Category Archives: Article

Denken oder nicht denken, das ist die Frage

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Heute habe ich an einer Fortbildung teilgenommen, die sich mit dem Thema “Soft Skills” befasste.

Unter “Soft Skills” versteht man außerfachliche Kompetenzen, die beispielsweise die emotionale Intelligenz betreffen. Sie betreffen persönliche, soziale und methodische Kompetenzen und sind ein wichtiger Voraussetzung für berufliche und persönliche Erfolge.

Im Mittelpunkt der “Soft Skills” steht die Selbstkompetenz. Der Referent George Pennington meinte, dass die Entwicklung der Selbstkompetenz drei Voraussetzungen erfordert.

1. Man muss sich kennen.

2. Man muss sich mögen.

3. Man muss sich so handhaben bzw. organisieren, dass man nichts zu klagen hat.

Interessant war ebenfalls Auseinandersetzung mit den Themen der Begabung, Eignung und Motivation. Laut Pennington spielen bei jedem Menschen drei innere Faktoren mit, die in seiner beruflichen Zufriedenheit eine große Rolle spielen, nämlich das Interesse, die Freude und die Lust / das Wohl-sein. Mit dem Interesse ist hier eine geistige, intellektuelle Veranlagung gemeint, mit der Freude eine affektive, soziale und mit der Lust (dem Wohl-sein) eine körperliche und sinnliche. Diese Prämisse erinnerte mich stark an Gardners Theorie der multiplen Intelligenzen, die ich sehr befürworte und auch stets meinen Schülern bewusst machen will.

Dennoch stellte sich mir nach dem ersten Teil des Vortrags die Frage, was passiert, wenn jemand eine falsche Selbsteinschätzung besitzt und an der Realität scheitert.

Ich will an dieser Stelle nicht zu tief in den Vortrag eintauchen, sondern eher ein paar Beobachtungen machen, die hängen geblieben sind. So kamen wir beispielsweise auf die Wahrnehmung zu sprechen, sowohl auf die äußere als auch auf die innere. Herr Pennington stellte die These auf, dass es zwei Stadien der Wahrnehmung gibt. Auf der einen Seite steht die Konzentration, die den Fokus der Wahrnehmung auf einen Gegenstand lenkt und mit dem TUN gleichgesetzt werden kann. Auf der anderen Seite steht die “weiche Wahrnehmung”, bei der das Sein im Vordergrund steht. Man kann diese beiden Zustände auch mit dem Denken und dem Nichtdenken gleichsetzen. Wer ständig denke und seinen Kopf nie komplett frei mache, stehe ständig unter Strom, so die Hypothese von Pennington. 95% der Menschen könnten nicht nicht denken.

Ich ertappte mich dabei, dass ich mir bewusst machte, dass ich selbst bereits seit Langem nicht mehr in der Lage bin, mal komplett meinen Geist frei zu machen und NICHT zu denken. Vor Jahren ging ich öfters mal länger spazieren oder setzte mich einfach in die Sonne und genoss die Sonne (oder manchmal auch den Regen) auf meiner Haut, aber seit ich ins Referendariat eingetreten war, war damit Schluss. Über die kommenden zwei Jahre beschlich mich ständig das Gefühl, dass ich Zeit verlieren würde. So verplante ich jede Minute des Tages, so dass ich sogar während ich kochte, nebenbei versuchte zu fernsehen oder ein Hörbuch zu hören.

Wenn ich eins aus diesem Vortrag mitnehmen werde, dann ist es der Versuch, wieder häufiger den Kopf frei zu machen und nicht zu denken.

Johnny Cash – Hurt

I know that Trent Reznor wrote the original version of this song, but I love this video and cover version so much that I wanted to share it with you.

I haven’t been able to update this blog recently, as I have a lot of work to do, but I will be participating in another Vampire RPG session soon and will try to continue the story I have started a few weeks ago. There will be regular story updates as soon as we have played our session, so stay tuned.

I want to believe too

It has been six long years since we last saw special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully on TV. Sure you could still watch the DVDs of The X-Files or The Lone Gunmen if you felt like reviving Chris Carter’s universe, but it was never the same as the time when you switched on your screen in the evening, watching the newest episode and could discuss it with your friends the next day. But now, in the summer of 2008, we finally get a new addition to The X-Files series, the new movie called I Want to Believe.

For the last five years there have been rumors, but nobody believed it would actually happen. Fox studios are not known for bringing shows back from the abyss. Still, Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz managed to gather the old team and convince the studio to give them the opportunity to make another feature film. Due to the long break in between these projects, it does not mention the alien mythology and the new movie can be seen as a normal episode, comparable to the “Monster of the Week” shows. Carter puts a lot of emphasis on the relationship between Mulder and Scully. The movie shows how their feelings for each other developed during their absence from the Bureau and it also revives Mulder’s obsession with the unknown, while Scully has turned completely towards science, by becoming a medical doctor full-time.

When an FBI agent goes missing, Mulder is called back in to help find her. His involvement is requested due to the strange nature of the information they are getting on the case by a self-proclaimed medium. They think that Mulder’s expertise might help them verify the source or debunk it. A hunt for the missing FBI agent ensues, that unveils a deeper conspiracy. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson both fit back into their roles like they never left. Sure it is apparent that they have both aged (Duchovny going straight towards the 50 line), but they still feel like Mulder and Scully, even if it takes a bit to warm up to them. We get several cameos in the movie (actors that played different characters in the show) and also a reunion with an old friend.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe will probably not win any new fans for the show, as it is a bit too slow paced. There are a lot of winks for the fans of the show, and if you see it as a beginning to something new (they are already discussing a next movie) it will not disappoint. However, it is not one of the best episodes and the denouement is a bit flat. Still, I have to admit that I loved to see my favorite characters back in action and I hope the next movie will kick it up a notch. (Remember, the alien invasion will take place on December 22, 2012)

Finally I wanted to add, that Fox probably didn’t do the movie a big favor by launching it at the same time as The Dark Knight. I Want to Believe doesn’t feel like a summer movie, and it would have been better off in fall or winter.

How to make non-smokers like you

I have always had strong feelings about smoking, as I’ve never even smoked a single cigarette in my life and never understood the compassion, with which so many people destroy their health. Still, I have a lot of friends who smoke and I used to be a douche about it. Yet there comes the time, where you start to realize that you can’t and shouldn’t change somebody just because there is something about him/her that you don’t like. So this is what I want to do: a list of a few guidelines for smokers to get along with non-smokers.

6. Don’t recruit

Smoking is a choice. It should stay that way. You wouldn’t believe how many people react to the fact that I have never smoked with the following statement: “You don’t know what you’re missing, try one!” If I wanted to smoke, I would. So respect the choices of others if you want us to respect your choice of smoking.

5. Propose to smoke outside

If you enter somebody’s home and you want to have a smoke, propose to your host that you want to go outside to do this. If your friends don’t mind you smoking inside the house, they will probably tell you. Asking to smoke inside is in my opinion always a bit rude and direct (your host is after all left with a room filled with smoke and a smell that won’t disappear so quickly).

4. Don’t assume

Even though we live in a society with a large percentage of smokers, you should never assume that everybody is ok with it. If you go out with somebody and you want to have a smoke, just ask them if they would mind when you smoke in their presence. From my own experience, I must say that most of the time you won’t face any objections.

3. Clean up after yourself

If you smoke in somebody’s house, or in their car, then try to be clean and don’t leave your ashes and stumps lying around. They were friendly enough to let you smoke, so don’t mess up their stuff.

2. Don’t blow smoke into a non-smoker’s face

Going to a pub is usually smoke intensive enough for my taste (yes, there is still no smoking ban in Luxembourg concerning pubs). The smoky smell tends to stick to your clothes, so the last thing you need is some jerk-off blowing fumes into your face.

1. Control your habit

The thing that bothers me most is when you are hanging out with somebody who smokes and they constantly have to take small breaks to have a cigarette. Be it while watching a movie, playing a game, or simply having a meal, there is nothing as disturbing as somebody leaving every 30 minutes because they can’t control their addiction. If you can’t sit through a movie, a meal or a 2 hour car ride, without getting the shivers, you’re doing it WRONG!

This list is not supposed to point out general negative points about smokers. Most of the people I know would never do these things anyway. Of course it should also be said that non-smokers can be a pain too. If you don’t smoke and if you maybe even hate it, try to be tolerant. Don’t bitch and moan about your friends smoking. If you can’t stand it, stay at home. A much better way to go about this is to make a compromise. For example you could go to a non-smoking bar one night, and then to a smoker’s club the other.

The lack of human contact

Depression seems to be one an increasing mental disease in our modern society. People are cut of from emotional input, as they spend more and more time in front of a screen instead of in direct human contact with each other. I myself find it at times really stupid that I would spend so much time on message boards or social network sites, instead of calling my friends and going for a drink. Anyway what I try to say is that we tend to forget how much time we spend in indirect social interaction, compared to the direct way. Recently I did an experiment (if you can call it that), in which I reduced the time I use sites like Facebook or software like MSN and ICQ to an hour a day. Of course I never sat around and only used these sites, but I will work, read or watch stuff in the meantime, but then your concentration really suffers and most of the time you spend even more time doing these different activities than you normally would. Still, the amount of newly found free time and especially productive time I gained was astonishing. So my tip to fight loneliness and frustration (especially if you don’t get any work done, because you waste time idling around the internet) would be to simply get out more. Be it going for a walk or calling your friends to have a drink or watch a movie, direct social contact will often make you feel better (even if it doesn’t immediately cure your feelings of depression).

I’m still not sure if I should like the following article or not. There are some interesting ideas in there, but maybe the “4 easy ways to treat depression” method oversimplifies the issue a bit. Anyways have a look yourselves and tell me what you think on the topic of depression.

Musical Performances

Flash mobs seem to become more and more popular, but this time I stumbled upon a truly original performance. Extremely funny and cool, especially if you look at the baffled faces in the audience.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “LiveLeak.com – Unexpected performance“, posted with vodpod

I also found this group of Japanese dancers, doing the robot with an astonishing expertise.

Edit: While following up on this post I found a group that does similar stuff. They call themselves Improv Everywhere and here is a food court musical they performed: Click me! I think it’s hilarious, but most people in the audience seem genuinely annoyed, which is too bad.

Nerdy Art

Now this is what I call extremely nerdtastic art. Have a look at Mike Mitchell’s collection here.

Also check out this image of Link created by Melbourne a member of the Ghostpatrol.

And here are some Tattoo’s that I found impressive. First off, look at this amazing Spider-man tattoo by Dan Hazelton.

And this one is only funny if you watch the video before and than think about it: what was first, the tattoo or the video? 🙂

(for higher resolution pictures, click on them)

The Lord of Darkness is back

At the Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide International this weekend the newest installment of the Diablo game series was finally unveiled. This is exciting news as it has been already 8 years since we last heard from the world around the Lord of Chaos. A small peak can be taken at the official Diablo 3 page that launched today (expect heavy online traffic). Let me know if you are looking forward to his as well. Further information will be added here if it gets available.