Humanity is a religion most required for us and future generations. We need to be more open-minded towards each other so that this world becomes place where individuals with sensible logical brains co-exist heading towards betterment overall instead just worrying about me, my family, my community.
Training brain to think Critically only on required issues, is surely going to save lots of time and energy, keeping in mind that few times being ‘Emotional’ is OK!
On final 2 day of my Life class I came across many views on religion. Sessions were very interactive especially Vardaan Sir’s.
I myself have commented and argued a lot during my teenage years on different religious beliefs and rituals. But over a period I understood that there is no point doing it. I have also understood that finding common ground is essential for peaceful co-existence in the society.
Thanking both Bhargavi Ma’am and Shezin Ma’am for helping me to think critically from all the angles.
The first ever reaction that comes to anyone on listening to chocolate is pleasure and comfort. It makes the world go round. It is the ultimate happiness that anyone can savour. We would all agree that everything is good if it is made of chocolate. Most of us would relate chocolate as a way to deal with feelings instead of to satisfy hunger.
We were all super-excited when we learnt that we were going to learn about chocolate. And this is the first thing that we got to read.
Imagine our disbelief when we learnt that our delicious chocolate has been termed as something that is suited for the consumption of pigs! And then we learnt that what we read was one of the first detailed accounts of the original chocolate that comes from the History of the New World (1564) by the Milanese Girolamo Benzoni, who travelled in Central America.
So the story goes like this. In the early days, before the 16th century, chocolate wasn’t this creamy, rich, sweet, sensuous, soft, decadent and super addictive food that we know of. It was extremely bitter, gruelly, coarse, crumbly and too heavy to eat. More than a treat, it was a treatment, used as a medicine or fed to soldiers as an instant energizer to prepare them for war.
It is only through the human desire to improvise, innovate and derive pleasure that we got the chocolate that we know. It is a great example of human ingenuity in action.
So if you were born before the 16th century, your experience with chocolate would have been very different. So different that if you time travelled and reached this day in Switzerland and tasted chocolate, chances are you wouldn’t be able to make any association of one with the other.
And this is the short video about the history and evolution of chocolate that we watched,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibjUpk9Iagk
Chocolate has been known and loved for many centuries, not only as food but also as medicine. The process of how chocolate is created right from the cocoa beans that grow inside the pods of the cacao trees that are native to central South America to the bars that we relish was worth learning.
So the next time you find yourself craving some chocolate, don’t dismiss it as simply craving for a sweet treat. It could be an important signal that your heart is in need of love. Give in to the desire and buy yourself a big bar.
Mehman Nawazi
Today we decided to explore the long-lost gem- Rander. I have been in Surat for the past 20 years, but this part of Surat was unknown and untouched by me despite its proximity to our school. We explored and visited the various beautiful heritage sites and charming architecture of Rander. The history of Surat and the stories associated with it brought history alive. It felt like we went back in time. The Jain and the Muslim community living together with many temples and mosques next to each other showed us how the people here lived peacefully and happily together despite what is otherwise believed to be the case.
The people here were so generous and welcoming, including ‘Abbas bhai’ who from his busy schedule gave us almost 4 hours to help us explore the place. He was polite, soft spoken, smiling and sharing with us all the knowledge about the place. Taking extra efforts to get permissions for places which were otherwise out of reach for us.
After all the walking, we were not just ready but really hungry for the aloo puri and khawsa that we were here for. So the next stop for us was ‘Nakhuda Nasta center’. The place was brimming with aroma and enticed our tastes buds and we were welcomed here with a warm smile. We were first shown the process of how they make these iconic dishes. He took us to the kitchen, showed the making and answered all the questions. Someone revealing their business secret is something I saw for the first time.
And finally we ordered everything they had on the menu- Aane do!- alu puri, cheese aloo puri, egg aloo puri, chicken aloo puri, rainbow aloo puri, veg khawsa, chicken khawsa, egg khawsa! After eating to our hearts content we wanted to drink something. He was really kind to get us drinks from another shop. This seemed like a local fav- RimZim which was really refreshing and reminded us of our childhood days. Next on our list was hand churned ice cream! And not just one flavor, Abbasbhai got us 12 different flavors! When the plates arrived on our tables we were all love struck- the colors and creaminess..After eating so much we were pretty sure we won’t be able to finish it but when we looked around after 10 mins all the plates were licked clean!
“Atithi Devo Bhava “
Something I have only heard since I was a child, I experienced today.
This Mehman Nawazi of Rander blew our minds and made the humble experience of eating aloo puri and khawsa into an unforgettable memory. In Rander you get not just good food but also truly authentic human beings!
This is the end of the story
Regards,
Payal Jain
The moral rules for a particular person is different but not wrong. The activity “Murder Your Darlings” helped to understand the confirmation bias for decision-making. Relevant examples and case studies were used by the facilitators to understand the concepts better. There were other interesting distinctions catered like Cognitive Bias and Affinity Bias. The discussions helped me understand not to jump on the conclusion but rather should be backed by facts and evidences. I learnt that critical thinking is about considering all factors (CAF). Other important concepts like moral reasoning, moral relativism, self-interest theory, deontology, utilitarianism, etc. were introduced which is going to help me both professionally and personally.
When I opted for Critical Thinking I was not really ready to think critically as I was happy with my own likings and disliking. But to my surprise, the engagements and provocations are such that, I am actually looking forward for more sessions. I found the sessions interesting where I learned about the importance of critical thinking in life. On Day3 and 4 I learned about different types of biases like Confirmation bias, Affinity bias, Anchoring bias, Availability bias, Inattentional bias, Hindsight bias, etc. It was an eyeopener for me and I actually understood that my preferences are somewhere related to these biases. The best part was when I identifying my own biases. Through the sessions I got to know that we are pattern seeking animals. Our brain has dots which joins or connects at times. It is difficult for humans to accept something new. I enjoyed the activity where I had to murder my daring by looking for the counter evidences.
Another interesting learning was abut Moral Relativism. Here I understood that my moral compass can be different from others. Our values are determined by the society we grow up in. No values are universal. They vary from culture to culture.
I am hoping to see myself applying my learning from these sessions and I am happy that I am learning to become a critique of my own thinking.
Looking forward to more such sessions!!!
The one who live with rules and valuesThe one who set new rules and values
My learning from CT Day 3 and 4:
Got to know types of Biases like Confirmation bias, Dunning-Kruger Effect, Cultural bias, Self-Serving Bias etc. There are various instances when we are unconsciously working through these biases.
Here are a few learning of my critical thinking session 3 and 4.
Over all it was good, and I am still working on system 2.
