Kaelism

Jhon Michael Sanz Daang from BSED-Science 1-2, reporting!  This account was created for a better experience of blogging! Soar high along with him!

[kael-ism]

See posts, photos and more on Facebook.

She is the reason why I indulged myself from writing. I hope this post reach its target audience as I boost this post on different platforms.

We are all hoping for your recovery, Ma'am Casela!

[kael-ism]

Journal VII & VIII: To infinity and beyond...

“I don’t want to survive. I want to live.” – Captain B. McCrea

"To infinity and beyond." –Buzz Lightyear

Perhaps, this would be the last journal entry for this year. So, let us set aside for now the fun and my personal narrator.

The final topic is perfect to talk about the life in a melancholic vibe.

Will you accompany me, my dears?

From my perspective, life begins with the romance between the parents. We cannot invalidate the misfortunes of others, but in my case, I am grateful for the opportunity to live my life. I recall having a brief conversation with my mother one evening. Nothing trivial, simply an out of the blue mother-and-son bonding since I am not really open about myself.

At that time, Mom tells a lot of stories. When she is still carrying me in her womb, she was scared to commit any mistakes. Her body is young and fragile, and she presumed it may contribute to my well-being and acquire a defect. However, the grandmother of mine whom I missed, managed to calm her down—that she will never let anything bad to happen on her first grandson. Hearing those words, it is somehow flattering and saddening at the same time, like: "Hello, Lola. Your ‘apo’ is stressed right now." She bids goodbyes with her wisdom which I still hold to fuel my wills. I assure her that their sacrifices have all been worthwhile, wherever she may be.

To continue the story, mom was very sensitive about pregnancy, or as she put it, I am, because I refuse all of the food she eats. She has no idea what to eat; she would either feel nauseated or hungry from not eating at all. Perhaps this is the so-called "paglilihi" in Filipino. She had never eaten seafood while pregnant, which I now describe as a trigger to unpleasant smell that causes an itchy nose. Whether one will believe it or not, I grew up being a bit childish and have a bunch of food pet peeves.

However, we both have a soft spot for sweets! To the point where, as a child, I was the center of humor due to the worst state of my teeth.

Throughout my first few months after the birth, my hearing was so sensitive that I would break down in tears at the sound of scratches. And mom laughed at me when she said I was too dependent back then, that I would never be able to sleep unless I was resting on their chest. As a child, I want to grasp the presence of people as this is my child love language, and sucking someone else's thumb as well.  It appears strange that I did not want to believe mother, but it does seem that lying that night was futile.

Besides which, considering my physiques, it is difficult to improve my overall appearance. I am tall, but I am particularly slim. I have a very pale complexion, but I appear to be dead. My skin, on the other hand, is very well cared for thanks to my parents. To recall, they used my body to create a mummy, which I have fragments of memory of. They wrapped my body in bandages, especially around my hinge joints, and used elbow and knee pads to prevent scars from materializing. I can say, I deserve these for being the guinea pig of the family where mom and dad establishing.

Nonetheless, in primary school, my classmates depict my appearance as a "walking corpse," and my sense of style is strange, as I would wear a neon shirt matched with dark pants to events. And, I suppose, it has something to do with my social life—aside from my parents, I had no relevant people during those years. Not that I blame them; my days are usually spent at home and at school.

The earlier years of my childhood are definitely good, until my duty as a child was strictly instilled on me—at which point violence start to emerge. My mother is satisfied with the bare minimum of her children, but my father is a different story. Throughout his academic years, he has served as a role model and competent figure. And no one should dishonor his name as his child. It is still clear, at the age of nine, being beaten and staying awake until morning for failing to memorize a notebook of terminologies for an exam a month later. Being violated for having a "happy" childhood. Worse, I see my younger brothers enjoying their youth to the fullest, whereas I still have to exchange my physical-self to fulfill such back then.

Again, I'm fine now, and there's no reason to dwell on the past. "It is what it is," I constantly tell myself.

Furthermore, in my experience, the secondary school years are a huge culture shock. How should I interact, how should I make friends, with whom should I associate, and what sort of people should I attract—these are my thoughts as I start to figure my place in the social world. To be honest, I would rather lie for some things at first because I am desperate for a companion, which I later regretted. I realized that a relationship based on lies is doomed to fail. As a result, I lost friends for the first time and felt an odd and foreign sense of emptiness.

Of course, my life would not conclude in that manner. To slip inside the eye of my mind and find a better place to play, it is what I should have done.   Then I met the two people I decided to devote myself to; however, sometimes, because of my sexuality, some folks misinterpret it, but I care no more with regards the perspective of others consider what I have gone through.  My pals are living with a smile on their faces on my presence, and I am content with something like that.

Honestly, I still have a lot of tales to narrate and share. This sliver of a page is insufficient to exert pressure on these shards of my life. All I can entail now is—surviving is not an option; it is simply living on the bare minimum, and there is no way I would want that. I swear to live my life as I see comfort, and I hope that whoever is reading this, I hope you are happy with the path you have chosen. 

Let us live our lives to the fullest, without regret, to infinity and beyond.

[kael-ism]

Journal VI: The Echoes of Bronfenbrenner

The development of a child varies with the context of the environment and the formation of relationships, according to the ecological system theory of Bronfenbrenner. The external and diverse influences fuels the advancement of awareness within a certain setting, and that enables the children to demonstrate culturally accepted norms on their behavior for the sole purpose of adaptation. However, there are impediments that allow distressing occurrences to flourish in the youth.   For example, the deprivation of needs which restricts a person to explore to the further system of society. Also, a poor parental education will produce incompetent child and incapable to adapt to the surroundings. Then, the exposure to violence that limits the steps of the children, and simply focus on the safety than development; for an instance, the certain video in social media where the young girl is vulnerable to the Syrian civil war, the bombings and rifle shots are throughout the area, but instead, her father implies it as strange humor to avoid the manifestation of trauma. These are the inevitable circumstances that the children may experience, they may either proceed to healthy growth or display wound for a lifetime.

               Further, the environment possesses five complex structure which influences the children's progress in socialization aspect, these are microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem.

              The microsystem is the immediate environment of a child. Their beliefs and actions are still reversible and affected by the surrounding people such as the family, peers, and teachers. This is the system through which the child recognizes the value and worth of the members of his or her environment. Kael, for example, was raised in a strict household. His time and movements are calculated according to his parents' rules—to the point where violence occurs and is justified as a discipline; thus, he thought it was the right lifestyle for a child and builds resentment later on when he acquires education. Then he wonders, what if he is fostered in a more nurturing environment, what his principles and goals will be now.

              Besides which, the mesosystem is the interaction of two influential people with the intention to affect the child's development. In primary school, for example, it is a common practice for parents to stick with the teachers by obeying all commands and requests until the trust is earned. There is nothing wrong with it; however, it influences the teacher's perspective toward the students, biases emerge, and a specific child is favored. To be honest, this system-dependent function is beneficial in some ways, but not on campus and must be abolished at once.

              The exosystem, on the other hand, refers to external influences which do not necessarily involve the child. One time, a  huge fire once disrupted Kael's home, and he was not present at the time. When he returned home, his mother's face was flushed with stress and grief. He was still young, and his instincts would normally allow him to cry. But, as the eldest child, and given the state of their home and the dominant emotion throughout, he must maintain a calm demeanor or else despair will consume all emotional supports. That moment, he grasped the fact—his duty as the family's third in command, that personal feelings must be controlled when everyone falls into anguish and pessimism.

              Nonetheless, the central factors of macrosystem are cultural elements such as wealth, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity, and how it stimulates changes in child's well-being. This is the system which stereotyping poses relevance. On a normal day in the streets of Manila, a child with a dark complexion and a tattered outfit is presumed to execute atrocious behaviors. Accept it or not, prejudice is rampant, and it triggers certain qualities in developing children.

              Then, the final system, chronosystem, or basically all the environmental changes throughout the child's developmental process.

              The ecological system theory is a complex structure of a child's relationship. From the person's immediate surroundings to the larger ones, the person strives and interacts in the pursuit of development. The I Individual advancement is not primarily oriented upon one's endeavours, but also extends beyond—from a broader perspective, the child develops in accordance with the context of ecology.

[kael-ism]

Journal V: Levi’s the Cognitive of Your Son

"What a child can do in cooperation today, tomorrow he/she will be able to do alone."

              The child, according to Lev Vygotsky, develops and maximizes their intellectual capacity through social influences, especially affected by the surrounding guidance of the adults. In other words, the development is not stimulated solely through the child's resolve, but how they interact to adapt to the culture and advance the cognitive. For an instance, there is a certain experience which Kael has gone through back on his childhood. Their neighbor who is selling "sweet merienda: banana cue" hired them alongside with his friends to peddle these foods and they will receive an amount of 20 PHP for long hours of labor. Until, Kael's father discovered this and told him that it was illegal and a child labor. From that, the act of peddling is perhaps not appropriate for a child, in accordance with the culture; however, in positive insights, it hones the communication ability over time. Thus, the academic environments should be designed to stress the substance of interaction between the children and instructions of "all-knowings" in terms of learning.

             Furthermore, these "all-knowing" people are described as the More Knowledgeable Other (MKO). It refers to someone with a respected capacity of intellect and broad comprehension to the reality. These are the adults, wherein, guides the youth towards progressive advancement. It could be the parents, they are the foundation of learning that starts from the home, itself. Nevertheless, in personal reflection, the old-school culture are thoroughly instilled in this environment such as homophobia, kids as retirement benefit, and over comparison of 19th. century lifestyle with present era. Moreover, in a certain stage, the teachers will enlighten the perspective and behaviors of these children to satisfy the sociocultural norms; they are also ought to construct competent and uplifting domain for the students. Further, the friends or peers, are the "go-to" of the majority, they share peculiar bonds where judgments are more sympathetic due to its restriction-free characteristic compared to the relation to the first two influential people. Frankly, Kael perceives himself as genuine pal, he extends assistance for his "brothers" to the extent of the limit. In their group, he is the therapist, the advisor. However, its disadvantage is, he shall have a strong personality 24/7. For him, if he has fallen, if he reached his downfall, he will lose his worth, and that is something he will never let to transpire. An African proverb entails "It takes a village to raise a child", and is indeed a truth. The surrounding—the circles of people around the youth builds their moral, character, and wisdom. These people are with them all the time to have someone to console and to have someone to support.

             Nonetheless, there are only specific stage or area which the child seeks to help to develop and define the skills into higher mental function. Based on the proximal development, the first stage (assisted performance) is simply the start in order to prosper. And along the way, the child begins to strive despite the mistakes to attain mastery and gradually lose it in a process. Regardless the inevitable endpoint of the cognitive development where the proficiency of the person will diminish, the social influence should still foster the child's cognitive development to be able to make crucial decisions important to foreseen careers.

             Nevertheless, the child is required to develop three forms of language to get into intellectual discourse and attain the capability to interact in pursuit of knowledge. On the other hand, two out of three is the most relevant form of language: the first one is the (a) private speech, this utilized to address the sense of self for the purpose of regulating the stability of emotional and mental being. Then, the (b) inner speech or Kael may describe as the "Language of Gods" in terms of millenials as it allows the thought to materialize through the behavior of the person with the presence of higher mental functions to showcase cultural and intellectual competency to the social surroundings. These elements are expected to exhibit critical roles in cognitive development by the reason of the language itself is a tool of intellectual adaptation and the main component to transmit the essential concept of influences.

             To let the child chase the other end as the Polaris as his guide—to let him discover where he belongs, is perhaps the perplexing manner to endure towards the definite drizzle of philosophy and literacy, but the abundance in self-worth will definitely direct oneself to a prosperous function of well-being in the society.

[kael-ism]

Journal IV: The Dilemma Under the Iceberg

LAWRENCE KOHLBERG is a controversial Jewish-American psychologist, educator, and theorist known for developing Moral Development Theory, which has received widespread criticism from experts in the field of psychology.

               Sir Kohlberg conducted a study on male children aged 16 and under prior to developing the theory. Furthermore, these people are presented with a hypothetical situation and question, from which each participant must draw their individualistic conclusions.

              The situation is termed as the "Heinz Dillema"—Heinz's wife has cancer and is on the verge of death, and the drug to cure her is expensive that he borrowed funds to cover for it, but he only got a fraction of what he needed. He begged the pharmacist to sell it at a discounted cost, which the pharmacist refused; thus, his desperation drove him to break into the pharmacy and steal the drugs.

              According to Kohlberg, this moral development theory is divided into three sections with a total of six stages. Besides which, the study's objective is to assess how a child justifies its actions in the specified dilemma, and to demonstrate that moral logic is at the core of maintaining justice.

              The first division which is (1) the pre-conventionality is divided into two stages. This phase includes children aged 4 to 10, whose movements are motivated by obedience to the authorities. The concept of morality is not entirely grasped as the the adults' standards in terms of moral codes are accordingly instilled in these young children.

              Furthermore, stage one is defined as (1.1) obedience and punishment orientation, in which children are encouraged to abide by the rules in place to evade punishments. And the severity of the punishment is directly proportional to how bad the action is perceived to be. The following stage is (1.2) individualism and exchange, in which the children value differences in people's points of view—humans are created with a unique will and identity based on their interests and beliefs. Aside from that, the second stage focuses on the incentives for work. They are not motivated by honing the social relationships through interaction, but rather by prioritizing the personal advantages on certain circumstances. 

For an instance, when Kael was still consumed by childish desires, he would ask his mother or father to return the favor after they requested something from him. And he would throw  a tantrum the moment his condition is declined—nothing matters at that point except comforting his whims.

              The (2) conventional, on the other hand, occurs between the ages of 10 and 13 years old. They are no longer in oblivion and begin to follow social norms and customs that they have internalized through specific adult role models. In pursuit of societal order and healthy connections, children's sense of justice is highly dependent on the social conventions of the group to which they belong.

              Under this moral development division, there is (2.1) interpersonal and conformity stage, also recognized as good boy, good girl orientation, in which a child has initiated the desire to be accepted and pursues only goodness in order to minimize people's disapproval.

Kael, on the other hand, had no recollection of being such because he is a black sheep in nature, and as a result, his parents simply gave up on guiding him at a young age to let him do what he wanted.

              Nevertheless, the stage of (2.2) authority and social order, in which the laws and social orders are absolute, reigns over the society. Humans essentially respect what they should do by adhering to supreme norms and customs. In contrast to the recent stage, which depicts individual approval, the law-and-order orientation is primarily the dungeon of the majority of people in society, as their morality is heavily dictated by an outside force.

              And the final division, (3) post-conventional—at this stage, people seek to explore beyond convention and determine morality through abstract principles. Humans began to question the norms and to call for changes or elimination of some sort in the laws. Likewise, this is the stage of series realization in which the versatility of rights and ethics is demanded, rather than all-out conformity to the absolute rules and values decided by the majority of society. In other words, self-moral evaluation is what matters over social standards; however, only a few have attained such an abstract moral principle.

              The first stage of post-conventionality is the (3.1) social contract and individual rights, in which people attempt to explain behaviors through an abstract reasoning and are aware that specific rules are hindrance to employ an action.  The final stage is the (3.2) universal ethical principles, in which morality is related to personal values and motivated by self-conscience; ergo, laws are rejected in some perspectives.

              Sir Kohlberg's moral development theory has encountered a series of objections. For example, the study is dependent entirely on children, specifically those aged 16 and under; he then confronted these young minds with hypothetical questions and analyzed how they would justify their decision in a specific incident. No one, on the other hand, can reassure whether a child's justification is objective or subjective; he should consider a person's situational action as well as the nature of instincts, so that different decisions may transpire in comparison to the null answers.

To elaborate, Kael typically expresses his sympathy by advising his friends on what they should do in a particular scenario, where there is no guarantee of committing it because intimidation towards the people involved may play a role.

              Next, the theory is quite sexist in its attempt to generalize women's morality—the subjects are all male samples as a result of his conclusion that men's morality is based on principles of law and justice, while women's is based on compassion and care. A huge contradiction may arise because, as per Kael, the relevance of the gender debate in psychology should not be omitted because it can trigger an impact on the study.

              Nonetheless, cultural bias is depicted throughout the process, in which each individual decides on their own to the point where collectivist culture is ignored.

              But first, what are the individualist and collectivist cultures? The individualist culture shames themselves when they rely on someone because they value independence so much, and they want to stand out and appear unique; however, the collectivist culture is the polar opposite, as they are inclined to society and believe that working together to achieve a common objective is necessary.

              The other criticism, on the other hand, is that it equates reasoning with behavior, when knowing what to do and actually doing it do not equate at all. 

For example, Kael had a classmate who openly shared that he was tempted to peek over Kael's paper because his initial reasoning was to pass the exam and provided his current situation, he would not be able to do so; however, his moral reasoning did not reenact because within him, he still acknowledges what moral behaviors are.

              On the negative side, this criticism can also be applied to online classes, where parents' sentiment was to honor their children because it was their long-held wish for them. Considering their ages and the fact that they are supposed to be guiding their sons and daughters towards the light, their insanity and ambitious preferences tainted their morality. After all, if their goal is for the child to have a good grade—to be an outstanding student, they are not doing it, they are not teaching their child to act like an honor because they are creating a huge slacker in society.

"Again, it is not because you think it as right, it is the right thing to do." Kael whispered nonchalantly.

              Now, proceeding to the last criticism which is the overemphasis on justice in the moral development theory. The theory exhibited much consideration in the process of decision making in absolute justice, equality, impartiality, and human rights; notwithstanding, compassion and interpersonal feelings are neglected in the stated mechanism.

              There was a scene in the Netflix series The Good Doctor where Doctor Murphy noticed the hospital janitor's frequent belching. Thus, he informed Doctor Melendez of his conclusion about this man's pancreatic cancer and the need for a series of tests. Further to that, Doctor Murthy is not mistaken in his diagnosis and immediately persuades the janitor to attend a surgery which was initially declined, but Doctor Murphy specifically stated "... having the surgery could kill you, but not having the surgery will kill you." As a result, the janitor had no other option because his death was inevitable.

              Unfortunately, he died, and his family was unable to accept it; they blamed each other for their father's demise. Until Doctor Murphy intervened and told them that it was the janitor's resolve and that he has no regrets for attempting to survive. The janitor, on the other hand, said nothing such as that, and Doctor Murphy justified himself to his colleague by saying, "When the truth can't help someone, we should lie."

              Was it right for Paul's children to discover the truth? Yes, it is their right; even so, is hurting each other worth that much over someone who will never be able to return? No, and Doctor Murphy did not want that to happen; he appears to care because he was one of the few who accompanied the janitor before dying.

              What was implied here is that excessive adherence to norms and taboos may not always rationalize an uncertainty that a person is developing as a human, as established by Kohlberg. He neglected to anticipate the existence of white lies, which consist of affectionate sentiments in order to correlate with the situation. And this will always transpire, no matter how much he ignores it.

              Sir Lawrence Kohlberg is already a well-known figure; he demonstrated to the world how morality is created within humanity.

              "Well, what, in your opinion, is the true definition of morality in life?"

[kael-ism]

Journal III: Erik’s Audacity

From first cry to death He shall introduce the light Halt and hold your breath

Kael is missing in action. He excused himself for some realization. So, I will introduce myself, oh. This is Leak, his poetic alter ego.

Blogs are not really my thing. But I shall take over from here. The fate is not ours, circumstances are not bound.

Are you ready in the manifestation of learnings?

              ERIK HOMBURGER ERIKSON is a Danish-German-American personality who unveils the Theory of Psychosocial Development and The Concept of Identity Crisis. Alongside, with this, he is also a first child analyst in Boston, a research associate at Harvard Medical School, and undergo in a training of psychoanalysis.

              As a human, he had never met his biological father. Good for him to be able to produce such great works, a man, indeed. However, he is a bad father after abandoning his clinically diagnosed child with a down syndrome.

Despite what he had gone through, what made him do that, what is he thinking?

To dream and rewrite Still let the young mind suffer To soar then untie

              The Psychosocial Development Theory of Sir Erikson entails conflicts on its identified stages, wherein, a necessity to bestow chances for subsequent periods of development.

              These stages are divided into eight parts—from infancy until death.

              As a person who is emotionally sensitive, and knowing the fact about Erik and his child made an impact, truly. It is difficult to lie, but the will to continue this discussion further simply slipped and drained.

For the sake of act Guts shall turn blind and deafen One, commence at once

              The first stage of theory, the (a) trust versus mistrust is the substantial period of oneself as it hones the eye of the beholder towards a certain perspective and the emersion of personality will be depicted. For an entity to build a crucial foundation of trust is dependent on how the surrounding respond to the signals of the infant. For an instance, the crying communication between the baby and the environment implies the demand of affection and comfort; thus, trust. Nonetheless, there are few who suffers and unable to find a home to trust, especially those who are intended to be abandoned.

The days of delicacy Favored by the luck for some Sorrow forge philosophies Fortune is wished in the slums

              Second, the autonomy versus shame and doubt, wherein, toilet training develops the will or resolve within. Unlike in the recently posted journal regarding Paget's, the potty-training establishes a highly-organized character of the child.  Further, the children, in pursuit of independence, develop a sense of personal control and autonomy due to demand to take over the world around them.

              Well, the age range of two to three years old begging for independence seems unbelievable. Since Kael and Leak shares the same mind, Leak remember nothing but being clingy, and autonomy is like something Mom would wish for.

              Fly to the next, the (c) initiative versus guilt occurs between three to five years old children, then from explorations, the sense of purpose is developed. Through a series of social interactions, these delicate young people assert their power in order to control the surrounding and as they succeed, the feeling to trust the world arise in which normally a green light towards independence. In exploration, the abilities are assessed for the formation of ambition and direction in life. On the other hand, the unfortunate child who struggle at this stage is most likely turn as a being with a sense of guilt and doubt.

For them, dominance triumphs For him, self sense fell apart For them, the entirety rhymes For him, the doom through light thrust

              Then, the (d) industry versus inferiority, according to Erik, occurs within six to 12 of age. The school has a huge contribution in employing the confidence, in which will live on throughout the life of oneself. The social environment of children extends  as they interact for peers and connections; in that case, the pride in accomplishments and capabilities transpires. The competence and inferiority are the result of success and failure, respectively.

              As the child continue to practice the worst, perhaps, side of the fourth stage, procrastination will emerge. An inferiority complex is developed as they question the potentials of abilities and learnings. This phase is actually frightening for them, it has the possibility to live on throughout their life. If only Leak can multiply, appreciation and support will overflow for these pitiful ones. 

              The current is unstable; thus, the tomorrow will be disrupted. But Leak wishes not.

              Followed by the (e) Identity versus role confusion which starts from 12 to 18 years of age, the people who undergo in adolescence, in short. The social relationships at this stage results to the fidelity of the child. 

              To influence the behavior continuously influences the behavior, the personal identity shall exhibit its role in development. This stage is crucial for teenagers as they explore their sense of belongingness and dependence; then, alongside this search of roles are confusion and insecurity. Moreover, the substance of identity is emphasized because it provides uniqueness and psychosocial development. The moment the child conquered this will lead to fidelity—the character, wherein, Kael and Leak failed to acquire.

              It was about their father—the thirteenth madness flashbacks.

The Luna were stained with tears It gets along with Yellow Goblet of misfortune. flamed Once again, iris felt sorrow

We are on the state of futile Sand of chances, sacrificed But the Column, fell apart As wekk as the fragile trust

False hope and the illicit lies Created a barrier between us Thought you were the wished saviour Fantasized truth, you are not

              The sixth stage, the (f) intimacy versus isolation or the young adulthood between 18 to 40 years old. Erikson perceives that at this stage, the vitality to form an intimate and committed yet enduring and secure relationship is essential to lead a fulfilling.

              Futile as may it sound, isolation and utter loneliness awaits those who struggled. However, to avoid such, negative perspective shall cease. Touch some grass—build skills, determine the self, and practice self-disclosure.

              Leak have been there. If anyone can no longer provide support, create a positive self and make it the edge that will prosper the well-being.

              Moreover, the (g) generativity versus stagnation. The middle adulthood, in which stresses the work and parenthood that develops empathy as well as sympathy. Further, the generativity refers on how a person establish a legacy as he nurture outlasting things—sense of usefulness and success is attained. Nonetheless, the stagnation are obtained by the people who failed to create a contribution that usually directs to unproductivity and shallow involvement in the world.

              Leak remembered the quote manifestation he made for himself years ago, this is to evoke him that the world will not cry for him. The world will be his dungeon to hone his skill, no matter how many barricades he may encounter, he will resist—his resolve will sure to triumph.

Pursue what you want to be, not the world wants you to be.

              And to conclude, the final stage of the theory—the (h) ego versus despair, from 65 years old until death. The wisdoms materialize from the life reflections. The point of development, wherein, the person evaluates his fulfillments and regrets.

              Cheers for those who succeed and acquire the feeling of everlasting sentiments and wisdoms. And hands down for those who failed and continues to pursue their will. The years are not wasted, bitterness and despair shall never be felt. No person decides for certainty out of a whim, suffering only comes once regret is sensed.

All endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time.

Peace will come.

Live your life without regret.

This is Leak, Kael’s alter ego.

Leaves may start to fall But nights will not get darker Our desire will overhaul

Curtain.

[kael-ism]

Journal II: Got my Jeans on, but in Mind!

Good mornight! This is the actual Kael, speaking! I am currently writing this blog half-asleep, my breadwinner-self will not just let me sleep without finishing this one!

Where is my narrator?!

It was really hilarious, my narrator from the Journal I got tired from what he did and beg for a break time! He is keep on bugging me to have mercy on his hopeless and sleepless soul!

Anyway, we are here to learn! Let us see what we can have in Sir Piaget's works of the mind!

               MISTER JEAN PIAGET devised a domain-general learning and he stood on his belief that for oneself to learn, he should acquire experience first! So, what should I call to my hypothetical-based advises for my friends whenever they are asking for my sentiments towards their romantic conflict? Aha, a wild guess—a hoax fortune-telling perhaps! Well, this is why Jean Piaget perceives the children as little scientists because we are naturally curious and consist of unimaginable wonders and perspective, isn't it?!

              Moving on, the Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development suggests that the child develops through four different stages of mentality. It expounds how a child acquires knowledge; but for them to attain the full capacity of their intellect, they shall conquer first all these stages!

              What are these stages in the very first play, old sports?!

              First and foremost, (1) the sensorimotor stage; it occurs between zero to two years of age. Children at this age does not possess the ability or in funny term, to stay loyal in believing that a thing exist even a certain object is absent from their senses—in Piaget's term, this is the lack of object permanence due to the fact that mental representations are still not present. Further, they are the "mind-my-own-business" type of people because they cannot still practice the complex future perception; their learnings—their world is created through series of enacted senses and actions. There is nothing interesting towards these folk, they are annoying sometimes in some embarrassing way, just like my brothers who are used to bite my fingers back then, but of course, as a great brother, theirs satisfaction is also mine. Half-lie, anyway—just kidding!

              Second! The (2) preoperational stage of the children between two to seven years old. Their imaginative and poetic persona began to develop as they represent thoughts with words and images. Wonderful, I can say! However, spoiled brats began to emerge here because children are now caged within their selfish perspective or they describe as the egocentrism. As a teenager who grew up with my younger cousins, I guess, my opinions are valid if I say that they are truly spoiled as rotten egg.

              Sigh.

              Then, the next stage to conquer is the (3) concrete operational stage, in which normally depicted from seven to 11 years old humans. Surprisingly, these individuals are capable now of formulating rational reasons with the utilization of operational thoughts. Also, there are four identified abilities they continue to develop at this age: the (3.1) conservation or the ability to think twice before jumping into conclusion. Unfortunately, I was not that always smart at my decisions when I am at this range of age as I act impulsively for fun. And as a result, I did not have any permanent childhood friends. Next! The (3.2) seriation is the ability to sequence based on the size of specific subjects. Then, the (3.3) classification or the capability to identify properties according to their respective category. Long ago, alongside with my so-called-ate, we are always decoding jigsaw puzzle after I attend school. Their house is my after-school-dungeon because she is fun to play with, but one day she is gone to college to pursue nursing. Perhaps, my connection with her is a part of my becoming in life. And lastly, the development of (3.4) transivity or the classification of relationship among the elements and the transfer of relationship across the other element.

              This blog still has a long way to go. I badly want to sleep right on. Fighting, self! Sir Jean does not deserve this kind of spirit!

              Yes! The last stage of cognitive development, the (4) formal operational stage! These are the folks from 12 years old up to the adulthood. Finally, a mature talk, maybe. They gain the capability to interpret the mind in an abstract manner through the manipulation of ideas without the dependence on concrete manipulation. Under this stage, the humans' capability of (4.1) abstract reasoning or scientific production of hypotheses; and (4.2) hypothetico-deductive reasoning or the execution of concrete operation on objects and formal operation on ideas, is depicted.

              Actually, the ability to think, overall, is simply scary. And if I could only wish one thing, I hope in the next life I can just be a tree. This possession drives humans to generate thought to either support or hate, and then, discrimination and devastation appear.

Why? Because humans, are naturally scared of what they do not understand.

              Nonetheless, it is not the time for a heavy-topic! Sir Jean Piaget still has four important concepts for us to remember in his pocket!

              It answers the question of "how knowledge is processed and built upon?"

              The (1) schema or the foundation of knowledge. And we have the (2) assimilation, the application of previous schemes towards a new scenario. Then, the (3) accommodation is the updating schema—the child began to realize things and the thoughts are placed accordingly now. A little fun fact, when I was a child, every episode of Barney, I was looking forward for Jollibee to make his appearance because I thought he is also a dinosaur and the real protagonist of the show. Next, the last one! The (4) equilibrium or the ability to incorporate the majority of knowledge through an assimilation practice.

              The human minds work with full of wonders. But with the help of people who are dedicated to unveiling these unknowns, we are developing new ideas each generation to grasp the world.

              The legacy of Sir Jean Piaget will remain as he introduced to the humanity his insights on early childhood and how a child gradually understand the whys around him. Regardless the cultural bias he was criticized on, the influence and pride of his cognitive development study will forever remain.

[kael-ism]

Journal I: The Wonders of Freud

SIGMUND FREUD was a prominent figure, in which Kael hearing since then even in the books he is reading, specifically, the Sherlock Holmes.

             Interestingly, the great Sigmund developed Psychoanalytic theory, in which states that unconscious mind affects the personality of person as he develop; and under this concept, the psychoanalysis is produced, wherein, it treats mental disorder/illness of the patients. This treatment is actually beneficial for the mitigation of human suffering as it enhances the life quality of every individuals by reducing the risk of getting unfortunate diagnosis with regards the mental health. And if only Kael would have a chance to try this, it would be a nice opportunity—take note; psyche therapy is not only for mentally disabled people, you can also consult in regular basis to improve your lifestyle.

              Furthermore, there are three levels, according to the stated proponent, of mental health. These are the (a) unconscious, the area where it prohibits a person to reflect but processes in mind automatically occurs; (b) precociousness, it refers to the unconscious memory recollection, in which a person can recall anytime; then, the (c) conscious mind, wherein, it composed of all thoughts, memories, and feelings—and is far from oblivion. Alongside this topic is the structure of personality: the (a) id or the primary component of superego and the source of all psychic energy; (b) superego, it consist of standardized morality obtained from the family and society; and (c) ego, the structure that ensures the impulses of id to align with the norms of the society. Additionally, the first structure is entirely unconscious in nature, while the succeeding ones have preconscious, conscious, and unconscious characteristics. As Kael internalized these concepts, his mind wonder and ask himself the essence of this confusing terminologies. "Not as if I could use it when dissecting human's organ", he thought himself. However, kidding aside, it is a substantial inputs to turn into best version of ourselves. Think of it, if humans would know this, they will probably know how to control their instincts towards the realistic and socially acceptable acts; however (again), it has the capability, if handled in improper manner, to transform a person into manipulative kind and may undergo in role crisis. Then, denials or defense mechanism will make its appearance—as the people avoid the naked reality.

             Moreover, Sigmund Freud identified seven defense mechanisms that humans encounter on a regular basis throughout their lives. First, (a) repression refers to the storage of unpleasant memories. In this regard, Kael explained that it is the veiled trauma, wherein, the inner self of the person helps him to ease the pain of the experience.  The (b) displacement or redirection of hostility from one source to another follows. Whenever Kael felt bad about something, this was his usual defense mechanism. "Yes, it seems so toxic", Kael's monologue. Back in the 9th. grade, his friend expressed something bad about him. And as a person with a genuine feelings, of course, it would ruin his mood and boil his temper. As a result, he vents out his rage at the quiz questionnaire assigned to him, where, at the time, no one received a single point due to the difficulty and restrictions. Then, the (c) rationalization—the poor  justification of undesirable behavior.

             Fourth, there is (d) denial, the practice of ignoring obvious reality in order to avoid tension. During the enrollment season, Kael was dramatically stressed. He was uncertain what would happen to his future after the universities he applied to turned him down. And the sole colleges he passed on was TIP, Saint Jude, and PLM, but he forgot to confirm his intention to enroll in the third one, so the slot for his desired program was forfeited due to his own negligence. "No nights are spent without tears that time", he recalled. he had developed insomnia, he ate less than usual, and he could not find enlightenment. He wants someone to talk about it, but he cannot just afford to let his friends worry about him. Thankfully, he discovered One Piece, he used to rant about it being long and overrated. But in fact, it empowered him a lot, as in big time. At night, he is spending his time watching it and choose to ignore the inevitable reality, while doing everything in the morning to find his track once again. "This is not the path I had envisioned for myself, but maybe one day, with my conviction and willpower, I will become what I want." With funny tears on his cheeks, Kael vowed.

                (e) Regression, on the other hand, is the next defense mechanism that involves changes in behavior pattern from matured one towards the earlier stage of development. As a matter of fact, Kael knew someone who had gone through something similar. A guy named Edgar, he is a man who is using illegal wiring connections for a living.  One day, he touched a high voltage wire or known as the 'live wire'. He fell from the electricity post down to the ground. After that, he lay low from his so-called business until we learned that his mentality had reverted to that of a five-year-old, according to his daughter. "No regret saying this, but I think it is a karma that would bring peace into his life", Kael's sentiments regarding the unfortunate incident.  

             Sixth, the (f) reaction formation or the foolish slash cringey-in-some-way defense mechanism, according to Kael, it is the display of behavior that is diametrically opposed to the person's true intention. The final one is projection, which is the unconscious absorption of unwanted emotions from oneself to another. In other words, this is the act of a suspicious person blaming his wrongdoing on someone else. For an instance, a  famous childhood behavior with siblings; when Kael was young, he and his brothers could be seen redirecting blame to each other to avoid punishments, even though one of them was actually at fault.

             The examples stated in the defense mechanism may sound not validating the seriousness, warning, it appears this way only in this blog. In normal circumstances, especially in a professional setting like clinics and hospitals, these are crucial concepts that require emphasis for proper diagnosis of mental disabilities.

             The next psychological development proposed by Sigmund Freud is the Psychosexual Stages, wherein, every stage represents fixation of libido on different areas of the body.

             On the (a) oral stage babies experience pleasure through chewing, biting, sucking, and breastfeeding. Aside from that, there is a Filipino myth that if a child grows up sucking nipples or pacifiers, he will develop stutter speech, also known as being bulol. However, a child who is overstimulated at this age, according to Freud, may become cigarette and alcohol dependent as an adult. Next, the (b) anal stage, wherein, "this is the weird stage", Kael's thought. The pleasure is directed towards the anus, and defecating is overemphasized. Nonetheless, once the child has grasped proper potty training, he is more likely to become an anal-retentive person. However, if he starts messing around and neglects potty training, an anal-expulsive behavior will emerge. The third stage is the (c) phallic stage, in which the pleasure shifts to the genitals and establishes sexual attraction for the opposite-sex parent—a father and mother complex, they labeled. They are attempting to mimic the pattern behavior of the same-sex parent in order for the child to learn gender identity. Besides which, the term oedipus was coined for a young man with a desire on his mother, and for the young girl with a desire on her father is called electra complex. "This is strangely educational, huh," Kael remarked again. The (d) latency stage would be the next to last, which Kael would most likely relate to. This is the stage at which sexual energy is channeled into schoolwork, hobbies, and friendships; friends will then serve as figures to strengthen sexual identity. The last one is the (e) genital stage, "to which I cannot relate by definition”. Children develop a sexual interest in the opposite sex and place a higher value on heterosexual pleasure.

             Upon learning the Psychosexual Stage of Development, Kael would conclude that this is weird acknowledging these concepts, but as what his teacher advised them back in junior high school, they should get used to it because the real world and the essence of knowledge is not truly censored.

             In an exploration of the unconscious mind in order to cure, a therapeutic process is implemented with five parts. First, (a) the consistency and regular meeting of patients with the therapist who is maintaining neutrality and objectivity during sessions. Further, the (b) free association of thoughts and feelings towards the therapist; then, it will lead to the emergence of unexpected memories. Then, the (c) interpretation phase, in which the clients are aided to broaden their sense of lives and consciousness. Moreover, the (d) dream analysis, wherein, the therapists, believes that traumatic memories are expressed through symbolic forms within a dream; and it composed of two content levels: latent or the hidden but true meaning, and the manifest, where it depicts obvious meanings. The (e) analysis of resistance, on the other hand, is the slowest part of the stated process this is the stage where the person refuses to recall the past for some reason. And the last will be the (f) transference analysis, in which the patient claims to assumes that the psychoanalyst is a person from his past, and her initial reaction is to protect his feelings; however, the positive outcome is that the client becomes aware of his emotions, enabling to progress to the next stage of development.

             The goal of therapeutic treatment is to reveal the unconscious mind of the patient and enrich the defense mechanism to be able to hinder the difficulties from occurring as it strengthens the ego of the person.

             INDEED, the wonders of Sigmund has been a substantial part of human study from then on. Kael commends this individual for being great and creating an impact even after his death. One day, he will stand in front of Freud's books, and vow to continue protecting the mental health of mankind.

[kael-ism]

About the Author

Kael was born in Quezon City on eight of July 2003, and he's in the 17th. season of monsoon. He possessed Cancer as his zodiac sign; its definition unravels his identity in the shadow. He has a keen eye in creative writing, and painting. The brewed coffee grounds unto his veins are always lingering, as it keeps his sanity tranquil. And at night, he's giving himself into imageries created by book's fantasy. From his point of view, those false realities produces melancholic ambiance that results into exaggerated self-consciousness. 

                   When Leak writes, he's casting spell. A spell that is bound to write what is within him, and be limitless. And as per other beings, it's his sole stupefying strength. On the other hand, he thought himself as blessed, not gifted nor a prodigy. He is weaken by the fact that there are still a lot of knowledge he must obtain. He is just also a human— blessed to be constantly able to acquired learning.

                   He is dreaming to save lives— wearing a white gown and stethoscope. Build a coffee shop, and hire philosophers as waiters. Contribute a charity for homeless children. And most of all, a settled life and die in serene. This subject would teach him how to convey his inner thoughts in handled manner. He wanted to attain the boundless yet sensitive connection. He's eager to awaken what's more for the sake of goodness of his future patients.

                   Thus, may the Supreme Deity sanctify his education in the midst of chaos and toxic neutrality.