary outlook that many customers feel, it seems to be making a big difference, much bigger than anyone could have imagined. It will be very interesting to see where corporations and smaller businesses will take this idea. What can the next step of charitable giving be? We will have to wait and see. But for the meantime, it is a blessed change from the corporate behavior we were used to seeing in the past decades.

Is Charitable Giving Becoming Part of the Corporate Culture?

Charitable giving has been part of the business culture ever since businesses have begun making huge amounts of money. But these days all businesses are incorporating elements of social responsibility into their corporate culture. In fact, recently Google announced that the employee bonus program at their company will tie 25% of employee bonuses to social activity. But they're not the only one giving.
A women from Shelbyville, TN has been organizing a drive to get fleece blankets to the victims of Japan's recent earthquake. In a recent interview she said, "It's just a small thing we can do. We receive thousands of letters and thank you notes every year from children. Over and over they express how touched they are that a stranger would take the time to make something for them. They really know the difference. Purchased blankets are nice, but handmade blankets are from the heart."
And many companies are joining this idea as they send fleece blankets and sheet sets to disaster stricken areas. Some companies have even taken the idea further and are becoming a "Buy 1 Give 1" business. This means that for every fleece blanket that a customer buys for themselves, the company donates the exact same blanket to a person in need. Though most recipients are children, they are definitely not the only ones that are benefiting from the new form of corporate giving. Many people of all ages and all around the world are becoming more and more connected to these initiatives.
Though some may be skeptical of this new found interest of giving by corporate interests, the facts on the ground currently suggest that this is a trend that is worth developing. As long as companies are being held accountable for the amount of donations they are supposed to give, then this new form of corporate sponsored charity should benefit everyone.
With the success of corporate giving tests like the laptop buy 1 give 1 idea from 2008, many companies are now offering many products that could benefit those in need - from shoes to fleece blankets and sheet sets. All the basic necessities are now being consumed by the giving spree. And despite the cautionary outlook that many customers feel, it seems to be making a big difference, much bigger than anyone could have imagined. It will be very interesting to see where corporations and smaller businesses will take this idea. What can the next step of charitable giving be? We will have to wait and see. But for the meantime, it is a blessed change from the corporate behavior we were used to seeing in the past decades.

America, Utopia, and The Future

All societies have four fundamental aspects.

1. How the individuals of society organize moral laws and guidelines (Human Rights)
2. How the individuals of society organize and regulate themselves (Government)
3. How these individuals exchange goods and commerce (Economy)
4. How these individuals apply their time and knowledge, in the form of crafting tools to further their own ends (Technology)

Part ONE - Human RightsThe question is therefore - in a Utopia - the ultimate goal of humankind since the dawn of remembered ages - how would these four aspects be arranged?
Enlightenment Philosophy - those ideas upon which the United States was founded - holds that humans have a fundamental state of nature. In other words - before a human (or group of humans) form a culture or society - there is a universal state in which all humans find themselves. Depending on which philosopher you read, this state of nature is either one of chaos or of bliss - [John Locke's Two Treatises on Government vs. Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan.]
Out of the state of nature, mankind enters into a social contract. This essentially means that all peoples within a given land agree to adhere to a fundamental set of laws - thereby establishing their own constitutions of self-government. As all societies and cultures are made of the individuals that they encompass (the idea behind Hobbes' Leviathan) - individuals are the ultimate source of power in any given culture.
It is by agreeing to the social contract that the individuals of society (hereby referred to as the people) agree to further certain ends. In the Pre-Amble of the Constitution of the United States of America these six ends are defined as follows:

1. To form a more perfect Union,
2. To establish Justice,
3. To insure domestic Tranquility,
4. To provide for the common defense,
5. To promote the general Welfare, and
6. To secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity [children]

The People thereby agree to impose upon themselves the obligation to follow the laws of society, understanding that by following these laws they further the divinely inspired ends to which all humans aspire.However, as also stated in the Constitution of The United States - the people are also within their god-given rights to not follow the laws of society in the event that the government has become destructive to the purposes under which the people agreed to follow the laws of society.
In other words, if the government were to systematically oppress and cheat it's citizens, it is within the natural rights of all humans to reform or rebel against a totalitarian or oppressive regime.
In the discussion of human rights in a Utopia, all of the aforementioned rights would be required and necessary. A Utopian society could not be enforced by a central government - to the contrary, this would be the exact opposite of Utopia -dictatorship. Instead, the Utopian society would be understood to be founded upon well-natured, caring, and responsible citizens whom actively police their own actions - not only as individuals, but as a culture.
Let it therefore be understood that the liberty and freedom of The People is the fundamental element upon which a Utopia would be founded. Not Government, nor Economy, Nor Technology. All other configurations of society would ultimately end in oppression.
The duty of citizens in a Utopian society is education. The Founding Fathers of this United States of America understood this clearly.
To quote Thomas Jefferson -

I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome direction, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power.

To paraphrase this in more modern English:

I know of no better fail-safe against abuse of power than the people themselves, and if they are not aware enough to govern themselves in accordance with the common good, then the solution is not to revoke their rights, but to enlighten their minds through education - this is the true remedy against abuse of power.

Therefore we can concur that in a Utopia the main stress of culture would be to educate and inform the people. The spread of information would therefor be paramount to all other concerns of law.Part TWO - Law and Government
[In the following, let it be known that The State refers to the working body of legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government that arise to keep the constitution written and adopted by The People safe and secure.]
Within a Utopian society it is understood that the fundamental building block which holds the rest of society in working order is The People. Though not just any people are worthy - nor even CAPABLE of keeping a Utopia RUNNING. Only a well-informed, well-educated body of MORAL citizens can keep a Utopian society truly a Utopia - IN OTHER WORDS: The stability of The State is wholly dependent upon EDUCATING and INFORMING The People. [the individuals of society]
Therefore, the government should be reflective of the end to ensure that The People are always kept well-informed.
The primary focus of government is then to promote and keep transparency in all areas except where it poses a threat to The State [the most obvious being military planning]
Similar to government regulatory bodies seen today - The FDA being the prime most example. The government of a Utopian society would be primarily concerned with the spread of information to the purpose of informing The People.
In a Utopia, one could speculate that the role of Universities would be very cherished and valued. The role of INFORMATION would be well understood by a Utopian culture and very treasured - as well as protected. The Government would be made of prominent, learned scholars - though in effect, everyone in the Utopian society would be very, very well-educated.
The secondary purpose of a transparent governing body is to prevent corruption.Foreign enemies pose great threats to any state - though they have the disadvantage of being visible to the culture to which they are an enemy. It is however domestic enemies that have the significant advantage of being invisible to the culture to which they wish to destroy.
It is therefore a government that promotes and practices transparency that is most well defended against corruption. Corruption in the government leads to the oppression of The People - which in turn ends in revolution and open rebellion - and therefore, the destruction of The State.
Part THREE - Economy:
The economy of a free people is one that requires no regulation. In a transparent and open society, the negative impact of any products would be well-understood. In a compassionate and loving citizen body such products would not be bought and therefore would not be produced. The making of such objects illegal through prohibition would be as unnecessary as it is futile. [History has shown time and time again that prohibition is about as effective as throwing a wet rag at a charging bear.] The duty of the government in the economy would not be any regulation or "approval" of products - merely the well-documented, objective analysis of the effects of these products, and a review of their efficiency as related to cost.
In a Utopia, such products as dangerous pharmaceuticals and dirty energy sources such as coal would not exist - simple because the consequences of such products would be well-understood by The People and would not be purchased by upright and moral citizens who understand that these products are destructive to the ends under which they entered the social contract.
Part FOUR - Technology
Science, when pursued as the "ultimate goal" or man - loses its perspective as but one of many areas of human knowledge in the quest for the divine. Pursuing scientific understanding merely for the sake of "knowing" is similar in thought and concept to masturbating. In a Utopia, science would be in its rightful place not as the ultimate goal of mankind, but merely as a means to an end.
In a Utopia, technology would be fundamental in the spread of information. As such, informational technologies would be actively improved and enhanced. In this modern age, technologies such as the internet are our most active examples of the sorts of technology Utopian citizens would have access to - though presumably they would also invent a myriad of technologies much more efficient in comparison to cost.
Technology would also be fundamental in many of the same ways it is in the modern world. Producing energy, farming, and transportation. HOWEVER - it is presumable that in a Utopian culture Mother Earth would be quintessentially understood as a fundamental component of life and as such all technologies would be developed in accordance with the rhythms of nature.
Humankind is at the brink of all four of these elements coming together in harmony and union. It is only by the unhindered will of The People acting in accordance with God that Utopia can be ACHIEVED.

America, Utopia, and The Future

All societies have four fundamental aspects.

1. How the individuals of society organize moral laws and guidelines (Human Rights)
2. How the individuals of society organize and regulate themselves (Government)
3. How these individuals exchange goods and commerce (Economy)
4. How these individuals apply their time and knowledge, in the form of crafting tools to further their own ends (Technology)

Part ONE - Human RightsThe question is therefore - in a Utopia - the ultimate goal of humankind since the dawn of remembered ages - how would these four aspects be arranged?
Enlightenment Philosophy - those ideas upon which the United States was founded - holds that humans have a fundamental state of nature. In other words - before a human (or group of humans) form a culture or society - there is a universal state in which all humans find themselves. Depending on which philosopher you read, this state of nature is either one of chaos or of bliss - [John Locke's Two Treatises on Government vs. Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan.]
Out of the state of nature, mankind enters into a social contract. This essentially means that all peoples within a given land agree to adhere to a fundamental set of laws - thereby establishing their own constitutions of self-government. As all societies and cultures are made of the individuals that they encompass (the idea behind Hobbes' Leviathan) - individuals are the ultimate source of power in any given culture.
It is by agreeing to the social contract that the individuals of society (hereby referred to as the people) agree to further certain ends. In the Pre-Amble of the Constitution of the United States of America these six ends are defined as follows:

1. To form a more perfect Union,
2. To establish Justice,
3. To insure domestic Tranquility,
4. To provide for the common defense,
5. To promote the general Welfare, and
6. To secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity [children]

The People thereby agree to impose upon themselves the obligation to follow the laws of society, understanding that by following these laws they further the divinely inspired ends to which all humans aspire.However, as also stated in the Constitution of The United States - the people are also within their god-given rights to not follow the laws of society in the event that the government has become destructive to the purposes under which the people agreed to follow the laws of society.
In other words, if the government were to systematically oppress and cheat it's citizens, it is within the natural rights of all humans to reform or rebel against a totalitarian or oppressive regime.
In the discussion of human rights in a Utopia, all of the aforementioned rights would be required and necessary. A Utopian society could not be enforced by a central government - to the contrary, this would be the exact opposite of Utopia -dictatorship. Instead, the Utopian society would be understood to be founded upon well-natured, caring, and responsible citizens whom actively police their own actions - not only as individuals, but as a culture.
Let it therefore be understood that the liberty and freedom of The People is the fundamental element upon which a Utopia would be founded. Not Government, nor Economy, Nor Technology. All other configurations of society would ultimately end in oppression.
The duty of citizens in a Utopian society is education. The Founding Fathers of this United States of America understood this clearly.
To quote Thomas Jefferson -

I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome direction, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power.

To paraphrase this in more modern English:

I know of no better fail-safe against abuse of power than the people themselves, and if they are not aware enough to govern themselves in accordance with the common good, then the solution is not to revoke their rights, but to enlighten their minds through education - this is the true remedy against abuse of power.

Therefore we can concur that in a Utopia the main stress of culture would be to educate and inform the people. The spread of information would therefor be paramount to all other concerns of law.Part TWO - Law and Government
[In the following, let it be known that The State refers to the working body of legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government that arise to keep the constitution written and adopted by The People safe and secure.]
Within a Utopian society it is understood that the fundamental building block which holds the rest of society in working order is The People. Though not just any people are worthy - nor even CAPABLE of keeping a Utopia RUNNING. Only a well-informed, well-educated body of MORAL citizens can keep a Utopian society truly a Utopia - IN OTHER WORDS: The stability of The State is wholly dependent upon EDUCATING and INFORMING The People. [the individuals of society]
Therefore, the government should be reflective of the end to ensure that The People are always kept well-informed.
The primary focus of government is then to promote and keep transparency in all areas except where it poses a threat to The State [the most obvious being military planning]
Similar to government regulatory bodies seen today - The FDA being the prime most example. The government of a Utopian society would be primarily concerned with the spread of information to the purpose of informing The People.
In a Utopia, one could speculate that the role of Universities would be very cherished and valued. The role of INFORMATION would be well understood by a Utopian culture and very treasured - as well as protected. The Government would be made of prominent, learned scholars - though in effect, everyone in the Utopian society would be very, very well-educated.
The secondary purpose of a transparent governing body is to prevent corruption.Foreign enemies pose great threats to any state - though they have the disadvantage of being visible to the culture to which they are an enemy. It is however domestic enemies that have the significant advantage of being invisible to the culture to which they wish to destroy.
It is therefore a government that promotes and practices transparency that is most well defended against corruption. Corruption in the government leads to the oppression of The People - which in turn ends in revolution and open rebellion - and therefore, the destruction of The State.
Part THREE - Economy:
The economy of a free people is one that requires no regulation. In a transparent and open society, the negative impact of any products would be well-understood. In a compassionate and loving citizen body such products would not be bought and therefore would not be produced. The making of such objects illegal through prohibition would be as unnecessary as it is futile. [History has shown time and time again that prohibition is about as effective as throwing a wet rag at a charging bear.] The duty of the government in the economy would not be any regulation or "approval" of products - merely the well-documented, objective analysis of the effects of these products, and a review of their efficiency as related to cost.
In a Utopia, such products as dangerous pharmaceuticals and dirty energy sources such as coal would not exist - simple because the consequences of such products would be well-understood by The People and would not be purchased by upright and moral citizens who understand that these products are destructive to the ends under which they entered the social contract.
Part FOUR - Technology
Science, when pursued as the "ultimate goal" or man - loses its perspective as but one of many areas of human knowledge in the quest for the divine. Pursuing scientific understanding merely for the sake of "knowing" is similar in thought and concept to masturbating. In a Utopia, science would be in its rightful place not as the ultimate goal of mankind, but merely as a means to an end.
In a Utopia, technology would be fundamental in the spread of information. As such, informational technologies would be actively improved and enhanced. In this modern age, technologies such as the internet are our most active examples of the sorts of technology Utopian citizens would have access to - though presumably they would also invent a myriad of technologies much more efficient in comparison to cost.
Technology would also be fundamental in many of the same ways it is in the modern world. Producing energy, farming, and transportation. HOWEVER - it is presumable that in a Utopian culture Mother Earth would be quintessentially understood as a fundamental component of life and as such all technologies would be developed in accordance with the rhythms of nature.
Humankind is at the brink of all four of these elements coming together in harmony and union. It is only by the unhindered will of The People acting in accordance with God that Utopia can be ACHIEVED.

The Five Basic Traits, Continuity, Genes Versus Environment, and the Twin Studies

This article describes the five basic traits, continuity, genes versus environment and the twin studies. In terms of the five basic traits, I would describe myself as an extroverted, open to experience, conscientious, agreeable and not neurotic woman, or a woman who tends to be described by these traits. Not only can most people notice these traits in me over time or for a while but also they can notice them in all the areas of my life, such as the social, the spiritual, the financial, the physical, and the mental area. I am characterized by these traits in the long haul or in a continuous way.
There are two kinds of continuity: absolute and differential. Absolute continuity is the consistency in the amount of traits exhibited, and differential continuity is the consistency in individual differences in trait results over time. Some research showed how extraversion or positive affectivity, correlate to BAS or behavioral approach system, which manifests positive approach behaviors after incentives. BAS has dopamine and electrical brain pathways. Neuroticism manifests itself in anxiety, depression, moodiness, nervousness, hostility, vulnerability, hypochondriasis and overall emotional instability. I may have had neuroticism very mildly, for very short period of times, during childhood traumas, but, from my adolescence onward, I have been overall emotionally stable.
I have clients who score high in neuroticism, but I do not have friends who exhibit neuroticism and I choose to associate with people who have little or no neuroticism. After recommending neurotic friends that they get professional help, and after observing that they were not following my friendly recommendations, I kindly and politely de-committed and disassociated from them. I have no patience for people who act like victims of the world. I believe people create their own reality and everything happens for a reason. I believe adults cannot still blame their childhood for everything that goes wrong in their lives or for all of their failures. I believe people have to become aware, take responsibility, and design their future. Also, with the advancement of medicine and technologies, today, people can access any kind of information, so, if someone does not want to improve his or her life, unless they are mentally challenged, then that means they simply do not want to improve it, or they enjoy staying in a more mediocre state, or they are lazy.
In regard to conscientiousness, I am disciplined, responsible, reliable or committed, organized and perseverant. My word is law, and when I commit to someone or something, I follow-through and complete the task or experience, unless my life is threatened. I keep my word and I expect others to keep their word, as well, especially with me. The people who know me can safely say I am a person to count on. I like to keep my physical and electronic work and living space organized. I have implemented systems that help me stay organized, that help me stay focused and concentrated on the task at hand, that help me complete my tasks and that allow me instant retrievability of objects or information. This does not mean that if you enter my home or home office, everything is perfectly put together at all times.
I have a cat and a puppy and occasionally they put things out of order or, if I am having a busy day, I may not be caught up with my organization. In all the scientific, reliable and validated tests for perseverance, I score high. I believe that my perseverance is one of the major factors in the successes I have had and I have. If I really want something, I would not take the word no for an answer. At the same token, I understand when it is time to let go if something is not working out or becomes unethical. For instance, I invested three months of unpaid training with a company in San Diego. The company is owned by husband and wife who are going through their fifth divorce each. They have brought their drama to the workplace, overstepping professional boundaries, and, at some point, the husband made some sexual advances on me. Although I had persevered for three months and I was determined to succeed with their company, I determined, at the time of the advances, that I had to cut my losses, keep distance and let go of their neuroticism or emotional instability.
In regard to agreeableness, I am popular, I get along with everyone, I am empathetic, which makes me a great fit for this industry and niche, I love to help, I enjoy people and clients immensely, I am generous, and love is a priority in my life, maybe even over money. Love (family and friends) has always been the number one societal value in Italy, where I grew up. In the USA, monetary successes are usually more important than relations, but, although I am both an American and a European citizen now, I still, just like when I was growing up, embrace the old continent's values. In regard to openness to experience, I am usually the first one, in a group, to volunteer to try something new and pioneer new ways, as long as it is not endangering my life or lives of others. For instance, I am open to try new food recipes or combinations, new medical technologies (eleven years ago, I donated my eggs to my friends who could not have children on their own and they had triplets, but, at the time, egg donation fertility was brand new and not completely tested), investments, and new work methodologies. I take chances and I do not regret later. Sometimes I lose big and sometimes I win big.
In regard to openness to extraversion, I am quite highly extraverted. I am not afraid to talk to anyone. I am a just a bit shy with men I find attractive, but I am still extroverted. I get re-energized and recharged by being around people. I enjoy people. I have some friends who are introverted, and, because of my psychological experience, I know when they need to be alone and I am respectful of their need. Longitudinal research showed differential continuity in traits over adulthood. Many psychologists, including myself, although I only have a Master's, believe that childhood temperament provides a trampoline for traits to shape. Temperament is differences in behavior since childhood, related to genes. Caspi (1998) claims temperament becomes traits through: learning processes, environmental elicitation and construal, social and temporal comparisons, and environmental selection and manipulation (Caspi, 1998).
In my life, I grew up in Europe, in an isolated, rural place, which was torture for my extroversion. As soon as I could, at age twenty, of course, I moved to one of the most populated country on earth: the United States. As of today, I could comfortably say I could never live in the country or in a place under populated, for more than for a short vacation. Today, we know that genes are responsible for the inheritance of characteristics. An infant takes about half of his or her genes from the biological mother and about half from the biological father. Genes are transmitted through generations. Through generational transmissions, strange occurrences could happen to transform or mutate genes for the better or for the worse. Living creatures' bodies may change over time to solve environmental challenges or problems. These changes become inclusive fitness of the living beings of that species. The best example of these changes is the human mind.
The University of Minnesota study of identical twins grown up apart showed that genes contribute in a major way to personality traits. By the same token, for anyone to be alive, behave and develop personality, both genes and the environment are necessary. Research shows that measurable traits are heritable. Personality is the result of the interaction between genes and the environment. In twin studies, non-shared environmental factors that shape personality are: prenatal environment, accidents, birth order, sibling interaction, parental style, peer group and teacher influences. Genes can affect how one person decides to perceive the environment or reality or they can affect the environment that the individual chooses. For instance, in my case, being the second child, I was always compared to my older sister and asked why I was not like her. I rebelled against those questions, and I became her exact opposite. I don't think she and I have anything in common, although I love her. Was my personality the result of genes or the environment, such as the birth order? It was probably a combination of both, even if most of my family and relatives ' personalities are like my sister's and parents'. So far, I have only one second degree aunt and my only nephew, who share my personality, which is 10% of my relatives.
Longitudinal studies document that people tend to increase agreeableness, conscientiousness, responsibility, autonomy and self-confidence during adulthood, especially educated women. Jack Block (1995), through the California Q-sort, studied ego control and resiliency His studies generated the following personality kinds: individuated, traditional, conflicted and assured. In my case, I am definitely individuated. I pride myself to be original and I am often told so by people around me, in terms of my creative and original thoughts. I love thinking outside the box. I don't like to conform or be traditional; I prefer to be cutting edge and innovative, of course still remaining within ethical and moral standards. I have been one of the first Italians to adopt vegan nutrition. Perhaps, as a young girl, being raised by parents who were not fortunate to receive a high education, and having had a father, who became physically sick when I was six years old, I was conflicted. I thought I was the cause of that sickness, which is a natural thought for kids at that age. Growing up, I became more and more assured. I always knew what I wanted to be, to do and to have when I was older, since age seven or so.
Personality changes may occur depending on life goals, tasks, projects, values, coping mechanisms, interests, interpretations of the past, and visions. Characteristic adaptations and integrative life stories add on to traits in shaping personality. My life is a testimony of the previous statement. I am looking forward to continuing to discover more research studies in the field of Personality Psychology.

The Five Basic Traits, Continuity, Genes Versus Environment, and the Twin Studies

This article describes the five basic traits, continuity, genes versus environment and the twin studies. In terms of the five basic traits, I would describe myself as an extroverted, open to experience, conscientious, agreeable and not neurotic woman, or a woman who tends to be described by these traits. Not only can most people notice these traits in me over time or for a while but also they can notice them in all the areas of my life, such as the social, the spiritual, the financial, the physical, and the mental area. I am characterized by these traits in the long haul or in a continuous way.
There are two kinds of continuity: absolute and differential. Absolute continuity is the consistency in the amount of traits exhibited, and differential continuity is the consistency in individual differences in trait results over time. Some research showed how extraversion or positive affectivity, correlate to BAS or behavioral approach system, which manifests positive approach behaviors after incentives. BAS has dopamine and electrical brain pathways. Neuroticism manifests itself in anxiety, depression, moodiness, nervousness, hostility, vulnerability, hypochondriasis and overall emotional instability. I may have had neuroticism very mildly, for very short period of times, during childhood traumas, but, from my adolescence onward, I have been overall emotionally stable.
I have clients who score high in neuroticism, but I do not have friends who exhibit neuroticism and I choose to associate with people who have little or no neuroticism. After recommending neurotic friends that they get professional help, and after observing that they were not following my friendly recommendations, I kindly and politely de-committed and disassociated from them. I have no patience for people who act like victims of the world. I believe people create their own reality and everything happens for a reason. I believe adults cannot still blame their childhood for everything that goes wrong in their lives or for all of their failures. I believe people have to become aware, take responsibility, and design their future. Also, with the advancement of medicine and technologies, today, people can access any kind of information, so, if someone does not want to improve his or her life, unless they are mentally challenged, then that means they simply do not want to improve it, or they enjoy staying in a more mediocre state, or they are lazy.
In regard to conscientiousness, I am disciplined, responsible, reliable or committed, organized and perseverant. My word is law, and when I commit to someone or something, I follow-through and complete the task or experience, unless my life is threatened. I keep my word and I expect others to keep their word, as well, especially with me. The people who know me can safely say I am a person to count on. I like to keep my physical and electronic work and living space organized. I have implemented systems that help me stay organized, that help me stay focused and concentrated on the task at hand, that help me complete my tasks and that allow me instant retrievability of objects or information. This does not mean that if you enter my home or home office, everything is perfectly put together at all times.
I have a cat and a puppy and occasionally they put things out of order or, if I am having a busy day, I may not be caught up with my organization. In all the scientific, reliable and validated tests for perseverance, I score high. I believe that my perseverance is one of the major factors in the successes I have had and I have. If I really want something, I would not take the word no for an answer. At the same token, I understand when it is time to let go if something is not working out or becomes unethical. For instance, I invested three months of unpaid training with a company in San Diego. The company is owned by husband and wife who are going through their fifth divorce each. They have brought their drama to the workplace, overstepping professional boundaries, and, at some point, the husband made some sexual advances on me. Although I had persevered for three months and I was determined to succeed with their company, I determined, at the time of the advances, that I had to cut my losses, keep distance and let go of their neuroticism or emotional instability.
In regard to agreeableness, I am popular, I get along with everyone, I am empathetic, which makes me a great fit for this industry and niche, I love to help, I enjoy people and clients immensely, I am generous, and love is a priority in my life, maybe even over money. Love (family and friends) has always been the number one societal value in Italy, where I grew up. In the USA, monetary successes are usually more important than relations, but, although I am both an American and a European citizen now, I still, just like when I was growing up, embrace the old continent's values. In regard to openness to experience, I am usually the first one, in a group, to volunteer to try something new and pioneer new ways, as long as it is not endangering my life or lives of others. For instance, I am open to try new food recipes or combinations, new medical technologies (eleven years ago, I donated my eggs to my friends who could not have children on their own and they had triplets, but, at the time, egg donation fertility was brand new and not completely tested), investments, and new work methodologies. I take chances and I do not regret later. Sometimes I lose big and sometimes I win big.
In regard to openness to extraversion, I am quite highly extraverted. I am not afraid to talk to anyone. I am a just a bit shy with men I find attractive, but I am still extroverted. I get re-energized and recharged by being around people. I enjoy people. I have some friends who are introverted, and, because of my psychological experience, I know when they need to be alone and I am respectful of their need. Longitudinal research showed differential continuity in traits over adulthood. Many psychologists, including myself, although I only have a Master's, believe that childhood temperament provides a trampoline for traits to shape. Temperament is differences in behavior since childhood, related to genes. Caspi (1998) claims temperament becomes traits through: learning processes, environmental elicitation and construal, social and temporal comparisons, and environmental selection and manipulation (Caspi, 1998).
In my life, I grew up in Europe, in an isolated, rural place, which was torture for my extroversion. As soon as I could, at age twenty, of course, I moved to one of the most populated country on earth: the United States. As of today, I could comfortably say I could never live in the country or in a place under populated, for more than for a short vacation. Today, we know that genes are responsible for the inheritance of characteristics. An infant takes about half of his or her genes from the biological mother and about half from the biological father. Genes are transmitted through generations. Through generational transmissions, strange occurrences could happen to transform or mutate genes for the better or for the worse. Living creatures' bodies may change over time to solve environmental challenges or problems. These changes become inclusive fitness of the living beings of that species. The best example of these changes is the human mind.
The University of Minnesota study of identical twins grown up apart showed that genes contribute in a major way to personality traits. By the same token, for anyone to be alive, behave and develop personality, both genes and the environment are necessary. Research shows that measurable traits are heritable. Personality is the result of the interaction between genes and the environment. In twin studies, non-shared environmental factors that shape personality are: prenatal environment, accidents, birth order, sibling interaction, parental style, peer group and teacher influences. Genes can affect how one person decides to perceive the environment or reality or they can affect the environment that the individual chooses. For instance, in my case, being the second child, I was always compared to my older sister and asked why I was not like her. I rebelled against those questions, and I became her exact opposite. I don't think she and I have anything in common, although I love her. Was my personality the result of genes or the environment, such as the birth order? It was probably a combination of both, even if most of my family and relatives ' personalities are like my sister's and parents'. So far, I have only one second degree aunt and my only nephew, who share my personality, which is 10% of my relatives.
Longitudinal studies document that people tend to increase agreeableness, conscientiousness, responsibility, autonomy and self-confidence during adulthood, especially educated women. Jack Block (1995), through the California Q-sort, studied ego control and resiliency His studies generated the following personality kinds: individuated, traditional, conflicted and assured. In my case, I am definitely individuated. I pride myself to be original and I am often told so by people around me, in terms of my creative and original thoughts. I love thinking outside the box. I don't like to conform or be traditional; I prefer to be cutting edge and innovative, of course still remaining within ethical and moral standards. I have been one of the first Italians to adopt vegan nutrition. Perhaps, as a young girl, being raised by parents who were not fortunate to receive a high education, and having had a father, who became physically sick when I was six years old, I was conflicted. I thought I was the cause of that sickness, which is a natural thought for kids at that age. Growing up, I became more and more assured. I always knew what I wanted to be, to do and to have when I was older, since age seven or so.
Personality changes may occur depending on life goals, tasks, projects, values, coping mechanisms, interests, interpretations of the past, and visions. Characteristic adaptations and integrative life stories add on to traits in shaping personality. My life is a testimony of the previous statement. I am looking forward to continuing to discover more research studies in the field of Personality Psychology.