Have you ever wondered why we study history in our schools, or what importance does history have in our present lives? The majority of you might answer, explore the impacts of the past on our current lives, or know the various foundations of our present identity. All these answers make perfect sense, but what if I tell you that studying history might have changed the way we see things in our current time? History allows us to observe and understand how people and societies behaved. It shows us how change happened in the past and how these changes impacted the communities later-on. Our present is one of these impacts. Continue reading “World History Series Documentaries: The Crusades – Episode 01: The Origins”
Category: People around the World
I wandered lonely as a cloud – The Daffodils
I wandered lonely as a cloud – The Daffodils
A lot is happening in the world today that, I believe for an average person like me, it is hard to understand. It is so easy to feel small in the bigness of some of the tragedies happening these last few months. I think humanity is realised now that things which we were taking as granted are basically the real asset to us. With all the chaos and pain, there is still so much for us to embrace, like love and memories. Memories that help us to overcome our painful moments and navigate us to the comforting breeze of feelings.
I experience a similar kind of feelings when yesterday I was reading a book of selected poems by William Wordsworth. Continue reading “I wandered lonely as a cloud – The Daffodils”
How Our Simple Habits Become A Rite of Passage for Later Life
How Our Simple Habits Become A Rite of Passage for Later Life
Last week, my students and I engaged in an open discussion on rituals and habits that how habits and rituals are different and sometimes we start considering some of our practices as rituals. While the conversation went further, one of my students asked ‘Sir, why certain habits become so important for some people that they start taking them as a ritual?’ the question was valid at some points, however, I counter question him ‘Is it habits or the stories and feelings related to these habits which makes people consider them as rituals?’ Throughout our life, whether we follow any religion or not, we involve with many rituals individually as well as communally. For example, holding hands before dinner or saying specific prayers before meal etc. These habits eventually become a sacred part of our lives and even pass on from generation to generations. The question is How Our simple Habits become a rite of passage for later life?
The same question was asked by an activist and tech enthusiast, Bob Stein who has long been in the vanguard: immersed in radical politics as a young man, he grew into one of the founding fathers of new media. He’s wondering what sorts of new rituals and traditions might emerge as society expands to include increasing numbers of people in their eighties and nineties. Continue reading “How Our Simple Habits Become A Rite of Passage for Later Life”
Why Do We Get So Attached to The Movie’s Fictional Characters?
Why Do We Get So Attached to The Movie’s Fictional Characters?
By Ahmad Amirali
I recently watch Marvel’s latest Avengers: Endgame with my friends. I like the storyline, and all the action sequences, above all Marvel’s characters, are grouped up in this movie. We all know that the Endgame is the last movie of its Avenger’s franchise, and it is evident pretty much in every scene of the film. Many lead characters are now dead or getting old, which gave us the impression that the future marvel world will now be in the hands of new generations of heroes. However, I am not writing this article to provide you with my reflections about the Endgame movie. Instead, I observed people’s reactions during the end credits of the film. Everybody was like crying or waiting for the post-credits clip, usually included in the MCU movies since 2008. The audience’s emotional behaviour made me read some researchers and ask why we get so attached to the movie’s fictional characters? Continue reading “Why Do We Get So Attached to The Movie’s Fictional Characters?”
Travel Diaries: The Journey to Heaven – Chitral, KPK, Pakistan
Travel Diaries: The Journey to Heaven – Chitral, KPK, Pakistan
By Ahmad Amirali
As a teacher, and more specific as a human, I observed that human beings encounter either good or bad times in their lives. In an adverse situation, we curse everyone including God, we complain and ruin whatever good left in our lives. The good times do the opposite to us, and we cherish every moment of it, we thanked God of whatever the blessing he bestowed upon us.
However, I believe in either of the case humans can cherish the blessing of God they had since their birth, i.e. their life. We always forget how fortunate we are that we are chosen to live on this earth and spend our life with our loved ones. We forget that most of the time we are the reasons for our misery and sadness. Similar kind of experience I encountered when I recently visited one of the beautiful places of my homeland Pakistan.Read More…