Perspective

Sun Valley, 6,000 feet above sea level. My grandchildren and I are gazing at the stars above us. A glorious sight, this vast universe.

“Did you read about the Higgs Field in the Smithsonian, grandma?”, my grandson asked. “It’s hard to imagine that all this empty space is just an illusion. It’s permeated with radio and television waves, and with gravitational and magnetic fields, but now they think that the whole universe is filled with a Higgs Field.”

I took another awed look at the sky and timidly asked, “What is a Higgs Field?”

“Hard to describe. About 50 years ago Professor Higgs came up with a mathematical equation that suggested that an invisible something permeated the universe. No one believed him, but he pursued his idea and soon other scientists set out to find proof. Last year, thanks to the giant collider in Switzerland, physicists did find evidence that his theory was correct.”

“Do you mean that math can project theories long before we find actual evidence?”

“Apparently so—as Einstein did with his Theory of Relativity, or Karl Schwarzchild predicting black holes, or Paul Dirac anticipating anti-matter. Physicists come up with elegant equations, which are usually rejected, but eventually they catch on, until finally someone discovers evidence that proves they’re sound.”

“Amazing that mere, cold numbers can tell us the secrets of the universe!  So what exactly did they discover?”

“They discovered the Higgs boson, a particle that is totally different from all known particles. Each particle has a characteristic spin that never changes, but the Higgs boson has no spin at all. More important, the Higgs equation seems to indicate that the universe is filled with something that causes resistance to anything that passes through space that causes particles to have a measurable mass. These math equations, therefore, seem to be of great value, because they may hold true anywhere in the universe—but only if we look at it from a universal perspective, beyond the particularities of our Planet Earth.”

“Perspective.” The word caught my imagination. Wouldn’t it be grand if we could bring a broader perspective into our daily lives? It might save much pain and disappointment.

We tend to see life filtered through the narrow prism of our personal experience, and remain oblivious of the experiences of others. 

Envision a fish trying to imagine what it would be like to move through dry air—difficult, if not impossible! I never would have guessed how much effort it takes to run in water until the day I tried it—too much effort! I prefer jogging in the open air.

Looking at the world with a broader perspective might help us understand people’s actions and reactions that differ from ours. We tend to create our own little universe placing ourselves at its center, and often remain unaware of the perspectives of others.

Perhaps if we looked at the world as though we were seeing it for the very first time or maybe for the very last time, we might perceive a clearer image.

I gazed again at the stars above me and tried to imagine how it would feel if we saw them only three times during our lifetime— it would be a monumental event!

As Allen Klein says, “A little perspective, like a little humor, goes a long way.”

Until next time,

Rosi

Introverts and Extroverts by Guest Author Alison Poulsen PhD

Many people are naturally introverted—they gain energy while spending time alone. Others are naturally extroverted—they become energized by spending time with others. However, both introverts and extroverts can often benefit from finding a healthy balance between spending time with others and time alone.

Introversion

Introverts who spend too much time socializing and spending time with others may become depleted and drained. In the words of Henri J.M. Nouwen they come home “with a feeling that something precious has been taken away from them or that holy ground has been trodden upon.” They need to find ways to nourish their desire for solitude.

On the other hand, introverts who spend too much time alone tend to become increasingly uncomfortable and awkward around other people. Thus, to avoid becoming a recluse, it’s important to balance their preference for being alone with some ongoing association and interaction with others.

Extroversion

In contrast, extroverts who spend an excessive amount of time socializing often lose a sense of groundedness and depth. When they are forced to spend time alone they tend to feel listless and forlorn. An evening alone can become downright painful and scary because they have lost touch with their own self. It’s like being stuck with an unapproachable stranger.

Nourishing our natural preferences is important, but we should beware of becoming extravagantly imbalanced. It’s ideal if we can avoid both extremes of onesided socializing and avoiding others at all cost.

Over-entertaining others

Notwithstanding personality differences, people who feel drained from entertaining others are perhaps putting too much effort into their interactions. The notion of having to “entertain others” may be part of the problem.

Some people think that they have to make sure everyone in a given situation is enraptured, fascinated, or amused. They may take over the spot light in an effort to enthrall and enchant others. Ironically, such forced attempts to non-stop “entertain” others can actually cause others to feel exhausted and ignored! When entertainment is a one-way profusion of speech or energy, it often neglects spontaneous interaction, and may ignore the audience’s reactions, thoughts, and even their very presence.

Being aware and open

A truly enriching relationship between people does not involve one person entertaining the other. Rather, it is based on meaningful connection, which involves being present, paying attention, and responding with authenticity. This is not to say that entertaining story-telling should be avoided. However, relating with others including story telling is more rewarding and less exhausting if you focus on being present with others rather than on entertaining them. In new age terms, it helps to allow the back and forth flow of energy, thoughts, and words.

If you notice people aren’t responsive to your “entertaining” monologue, try asking them questions. Paying attention to the other person allows you to interact with spontaneous, relevant and responsive ideas and humor that makes interaction truly interesting and alive. Cultivating genuine, heart-felt and mindful connection with others can benefit us all, no matter how extroverted or introverted our tendency.

by Guest Author Alison Poulsen, PhD

Microbes Revisited

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The previous blog, Man’s Miraculous Microbes, has raised many questions. Before answering them, let me say that this information is based on very recent medical research, and scientists have barely scratched the surface.

It’s a fascinating new science—our body being host to trillions of living microbes, but also a most challenging one because these microbes interact in a highly complex fashion that affects our health and wellbeing, possibly even our mood. If this community of bacteria gets out of balance or if we lack the right ones, serious problems can arise.

Much of the data comes from Michael Pollan’s in-depth article in New York Times’ Magazine of May 15, 2013.

To answer your questions:

1.    How can I ensure the best possible mircrobiome (bacteria) for my children? Primarily by nursing a child. Mother’s milk contains nutrients that nourish not only the baby, but also the baby’s vital bacteria, which was unknown until recently. Caesarian delivery of a baby has disadvantages, because it deprives the baby of important gut bacteria that it acquires while traveling through the birth canal.

2.    Should I worry when my child gets covered with mud or hugs our dog? Not at all, unless your dog is sick or has worms. It enriches the child’s bacterial world that becomes more varied and robust to fight off diseases. Apparently, when we live in the city away from animals, plants and soil, we miss out on many beneficial bacteria and become prone to autoimmune diseases and allergies.

3.    Why can’t we live without microbes? Apparently we can’t. Microbes help us digest our meals, they tell us when we’re hungry, and when we are full. They prevent the intrusion of foreign bacteria and help us to adapt to our changing environment, such as pollution and new toxins in food. In effect, some scientists are sounding the alarm that due to industrialization, antibiotics and the sterility of processed foods several of our bacteria have become extinct and our microbiome is becoming increasingly impoverished, causing disorders, such as immune deficiency diseases, asthma, allergies and Diabetes 2.

4.    I keep gaining weight, what can I do? One important species of bacteria, the H. pylori, has practically disappeared. It neutralizes the bacteria that urge us to eat when we are hungry. When we have eaten enough, the H. pylori tell us that we are full. Without it, we tend to keep eating, which may be the cause for today’s widespread obesity.

5.    How can we optimize good health? Good bacteria thrive on a varied and fiber-rich diet, also on foods made with live cultures such as yogurt, and on fermented foods, such as sauerkraut and kimchi. It’s a good idea to keep our toothbrushes at least six feet away from the toilet. Whenever we flush, large amounts of bacteria are stirred up. “The world is covered with a fine patina of feces,” says Stanford Microbiologist Stanley Falkow; house dust is no exception.

6.    Are fiber supplements the answer? Probably not, because fiber is not a single nutrient, there are hundreds of different polysaccharides. It’s better to vary our diet and include different types of fiber—resistant starch fiber as in bananas, oats and beans, soluble fiber as in root vegetables such as onions, and insoluble fiber as in bran, whole grains and avocados. It also matters how they are prepared. Al dente pasta is preferable to overcooked one; steel-cut oats are better than rolled; raw and lightly cooked vegetables are better than well done.

7.    What determines our microbiome? We acquire our first microbes from our mother while traveling through the birth canal. Therefore, if possible, avoid having a Caesarian. Mother’s milk provides the next set of good bacteria. Others are picked up from our environment. A healthy community of microbes keeps foreign and hostile bacteria away. Depending on the robustness of our gut bacteria, for example, one food can make one person sick, but not an other.

8.    Why are gut bacteria so important? Gut bacteria are instrumental in creating serotonin, enzymes and vitamins, such as Bs and K. They not only influence our immune system, but they may also regulate our stress levels. Experiments have shown when gut microbes from an easy-going mouse were transplanted to an anxious and nervous mouse, it became more relaxed and enterprising.

Gut bacteria also regulate our appetite and digestion, and thus our metabolism. Malnourished children may require more than food; they need to have their gut’s microbial community rebalanced. (see 5.)

9.    Why do antibiotics cause problems? Antibiotics have saved many lives. Yet they should be used only if truly necessary, because they kill bad as well as good bacteria and thus cause havoc in our bacterial world. They may even be the cause for our gaining weight. Unfortunately, livestock is fed large quantities of antibiotics today; as a consequence antibiotic microbes have been found in meat, milk and surface water. Even hand sanitizers and chlorine washes for lettuce may be suspect.

Probiotics may be a good antidote when taking antibiotics, but it may not be prudent to take them as a constant supplement. Too little is known about them. The probiotic market is not regulated. When 14 products were tested, only one contained the exact species stated on the label.

Processed foods too are raising concern because of their sterility. Also, they contain detergent-like ingredients such as lecithin, CMC, polysorbate 80 and Datem that can lead to low-grade inflammations—a response of the immune system to a perceived threat. Some researchers suspect that a majority, if not most, of today’s chronic diseases are in fact inflammations originating in the gut. They may lead to metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and possibly some cancers.

Patrice Cani at the University of Louvain in Brussels recently produced evidence of how this is possible. He fed a high-fat, junk-food diet to mice. This noticeably changed the microbiota in their gut—it also happens to humans when on a similar diet. On closer examination, Cani discovered that the lining of their gut had become permeable, allowing endotoxins to leak into the bloodstream. The result was a low-grade inflammation that eventually led to metabolic syndrome. Researchers suspect that the cause of most if not allchronic diseases may point to the microbiota of the gut.

Industrialization will continue to cause pollution, cities will cement over mother Earth, processing will deplete our food and high technology is likely to expose us to increasing levels of radiation. However, there’s no need to despair about the negative aspects of our modern world. While we cannot turn back the clock, we can make sensible choices; we can take good care our microbiome and nourish it well so it can do its job to protect us and help us adjust to unavoidable changes. Indeed, we have the choice of enjoying the best of both worlds.

Until next time,

Rosi 

Man's Miraculous Microbes

Appearances are often deceiving. It took many years to convince earthlings that they are not the center of the universe or that the earth is flat.

Yet most of us are still rather certain that the human race is the most advanced of all species, even though coyotes run faster, dogs can smell better, owls can see at night, bats hear what we can’t, and turtles live far longer than we do. And none of them own an alarm clock to rouse them from sacred slumber and face rush-hour traffic to get to work. Seagulls sit complacently and contemplate the waves, bluebirds soar into the sky and view the world from above, and mischievous monkeys play catch under a shady tree.

Life on Earth has existed for many years, but not so homo erectus. We are a recent arrival. If life on Earth were measured in twelve hours, men arrived just before the clock struck twelve. Mankind has only one species while other life forms have thousands of species, even beetles, fungi, viruses and bacteria. This poses a serious threat to our survival. Remember the Irish potato? When a disease struck that plant, the potatoes in the whole country were wiped out, causing the serious famine of 1740/41.

Scientists recently discovered that the human body has a surprising function—it is host to many thousand species of other life forms, namely bacteria. In fact, researchers estimate that each human being hosts over a hundred trillion of these one-celled organisms, a number reminiscent of the astronomical figure of our national debt. It means that we have ten times more bacterial cells living in our body than we have human cells. The total number of human beings living on this planet is about seven billion; yet the number of microbes living in each and every human being is 14,000 times that large!

Bacteria are tiny and amount to about five pounds of our bodyweight. Yet they seem to have an enormous impact on our life, affecting our health and wellbeing, possibly even our tendency to gain weight.

Thanks to recent research, bacteria are no longer seen as our enemy; they are regarded as our benevolent partners. Hundreds of different bacterial species live in our mouth, our ears, and our gut, for example. This internal world of bacteria of ours, also called microbiome, develops after we’re born and seems to be determined by our early environment, resembling often that of other persons in the household. It can slowly change over time, depending on diet, environment and lifestyle, as well as on the medications we take.

Antibiotics were once considered the Holy Grail for fighting infections. Today, researchers are having second thoughts. Antibiotics kill not only bad bacteria, they kill good bacteria as well, and therefore can upset the harmonious balance of our bacterial microbiome and our health.

One day, researchers hope to find ways to harness our innate bacteria to handle our diseases. They may even find ways to track down the microbes that cause us to gain weight and how to keep them in check.

Life is miraculous and a constant source of wonder and amazement.

Until next time,

Rosi

The Self-Centered Person

Life is suffering, so warned Buddha some 2500 years ago. Not much has changed since then. Anguish and pain still prevail around the globe today.

Much of it is caused by external factors—war, genocide, big-city crime, unemployment, illness, accidents, and poverty. Yet much pain and suffering is inflected by our own ego.

Take a self-centered person, for example. Such a person is motivated by selfishness and easily falls prey to jealousy, anger and hate. Yet from experience we know that none of these negative traits have ever brought joy or happiness.

The ego of one person may pine for possessions, while that of another may crave attention or power—and the deeper we fall victim to these whims and vices, the more we cause suffering to others as well as to ourselves. Machiavelli’s famous book, The Prince, illustrates a power-seeking person as one who resorts to stirring up anger and discontent among his possible opponents in order to pave his own way. Yet this tactic, Machiavelli warns, can easily backfire.

An extreme example of power-seeking selfishness was Adolf Hitler, a person we hope never to see again; and yet, someone like him could reappear any day and sadly any place.  In his brazen desire to rule the world Hitler trained a group of thugs as his bodyguards, the early SS, and sent them out to stir up riots in the streets.* This gave him the desired pretext to take away the German people’s liberty—all in the name of national security.

After the June 1944 attempt on his life, Hitler mercilessly and most gleefully had some 500 of his best generals, who’d won him enormous victories at a huge price, executed for conspiracy; they and their conspiracy provided him with the urgently needed excuse for the many staggering defeats he and his “invincible” army had suffered that year.

Machiavelli was right, the idea of cooperation for the benefit of others is an unacceptable concept for the power-craving and suffering-causing ego. Have you ever tried to explain to a self-centered person that his way may not be the best approach? Your explanation probably fell on deaf ears. The unbalanced ego sees but one way, and that is its own way, because it needs to be right at all times.

It’s interesting to note that Hitler’s self-righteous, or more accurately, psychopathic actions, brought intense suffering not only upon the German people and the people of Europe and America, but also upon himself.*

It is no secret that a bad seed seldom produces good fruit. But how should one interact with such a potentially malicious person? Preferably as little as possible, and certainly not in kind. If someone is hitting us, we may be tempted to hit back; if someone shouts at us, we may want to raise our voices too. Yet to what avail?  It is better to summon our self-control, yet stand our ground.

The challenge is to rein in our own ego and not fall prey to feelings of retribution and revenge—that would only perpetuate the cycle of pain and suffering. As Buddha’s teachings tell us, our primary goal is to become a better person, which improves our chances for a happier life because the law of cause and effect tends to reward good actions and punishes bad ones. When we succeed in being compassionate and kind to others, we have a good chance that our efforts will bear good fruit in the long run.

Until next time,

Rosi

* The Madman and His Mistress by Roswitha McIntosh, pgs. 29 and 155 

Oblivious of the Obvious

In the storm of life we sometimes forget what is most obvious and I need to lean back to remind myself of what I know so well. Apparently, it’s not an unusual problem; a whole technology has sprung up to cope with it. It’s called Big Mother technology and provides apps to replace reminding moms.  You can buy an app called Posture Track that audibly buzzes when you slouch (at the mere thought I am sitting up taller!). The HAPIfork reminds us to eat more slowly; a dental hygiene app tells us not to forget to brush and floss our teeth. There’s even one to keep us from driving too fast.

·      Indigestion after a meal? Eat slowly and savor every bite. We’ll eat less, enjoy it more and stay slimmer.

·      Eye strain after intensive reading? Blink regularly and look into the distance about every 15 minutes. I keep forgetting this one.

·      Stiff after hours sitting at the computer? Get up frequently and move about. Our bones, muscles and brain will be grateful.

·      Anger taking control of you? Don’t let it. Anger is an empty thought that someone or something has filled with emotion. It may loom infuriating at the moment, but is it worth losing your control? It would mean conceding victory to the other person. Better to remain cool and examine the situation.

·      Angry often? Consider getting a punching bag.

·      Feel lonely? Reach out to a person worse off than you. Nothing is more rewarding than helping others.

·      Depressed? Exercise vigorously. Take a walk; look at the stars, a flower, or pull out a few weeds. Smile and focus on your happy memories.

·      Lured by a sale? Spending too much? Look at your budget and your unpaid bills, and reevaluate your desire. Most likely, similar items are already crowding your closet. At least, allow yourself a couple of days to reconsider.

·      Craving possessions? Remember that everything we own, owns us. We must store it, care for it, insure it, dust it, and protect it.

·      Searching for happiness? Make others happy with a smile, an encouraging word, a helping hand. And your cup will run over.

·      Feeling discontent? Count your blessings and give thanks to be alive.

Life is all too short. Every fleeting moment is a precious gift. Savor it!

Until next time,

Rosi

Progress and Morality

Do you use paper and pen for writing a letter? I do, but rarely and reluctantly—when I have to—for condolences or special occasions. To my dismay, writing with paper and pen feels awkward. It stifles my thoughts and leaves me yearning for my computer with its speed and infinite capabilities that lubricate my brain and spur my creativity.

Thanks to progress and technology we use a car rather than a horse and wagon; we use a washing machine rather than a scrubbing board; and we rarely bother with the encyclopedia—we ask Google. I recall one of my MBA students objecting when I corrected his spelling. “Why bother,” he said, “the spell-checker takes care of it.” Yet I stood my ground—we still need to be able to spell, and we still need to write certain things by hand. But who knows for how long. One day there may be a tiny brain implant that will tell us how to spell and speak in more than one language.

Consider the convenience of an email. No need for an envelope, a stamp, or a mailbox. We don’t even need an address; a simple click will provide it.  And you can’t beat its speed.

Science and technology are taking great strides, making life ever easier for us. “Not so,” some people complain.  They object to certain dangers of scientific inventions, such as the discovery of the atom that enabled us to make the atom bomb, or bacteria that facilitate biological warfare, or the possibility of altering genes that could cause unpredictable surprises.

Yet aren’t we mistaking the marvels of nature and science for a person’s evil intent? It is not our knowledge of the atom, bacteria, or our genes that is at fault; it is our actions that need to be brought into alignment with modern capabilities. We urgently need to focus on how to be considerate of and compassionate with other human beings, rather than on how to destroy them.  Is it wise to place instructions on how to make bombs on the internet, or have automatic weapons in the home?

We cannot turn our back on inventions; it is as impossible as turning back the clock. But we can use them wisely with compassion and tolerance for others foremost in our mind, and by teaching the same to our children, if we want our species to survive.

Why do so many of us prefer a computer to paper and pen? Is it the legibility and neatness that is so attractive? Or is it the ease to make corrections and changes? Or the joy of doing it so effortlessly? Or is it simply habit?

Probably all of them, but whatever it is, I wouldn’t trade in my Mac for anything—except, eventually, for a new model.

Until next time,

Rosi