It’s not often you see comics of everyday lives of couples. One of funniest and most adorable comics are that of artist Catana Chetwynd, who represents her daily life with her boyfriend.
We chose the most hysterical and amusing comics you simply cannot look away from without grinning. They are extremely honest, which makes them entertaining and fun.
Enjoy!
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According to The Salt Lake Tribune, the police officer who was seen on a viral video arresting the nurse who refused to draw blood without a warrant from an unconscious patient is under criminal investigation now.
On Friday, Sim Gill, a Salt Lake County District Attorney, put under investigation the case of Detective Jeff Payne who violently attacked and arrested the nurse Alex Wubbles on July 26 because she refused to obey him and draw blood from an acutely injured and unconscious patient.
The Associated Press reported that Jeff Payne is on administrative leave. However, the police department of Salt Lake City announced that two of their employees has been put on administrative leave on Friday, so it is not very clear if Payne is among them.
UPDATE: Two employees are on administrative leave pending the results of an investigation. https://t.co/0DlNi5p3OS
— SLC Police Dept. (@slcpd) September 2, 2017
In the video of the incident it is clear that Alex Wubbles, the head nurse of the burn unit in the University of Utah’s hospital, is calm the whole time while trying to explain to the police officer why she is not allowed to draw blood from the unconscious patient.
The before-mentioned detective keeps on insisting her to draw the blood, but she explains to him that she is only allowed to do that under 3 circumstances: if the patient has an electronic warrant (which he has not), if the patient is under arrest (which he has not been), and, finally, if the patient is consent (which he was not because he was unconscious).
Because none of these requirements were fulfilled, she explains calmly to him that she cannot do what he asks her to do. He then places handcuffs on her hands and arrests her.
When the video the incident went public, it caused serious criticism on Payne’s action. The City Major of Salt Lake Jackie Biskupski together with Police Chief Mike Brown apologized publicly for Payne’s assault and said that the whole case will be further investigated.
“I was alarmed by what I saw in the video with our officer and Wubbels. I am sad at the rift this has caused between law-enforcement and the nurses we work so closely with. I want to be clear, we take this very seriously,” said Brown in a joint statement.
After the incident, the nurse was released immediately without any charges upon her because the rules from 2016 Supreme Court prohibit obtaining a blood alcohol test without having warrant.
In a report by the Tribune, Payne said that he did that because Wubbles has interfered with his police investigation. Moreover, he said that he wanted the blood sample in order to protect the patient.
After the video went viral, the National Nurses United, denounced publicly Payne and the police department of Salt Lake City. Presently, they are funding a campaign against violence at the workplace.
“As the videos and news accounts make clear, there is no excuse for this assault, or her arrest, which sends a chilling message about the safety of nurses and the rights of patients”, stated the organization’s co-president, Jean Ross.
After the video was released on Friday, the Tribune reported that District Attorney Jill gave Brown instructions to search for an outside agency to investigate the case. Later that day, from the chief’s office announced that the United Police Department would be investigating the case.
According to Utah’s ABC 4 News, Wubbles have decided to forgive him after the apologies from the Major Biskupski and the Police Chief Brown.
Furthermore, the New York Post reports that the University of Utah’s hospital stands by the nurse’s decision to not draw blood from the patient.
Finally, a spokesman from the police said that they updated their blood drawing policy recently and aligned it with the policy of the hospital. In addition to this, the police officers have received training on the subject.
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A friend of mine (who happens to be blonde) always says that it takes a hairdresser to dye your hair, but it takes confidence to be blonde. And we can see from so many iconic figures from the past and present that this might be true.
People like Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot, Tailor Swift, Kate Moss, just to mention a few, are all famous for their blonde hair.
These iconic blondes weren’t the only ones who loved or love this color. Millions and millions of blonde ladies visit their hair stylists every month in order to be blonde.
And the hair color is as popular as ever, so it seems like you can’t make a wrong fashion choice if you go blonde.
1. Statistically, around one in three women are blondes, but most of them dye their hair. If you’re naturally blonde, you should consider yourself special because you’re in the 2% of people who are natural blondes.
2. Another reason why you should consider yourself special if you’re a natural blonde is the fact that natural blondness is a result of a really small genetic mutation. How small? Imagine one different hair in billions of others.
3. Hair color can change. Thus, you can be blonde as a child, and go dark later in your childhood. The reason for this is the level of eumelanin, which regulates the darkness of the hair and usually rises with age.
4. If you have blonde hair, it doesn’t mean that you have also blue eyes. There is no connection between the color of the hair and the eyes in the case of blondes.
5. Blonde also doesn’t come in one shade, but around 30. You can be grey blonde, brown blonde or café au lait blonde. And there is a visible difference between the shades. For instance, you might look good with one shade, but look unnatural with another shade. There is even a shade called strawberry blonde, which is a combination of blonde and red.
6. Dark skin comes with dark hair? Not always. The Melanesians of New Guinea are a dark-skinned group of humans with a high blonde hair rate. However, the gene that makes their hair blonde is not the same gene mutation that happens to blonde Caucasians.
7. Some scientists believe that men who have blond hair and blue eyes are naturally more attracted to blondes. The reason for that lies in evolutionary psychology.
In other words, your children will have those traits for sure only if both you and your partner have them. Thus, blond and blue-eyed men might be instinctively attracted to women with the same traits so that their children will look like them.
8. Statistics show that blondes are more hairy. It’s true, blondes have more hair on their head compared to the rest. Experts say that the reason for this is in the quality of the hair. Namely, blonde hair is finer and the scalp can “hold” more hair.
9. From Marilyn Monroe we learned that gentlemen prefer blondes. This might be true, according to science. Studies show that blondes are the most attractive to men. Statistics show that they are more likely to be helped when they need assistance and to be picked up in a bar.
10. However, other studies show men having a different opinion for blondes. Namely, Scandinavian Journal of Psychology published a research implying that men consider blondes as needy, high-maintenance, and neurotic.
11. The stereotype of “dumb blonde” is so popular that men actually behave more stupid in the presence of a blonde woman. French researchers tested the hypothesis on men who were shown blonde women and dark-haired women while taking a test. The scores were lower when they looked at the blondes.
12. Whether they consider them dumb or not, wealthier men tend to marry blondes more often than dark-haired women. Researchers at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) discovered that blondes not only end up with wealthy men, but they are also paid more.
Chocolates are the most popular celebrated food type in the world, and a vast number of foodstuffs involving chocolate have been created, particularly desserts including cakes, pudding, chocolate brownies, and chocolate chip cookies. Many candies are filled with or coated with sweetened chocolate, and bars of solid chocolate and candy bars coated in chocolate are eaten as snacks.
Gifts of chocolate molded into different shapes like eggs, hearts, coins have become traditional throughout the world on specific holidays, such as Valentine’s Day, Easter. Chocolate is also used in cold and hot beverages such as chocolate milk and hot chocolate and even in some alcoholic drinks. Yep, you heard it right, in some alcoholic drinks such as crème de cacao.
How To Identify Top Class White Chocolates:
If you find yourself asking this question – where can I buy couverture chocolate, it is important to first be in a position to identify the best white chocolates. They must be ideally made up of at least 20 percent cocoa butter, 14 percent milk solids, 3.5 percent milk fat and no more than 55 percent sugar or other types of sweeteners should be added.
Most chocolate companies attempt to create chocolate that is unique from other brands in the business but falls short of customer’s expectations. But few succeed in making first class chocolates by sticking to superior quality and manufacturing in their supreme way.
Few simple tips to choose quality white chocolates:
A good quality white chocolate will have cocoa butter, the creaminess of the chocolate, as top ingredients.
In exceptional cases, milk solids may be an ingredient in white chocolate. Avoid chocolates that have sugar as the top ingredient or if additional fats are added.
Purchase chocolate that has been made recently. The more recently the chocolate was made, the fresher it will be. Aged chocolate would have lost some of its quality and taste. White chocolate should be consumed within six months.
Be genuine to pay more for high-quality chocolates. If you are looking for top quality chocolate, expect to shell out more for the quality. Good quality chocolate will cost more than the commercial grade chocolate.
A high price does not necessarily mean it is high-quality chocolate. Some sellers may try to push out commercial grade chocolates at a higher price.
You can browse the label of the chocolate for the list of ingredients added if you see many ingredients that you have not come across or familiar with; opt for a different chocolate company. It must also be GMO-free.
Best Ways To Accomplish Good Tasting:
To get the most out of your chocolate, it is advisable to consume it in the morning when your sensitivity is higher. Having chocolate at the end of a meal is not the best way to reveal its flavor.
Avoid drinking champagne or having ice cream before tasting your chocolate. Doing so will affect the flavor of the chocolates since your taste buds will be preoccupied.
Tasting chocolates in small amount enhance the appreciation of fragrance and flavors. However, you can always repeat the tasting sessions.
How to choose the right mattress? It is not a simple operation but it is an excellent sign that you are wondering why it is a very important operation. Whether you are students, employees or freelancers, the importance of resting well remains unchanged.
If you have a bad sleep, the body does not restore itself and, if it does not restore itself, does not make it in daytime life. There are experiments to demonstrate this and even art has gone so far as to declare it openly with films like “The man without sleep” (whose protagonist is Christian Bale) in which he shows what happens in an individual when he renounces bed for too long.
Having comfortable mattresses is the basis for deep sleep but on the market there are many models and each of us has its own characteristics that can put us all in front of important crossroads. You are advised to visit several sites that are able to compare the specifications of various mattress products such as Rest Right Mattress.
How to choose the right mattress?
There are rules, advice, tips and subjective considerations but first of all, among the characteristics of a good mattress, there is the fact that it must support your body in a neutral position, the one in which the vertebral column assumes a natural curvature and the parts of the body on which the greatest pressure is burdened are supported in a correct alignment. Make sure the mattress is not too stiff otherwise it would add stress over the pressure points, leading your body to an incorrect position. On the contrary, if it’s too soft, the pressure points of your body would not receive the most adequate support. The solution is an ergonomic mattress.
The second question
The second question to analyze is to understand your state of health. If you suffer from low back pain, in fact, you will need to have a stiffer mattress. We do not say so but a research conducted in Russia studied people who had suffered from years of back pain and the research has discovered that, on a scale that rated from 1 to 10 the rigidity of the mattress, the people who slept on a medium stiff (5.6 on the scale) in the morning they felt less pain than those who slept on a softer product.
How do you know if the bed you are sleeping on has to be changed?
There is an unequivocal signal. If you wake up in the morning with a bit of backache that goes in about half an hour, it means that it is time to put your wallet in hand. You should use your feeling. If you feel pressure, however, it does not work. If you can’t quickly convince yourself, you might consider our advice. Use an adjustable bed and based on our experience, Reverie 9T adjustable bed is one of the best.
This is why this brief overview of the tips to choose good mattresses concludes with the importance of doing a test in the shop. Experts suggest trying the mattress in the shop, in fact, lying on each product in the position where you usually sleep. You should be there at least 10 or 15 minutes on the bed, though, or the test will not be true.
Not only that: do not forget to bring your pillow! The more you can recreate the way you really sleep at home, the higher your chances of choosing the right mattress will be.
Recently, many of us have become extremely obsessed with taking selfies for social media. It happens when you travel and check in in front of the Eiffel tower with a selfie or at work when you’re alone in the office. Somehow, people got used to posting selfies and looking at selfies.
While it’s easy to just look at Instagram posts and stories and occasionally judge the Millennials for practicing this the most, we fail to see the real cause behind it.
Taking a selfie is far from a human need, but many people would agree that narcissists need it for their self-esteem.
How did we become so self-obsessed?
The selfie became popular in 2013 when people started taking self-portraits with the newest smartphones that allowed this. The selfie is still popular today even after years and it seems as it isn’t going away anytime soon.
Everyone does it occasionally, but some people are real “selfie masters”. What’s making those people different? It may be narcissism – and there are scientific studies that suggest this.
Namely, some scientists have linked narcissistic behavior to selfie-taking. Psychology today wrote about this link between the two, informing about studies that imply that the taking selfies fosters narcissism and in some cases, selfies can be clearly identified as a result of narcissism.
However, that’s not the only factor that comes to play and personality alone sometimes is not enough for selfie use.
A different study testing the correlation between selfies and narcissism showed different results when it comes to women and men.
Interestingly, there was a positive correlation between narcissistic behavior and selfies in men, but not women.
For the ladies, only one trace of narcissism predicted selfie-taking, which is admiration demand. In other words, narcissistic men tend to take selfies, but narcissistic women don’t necessarily take many selfies, except when they need admiration.
However, we must challenge these findings by putting light to the numerous of people who have felt pressure to look like the celebrities they see every day on Instagram or Facebook and in order to do that, have taken extreme measures.
For instance, one British teenager has recently tried to kill himself for not being able to take the perfect selfie. After spending hours a day taking selfies, losing weight and dropping out of school, he was the first person who was diagnosed with a selfie addiction. He was treated by having his phone taken away at short intervals.
In his book “Selfie”, Will Storr writes about the practice of taking self-portraits as a story from a history book. In the book, Storr writes about the way people have become to think about themselves and finds the traces of the today’s self-obsession in philosophy and history.
Whether the selfie is something new or old and whether it is a result of narcissism or not, we see that many people are taking it very seriously.
Many are finding it hard to cope with what the new technologies bring us. So, taking some time off the internet might actually do us good.
Taking selfies is fun, but it’s important not to obsess yourself about it. You don’t need approval for anything and you don’t have to be perfect – because nobody is.
Sources:
www.huffingtonpost.com
www.readlly.com
A, B, AB, and O are the four common blood types present among humans and are usually inherited from the parents and are determined by pair of genes.
The most common blood type group worldwide is 0+, while the rarest one is the AB negative. (1)
The difference between each is the presence or absence of different antigens, after which the blood type is named, and they are located on the surface of the red blood cells. However, there is another factor that defines the blood type – the Rhesus (Rh) factor.
The general population contains this protein in their blood, meaning they are marked with a + in their blood type. And, there is a small percentage of the world population that lacks this protein. Only 18 % of Americans have a negative blood type.
So, when these two characteristics combine (ABO and RH characteristics), there are actually 8 most common blood types, such as:
It is very important to know your blood type, as there is a chance that you might need to give or receive blood in your lifetime. As Rh antigens are proteins, they seem to be lacking in the blood configuration of Rh-negative people, and researchers are puzzled by this fact. There are many theories out there regarding the reasons behind this deficiency, and some even suggest that Rh negative people are literally from another world. (2)
There are many interesting alien theories and stories associated with RH negative people and even some medical facts associated with these people that puzzle even the medical experts. For example, patients with Rh-negative blood group can only receive blood from people with Rh-negative blood type, which makes them a unique blood type group.
In the end, what science has researched so far is the knowledge we can be certain of. The gap is still empty and leaves some big questions about the origins of these people. And among these questions are the theories that suggest that these people do not have the same origins as the rest of us do. So, where do they come from? Let’s see some theories and find out how people with RH-negative blood types differ from other blood types and why they are so special and unique.
There are many alien theories that exist and are related to the creation of people with RH-negative blood type groups.
One of the alien theories is that they were created from crossbred between the Annunaki, believed to be extraterrestrials that established the Mesopotamian civilization with ordinary humans.
Another theory associates the blood type of these people with the Nephilim bloodline, that according to the Book of Enoch in the Bible, we fallen angels that mated with humans and created half-angel – half-human offspring.
God created Flood to destroy these fallen angels and their offspring, but some of them survived and we can find them in the people today with RH negative factor blood type.
Genesis 6:4, NIV: The Nephilim were on the earth in those days–and also afterward–when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
Even though there are many theories related to people with negative RH blood type, their origin remains to be a mystery, and it attracts people who love stories of people who have superpowers and are special.
People with RH negative blood type have similar physical traits that might differ from people with other blood groups.
Their body temperature is generally lower than average, they have red hair and green or blue eyes, and they are more sensitive to high temperatures. They also have extra vertebrae, sensitive vision, are very sensitive to sunlight, and high blood pressure.
There are also claims that Rh- people are generally more physically and emotionally aware and highly intuitive and have psychic abilities.
One study found that having RH negative blood type can be beneficial when it comes to a parasite named toxoplasmosis, which may have serious side health effects if left untreated. (3)
There are some special characteristics that make people with RH negative blood type unique and may cause some health concerns.
On the other hand, what is unusual about people with RH – negative blood type is that when a mother with Rh-negative factor carries a baby with Rh-positive factor may create a risk of hemolytic disease and destroy the baby’s red cells, which can be life-threatening and can lead to a miscarriage.
Modern medicine has developed interventions that can prevent this kind of miscarriage.
That is why, in most cases, when a woman with an Rh-negative blood type is pregnant, it is very likely that she will receive a RhoGAM injection ( a shot that contains antibodies from plasma donors to stop her body from forming the Rh antibodies and prevent the hemolytic diseases).
In addition, people with RH negative blood groups can only receive blood from other people with RH negative blood groups. If they receive blood from someone with a positive RH blood group, it might cause an increased breakdown of the transfused blood and life-threatening side effects.
One more interesting fact is that according to one study regarding sexual orientation, a high proportion of homosexuals were RH negative compared to heterosexuals. The results show that there is a relation between the genes (namely chromosome 1, where the RH factor is determined, and chromosome 9, which determines the blood type) and the sexual orientation.
But, homosexuality can be related to many other genetic and environmental factors, so it cannot be related only to RH negative factors. (4)
Having an RH negative blood may be looked at as a strange anomaly because a small percentage of the population has it.
People with Rh- blood type make up around 15% of the world population and they all share characteristics that are typical for their blood group. They can donate blood to people with the Rh+ blood type, but they can only receive blood from Rh- donators.
Geographically speaking, the main concentration of people with an Rh-negative blood type is in Europe, although they can also be found in other parts of the planet. Scientists have tried to pinpoint their origin with little success. So far, they have managed to trace these people’s origin to a narrow group of territories and tribes in Europe dating 3,500 years ago.
To be more geographically accurate, most people with the highest concentration of RH negative antigen, meaning 40% have RH negative blood type, is found in one small isolated part of the world somewhere between Spain and France on the Iberian peninsula, in the Basque region.
They speak an ingenious language, Euskara, not spoken in the other parts of the continent, and with no relation to the other spoken European languages and even the whole world. What is more, this language doesn’t belong to the Indo – European group of languages, which makes him really isolated.
Other people who have a high incidence of RH negative blood type are people living in northern parts of Africa, more precisely in the Canary Islands and the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and many scientists believe that they, along with Basques, are descendants of Cro – Magnons, the first modern humans that inhabited European continent.
Basque people also differ from other people in Europe in many physical and cultural features. (5)
Moreover, almost 30 % of Basque people have 0 blood type and a very low frequency of group B, which makes them unique. (6)
It is very important to know your blood type because it can be crucial for your health and might play a big role in your overall well-being.
According to many conducted studies, people with certain blood types are more prone to certain types of diseases and can even live longer than others.
In one study conducted by the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, it was found that people in the B group may be protected from getting a kidney stone.
This study involved five million people, and 49 different types of diseases were analyzed. Other interesting facts that were found in this study are that:
– People with blood type A have bigger chances of experiencing a blood clot that those with blood type 0
– People with blood type 0 are more likely to experience a bleeding disorder
– Women that are RHD – positive have bigger chances of getting pregnancy-induced hypertension (7)
– According to another study conducted by the Department of Research in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India, people with AB, 0 blood types, and people that are RH negative have lower chances of getting COVID infection, but when it comes to mortality and severity of this disease and all blood groups were susceptible to high infection and mortality equally (8)
Multiple studies were conducted in the United States to find a relation between different blood types and autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases develop when your immune system attacks some healthy body cells, and they can be genetically or environmentally induced.
Diabetes type 2 is thought to be an autoimmune disease, but some more research is needed to confirm this statement.
Nevertheless, some studies found that people with 0 blood type have lower chances of getting diabetes, but additional research is needed. (9)
When it comes to Multiple sclerosis, another autoimmune disorder, one study from 2019, demonstrated that people with B+ and A+ have bigger chances of developing it than the other blood types. (10)
On the other hand, people with Hashimoto’s disease can be more associated with people with blood type 0. (11)
Some other studies have found that people with blood type 0 can be affected by peptic ulcers. The good news for those with blood group 0 is that they are less prone to get coronary disease or stomach cancers.
People with blood type A have more cortisol, a hormone related to stress, and have hard times when it comes to stressful situations.
We can conclude that many conducted studies suggest and demonstrate different findings, and although most of the diseases are induced by genetics or the environment, some diseases are most common in some blood types, while less likely to develop in others. Still, additional research is needed to understand the relationship more closely.
All in all, 0 blood type is healthier, and people with this blood type have more chances to reach an old age compared to the other blood types, so is the strongest one. (12)
What is more, according to a Japanese professor, Tokeji Furukawa, we can analyze one’s personality based on the blood type he or she owns. In Japan today, there are stereotypes about people with different blood types that can even affect choosing a marriage partner. According to the Japanese theory:
People that belong to the type B blood group are:
The negative sides of their personalities include:
While people that belong to A blood group are:
and when it comes to negative character traits, they are:
People with 0 blood group type are:
and when it comes to the negative character traits, they are:
People that belong to the AB blood type group are:
The negative traits when it comes to this blood type personality include:
Genetics and sometimes ethnicity play a vital role when determining your blood type, but we should never look at someone’s other person’s blood type with cultural or ethnic prejudice.
Nightmares. I have had a problem with them since I was in middle school. The worst thing is, you can’t possibly assume when you are going to have them. So, the night I woke up gasping for air made me think they came for a visit one more time. But this time, it was different. I couldn’t remember what the dream was about, I tried so hard but my memory didn’t really seem to cooperate with me.
I got rid of the disturbed feeling I had, looking at my clock to see that it was 4:39 am. Through the childhood I had, you could say I wasn’t really afraid of the dark, but that night everything seemed so wrong, but for some odd reason, it felt just right.
I had this uncanny feeling like I was being watched. My wild imagination and anxiety did their job, creating a picture of a completely naked, anorexic man with an extremely pale tan and bulging veins all over his head, staring at me with his pure black eyes and a disturbing creepy smile, tilting his head every now and then, in a rhythm that went along my heartbeat. “Stop!” I screamed as if my own thoughts could hear me.
I decided to freshen up with a glass of cold water. As I stood up, I saw my own reflection in one of the mirrors my dad had put up. They were set up in a way, so that if you stand in certain spots, you can’t be seen, but you somehow have a view of the entire room. It was quite genius, I have always admired his ability to come up with unique ideas like that.
As I was putting my slippers on, I heard my phone ringing. I rushed to answer it, not having a clue what could anyone possibly want from me in the middle of the night. “Hello?”– My voice shivered as I reached for my phone.
Seconds passed by, still nothing. “Who is there?” – I mindlessly raised my voice. No-one answered, all I could hear was someone breathing at the exact same rhythm as I did. I hung up, assuming some kids were playing some prank on me. I neglected that for a second as my raging thirst in my parched throat reminded me why I got up in the first place.
The peace and tranquility that reigned in my home were almost deceptive, creating a vision of a place that has never been touched or ruined. All the lights were off, even though I could swear that I left the light in my living room on. I headed towards my kitchen and saw that the back door was wide open, just like my eyes at that moment.
I wished I could just sprint to my parents’ bedroom and wake them up, but they had to be out of town that night. I was home alone and I think in my whole entire life I had never been more scared compared to what I was feeling at that certain moment. As fast as one’s legs can carry one I shut the door and let the sense of tragedy and fear overwhelm me.
After hearing my ears in my heart, I gradually adjusted them to hear in the pitch black kitchen in which I lonely stood. Grabbing the biggest knife I could find made me feel safe in a way, but it was only me who knew that I would never have the intrepidity to attack another being. *drip, drip, drip* Steady sounds were coming out of the sink.
I reached out to turn off the faucet to find that it was completely off in the first place. I couldn’t play this sick game anymore, I groped for the closest light switch I could find and flipped it on.
I screamed in dread, seeing what caused the dripping. My sink was full of blood. Above it hung my parrot, stung by a noose. A long straight line cut from his head all the way to his tail exposed his intestines causing me to gag and choke on my own spit.
But the reason why I almost felt sick, was the fact that my right hand and knife were entirely bedaubed with blood. Next to my dead hung parrot, was a note written in blood, and I had no reason to wonder whose blood was it. With a sense of foreboding, I read the note aloud.
“What do you think about your surprise? If I was you, I’d see with my ears rather than my eyes.” The words ran through my veins as I stood there with the note in my hand trying to figure out what the hell was going on. “What have I engaged myself in?”
I thought and immediately pinched myself, to make sure that this wasn’t just another bad dream. I held my dismay as I realized that its reality where I was. Out of the blue, the power went off. “Not again.” I thought as I heard a loud noise coming from the back door I had previously shut. I sprang and hit my head in the fridge.
As if the loud swearing could make the pain go away, I remained focused on the sounds coming from the back door. In a matter of seconds, the reverberation grew quieter and quieter until it became practically dimmed. I opened the closet door and grabbed my baseball bat, slowly approaching the back door. “Is anyone there?” I whispered, letting one tear slowly go down my cheek as I became aware of the apprehension in my voice.
The steps I took towards the door and the mysterious sounds behind it seemed like they were taking forever. You could feel the tension growing in the air as I snatched the doorknob. As I revealed the view hidden behind the door, I couldn’t help but scream as loud as humanly possible. Sarah – my one true friend since kindergarten was hanging there with nothing but an internet cable tightly tied around her neck.
I guess it was ironic in a way. She dedicated her whole life studying about computers and her mom had always told her that the internet is going to kill her eventually, and I suppose it did. Having no control over the stupid thoughts rushing in my mind, I noticed another note. This time, it was nailed into her heart. It read: “One down. One to go. You are the last one, so make sure you enjoy the show.”
At that point, I broke down. I started crying and twitching due to all I’ve experienced in the previous hour. But there was this part of me not ready to surrender. I wasn’t ready to give up. Not yet. I was determined to destroy whoever this eccentric freak was and I was more than prepared to play his mad game until I won.
I decided to go up in my room and try to calm down. As I walked through the living room I heard an odd sound, like something was maybe being dropped down the stairs. I rushed to see what it was.
It was a severed arm drenched in blood. I heard the exact same sound again although this time it was a leg. And then finally a head. It was Dylan’s head – my boyfriend, with wide open eyes and colorless face, his head laid in my hands. I gradually backed into one of the corners, as tears were streaming down my burning cheeks.
I looked in one of the mirrors and saw that they were all blocked by bodies standing still and staring at me. I had no idea that when there was no more room in hell the dead would walk the Earth. I couldn’t stand this anymore. I felt like I was defeated, beaten and in despair I begged for help I knew I wouldn’t get.
Then, I looked up at the only mirror my eyes could find and saw what caused this huge mess. I saw the person, the beast, I saw the horrible monster who was in charge of this manic chaos.
I did it. It was my fault. I was the monster. In that moment of realization, my dream rushed to me. I could remember everything. It was as clear as a day. I was a murderer. A serial murderer on the loose. I had been killing house by house, as brutally and ferociously as I could.
I was taunting and mocking my victims, trapping them in challenges making them feel like death was their only escape, their only solution to win this sick game I’ve been playing for months. And when I woke up, I was attacking my next victim.
I saw my reflection in the mirror in which I peacefully stared. There was a wicked smile on my face and blood stains all over my clothes. In the most deranged tone of voice, I whispered: “Told you, you were the last” and promptly slit my own throat.
The laceration caused agony and twitching. As all my color and life left my body, the outsides of my vision slowly began to darken. And there was him. The anorexic man from my dream stood at the end of the tunnel in my head. His black eyes felt warm and his demonic voice saying “Welcome home” made me vanish from the living. Once and for all.
.
In the 1970’s, the Stanford University conducted a study to determine how flexible human beings are when it comes to changing their beliefs. The study involved undergraduate students who were told it was about suicide.
Each of them received two suicide notes, one fake and one genuine, and they needed to identify the genuine one. Then, the participants were divided into two groups according to their test results. The participants in the first group were informed they did very well. The other group was told they did much worse.
In stage two, the participants were told the results were fake. Then, they were required to guess the number of notes they’d got right, and the number of notes a normal student could get right.
Strangely enough, the students who had been told they’d scored high in the first stage of the experiment estimated they had done very well, even though they knew the scores were fake. The students from the other group estimated their performance as poor, based on the equally fictitious initial results.
In another study conducted by the Stanford University, another group of students was given sets of information on two firefighters, Frank and George, including the firefighters’ results on the ‘Risky-Conservative Choice Test’.
In one of the versions, firefighter Frank was described as a good firefighter who chose the least risky option when tested. In the second version, Frank was described as a poor firefighter but also went for the least risky option on the test.
Again, at this point, the participants were told that the info they received was not true. Afterwards, they were asked to express their own opinion on how a good firefighter would react in high-risk situations. Similar to the first study, the students who had the first set of information stating Frank was a good firefighter believed he would stay away from risks.
Those who had the set saying that Frank was a poor firefighter thought he would be inclined towards taking risks. Just like in the first study, previous information influenced the students’ opinions, even though they knew it was fake.
These two Stanford studies confirmed the shocking truth: no matter how intelligent, people find it hard to change their formed beliefs.
Why are rational human beings so irrational in situations like these?
In “The Enigma of Reason” Dan Sperber and Hugo Mercier try to answer this question. The book strives to explain reason, the trait that actually makes us human and why it doesn’t work the way we expect it to.
The two cognitive scientists claim that our reasoning has developed in the course of evolution and should be regarded in that light. They explain humans’ inclination towards biased conclusions with the concept of cooperation.
Cooperation, not reason, is what sets us apart from other species. As individuals, we find it difficult to cooperate. According to the book, reason was not developed so that we can draw logical conclusions, but to facilitate socialization with other individuals.
But even though our reason aspires towards the truth, it ends up leading us away from it. Our tendency to believe what we want to be true is called “confirmation bias”. This form of thinking has often been explained as wishful thinking. Confirmation bias suggests that we are only selecting the data that makes us feel good and ignore the information that might change our view.
One such study on confirmation bias was conducted at Stanford in 1979. In this study, there were two groups of students with opposing opinions on capital punishment. One portion of the group was against it and believed it did not affect crime, whereas rest were in favor and thought capital punishment could decrease the crime rate.
The participants were given two studies which were, of course, fake, and were asked to evaluate them. The first study contained data that supported capital punishment, while the other challenged it. The statistics included in both studies were designed to be equally strong.
As expected, the pro-capital punishment participants assessed the first study as highly-reliable and thought the study that questioned capital punishment as dubious. The other group of participants did the exact opposite.
When the experiment finished, the participants were required to express their opinion on capital punishment again. Those who’ been in favor of capital punishment at the beginning, now supported it even more. Those who’d been against capital punishment at the beginning were now even more antagonistic.
Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber view confirmation bias as a serious flaw that could be potentially dangerous for humans. The analogy they use to explain this is the one with a mouse which thinks like humans do.
That mouse would like to live in a world where cats don’t exist and would eventually persuade itself that this is true. A mouse that refuses to believe in a very real threat will probably end up dead.
The fact that humans have survived despite being prone to ignore evidence of existent threats is strange. The scientists believe that our ability to adapt and our “hyper-sociability” are the most probable explanations for this evolution irony.
Strangely enough, humans have no problem being objective with other people’s opinions. We tend to be stubborn only when it comes to our own beliefs.This is what Mercier and Sperber call “myside bias.”
To prove this theory, Mercier conducted an experiment in which the participants were required to answer several reasoning problems. Then, they were given an opportunity to change them. Most participants felt there was no need to do so.
Finally, the participants got to see one previously answered reasoning problem, followed by their own answer and a different answer given by another participant. At this point, they could also change their response.
However, there was a catch; the answers that were said to be their own were actually given by another participant. Nearly 50% of the participants noticed something was off. At the end of step three, almost 60% changed the original responses.
This evolutionary ‘mistake’ worked in the past when people lived in small groups of hunters and gatherers. To our ancestors, logical reasoning was obsolete. Back then, it was important to be right in order keep your social status. In other words, men were supposed to stick to their opinions and not let others deceive them.
Modern society is much different. Today, we’re surrounded by fake news, fabricated studies, and contrasting information.
Obviously, our reasoning capacity can’t keep up with the fast-developing world. Put in this context, the fact reason is constantly failing us doesn’t come as a surprise.
If reason only believes what we want to be true, why does it even exist?
In the book, “The Knowledge Illusion: Why We Never Think Alone”, Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach, both cognitive scientists, also argue that the fact we’re social beings has hugely influenced how we reason.
“The human mind is both brilliant and pathetic.” From mastering fire to stepping on the moon, humans have achieved so much. And yet, many don’t even know how the toilet shell actually works!
The Yale University conducted a study in which students were required to assess their comprehension of how simple devices like toilets and locks functioned. Afterwards, they were asked to describe their knowledge in detail, and then rate themselves again.
At the end of the study, students realized how ignorant they actually were on these topics.
How is it possible that the same creatures who’ve managed to sequence genomes don’t know how a lock works? The answer lies in the ways we create intelligence using the community around us.
The authors call this phenomenon “illusion of explanatory depth.”We believe that we know more than we actually do. From the moment our ancestors learned how to collaborate when hunting, we’ve been dependant on each other’s knowledge.
In fact, we cooperate so well that we are unable to draw a line between what we know and what other people know.
According to the scientists, this ‘borderlessness’ is the key factor to explain our progress. If every individual was trying to learn everything, the development of humanity as a whole would be much slower.
However, this becomes problematic in certain areas such as politics. Not knowing how a lock works won’t cause any trouble; but when it comes to our understanding of wars our country wages, things are a bit different.
In a 2014 survey, shortly after Russia appropriated Crimea, participants were asked to locate Ukraine on the map and state how they think the USA should react. Most of them didn’t know where the country even was, but the further they thought it was, the more they favored a military intervention. Sloman and Fernbach concluded that understanding isn’t always the main factor that triggers strong feelings.
This could become dangerous in some cases. If a number of individuals whose reason is clouded by personal feelings unite, they feel even stronger about their opinion. Imagine what will happen if such a group of people is politicians that decide the country’s fate.
In conclusion, the authors encourage us to focus less on expressing personal opinions and focus more on understanding things thoroughly. According to them, this is the only way of reasoning that will change people’s views.
The good news is that science works as a corrector. It moves forward no matter what and is bound to drag us along.
The psychiatrist Jack Gorman and his daughter, Sara Gorman, a health specialist, tested the differences between scientific facts and personal opinions in their book “Denying to the Grave: Why We Ignore the Facts That Will Save Us.” They focused in particular on health science denial by raising questions like “Why do some parents refuse to vaccinate their children?”
Although there is enough scientific evidence that proves us wrong, we persist in opinions that could be potentially fatal!
One possible explanation is the fact that there’s a dopamine rush (a chemical that triggers feelings of pleasure) in our bodies when we’re going through information that supports our opinions. Basically, it’s wrong but it makes us feel good!
The biggest challenge is to change such strong beliefs. Scientific information doesn’t seem to help, whereas appealing to people’s emotions would mean distancing from scientific facts. What is the best approach in this case? It’s a question that remains unanswered, at least for the time being.
Source: The New Yorker
Photo by Abo Ngalonkulu
Even if Sags may be their own enemies, they will never let their partner down the way they let themselves down. Their selflessness and their ability to lift people up will be best shown when they are with their partner.
A Sagittarius will always try to lift their significant other up and to help them to see their full potential. Their trust may be their greatest power, and once you have gained it, you have gained their loyalty forever.
If a Sag loves you, she will love you with her whole heart and she won’t hold back. They are very considerate and they can get caught up in overthinking about how their actions affect those around them.
However, their self-neglect might lead to problems in the relationship. Breaking through their guarded walls and caring for them where they don’t manage to will win you a piece of their heart forever.
At first, they will push you away, as they are very shy – but if you find this intriguing and feel encouraged to try and win them, you’re in for a beautiful relationship. It’s no wonder that the best things are best guarded.
A Pisces is a person you can put your trust in the most and as a girlfriend, she will always have your back and be on your side. Their ability to read people by picking up their body language allows them to understand beyond words.
They have the ability to notice when something is off by picking up on your vibes. So, no matter what you are trying to portray, the will get the job of fixing whatever’s bothering you. Their sensitivity makes them come as soft and gentle, and they will never mean to hurt you.
When they mess something up, they won’t hesitate to apologize and will do everything to try and make it right. They don’t believe in fighting, so you will more likely see a Pisces that tries to solve the problem than one who plunges into pointless arguments.
Capricorns like to dominate in their relationship, but their perfectionist side is what makes them do everything the best way they can. Their loyalty with their partners will lead them to always defend them and have their back against anyone and everyone if they must.
Seeing strength as the most important quality in a person, a Capricorn will always seem like everything is alright and that they are handling things with no problem. However, you will sometimes be that person they will need to rely on.
Their nature doesn’t allow them to fall for just anyone. In fact, they guard their hearts fiercely, so if you win over a Capricorn’s heart, consider yourself as a one in a million.
These girls are the kindest in the zodiac. Their peaceful nature will not allow them to engage in conflicts, and you will only see them arguing when they truly care about something.
In the relationship, they are the giver and they will give and give until there’s nothing left. Their habit of putting their loved ones first in everything, and you won’t hear them asking for things they would want.
They are among the most popular signs in the zodiac, and they love being social. They will always include their partner in their social gatherings, but it’s up to the partner to measure up to the spotlight they are in and not feel less because of it.
Libras hate jealousy, and they like to be kept on a long leash. They want a partner who can trust them and allow them to be themselves with their charismatic nature and vivid personality.
The Gemini girlfriend will always accept her partner for who they are. They are very loyal and the value the trust in one another. They come with a high respect for their partner and their thoughts and feelings.
While they will always try to look cheerful, fun, and outgoing, they have another, dark and negative side to them that they try to push beneath. This other side is not something they like about themselves, but if you are their partner, it’s best that you accept and love them for both sides, even if they fail to do so.
Geminis are full of understanding, but you don’t want to cross them, as they will cut you off instantly and will not have second thoughts about it. They don’t believe in second chances, as once they see someone’s true nature and don’t like it, they don’t see why they should go back to it.
They love with all their heart and they feel pain even deeper. However, they will do everything to hide those moments of pain.
Aquarius is definitely one of the weirdest signs in the zodiac. But weird doesn’t necessarily mean bad. These girls’ need for independence makes them shy away from commitment in most cases, but if they muster the courage to be with you, you will have their limitless loyalty forever.
While they look at their flaws as something to hate, your flaws are what they find as something to be respected and understood. They will love you with every fiber of their being, but they have a very difficult time projecting love unto themselves.
Maybe the toughest challenge in a relationship with an Aquarius is teaching them to love themselves. You will notice their insecurities from day one, but if you manage to persist through this process they need to go through to love themselves, it can all grow to a beautiful relationship.
Their overthinking makes them create scenarios that can be even preposterous. You will have to hear them out and be patient with them.
Leos are the hopeless romantics in every relationship. They build high expectations for their relationship, sometimes even unrealistic ones. And they tend to move toward fulfilling these expectations by doing everything in their power for the relationship.
However, their biggest frustration is when their partner doesn’t meet them halfway. They will give everything they have to their partner, but if that doesn’t inspire the partner to try and give at least half back, then they get hurt.
They always tend to choose the wrong people for a relationship, and no matter how much they may feel hurt from someone, they never change. You won’t see a Leo asking for a friend’s advice, as they are already working on the solution.
It isn’t that they Leos make bad girlfriends, but their choice of the wrong people for commitment is a great obstacle for them.
Cancers have a heart made of gold, and they wear it on their sleeve. And this usually gets them hurt. This is why they don’t find it easy to put their full trust in anyone but themselves, and this makes their relationships difficult.
If they didn’t have the habit of pushing people away, they would make it among the top signs for a girlfriend. The truth is, they want to be in love as much as they are afraid of it, and this fear often gets in the way of what could grow into a beautiful relationship.
They have a big trouble in making decisions, and they always make second guesses. They care a lot, even when they pretend not to. And if they come across as harsh, it’s because they are afraid to give away their trust completely.
Out of any sign, these women are the toughest to get a commitment out of. They don’t want to take part in relationships. It’s not that they try to lead people on, or string them along. They lead a life of their own and they are very satisfied with it.
They like doing things at their own pace, and they don’t like being pressured. If they do feel any pressure, they will most likely run away. Their cold nature doesn’t allow them to think of second chances and unrealistic fantasies.
Being the ones that make the rules, they will not play games and run in circles. Their fierce independence makes them very hard to win, so if you manage to, consider yourself a rare breed.
Aries girlfriends can come as intimidating for those they date. Their strong personality and competitive nature will lead them to try to control everything around them. However, this strength, as much as it can be a turn-on, can also be a real turn-off if it’s too much.
The Aries will always want to dominate in the relationship, and their taste is usually directed toward someone who will be ready to be submissive. Their tough exterior and bad temper, however, hide a sensitive heart beneath.
These girls can seem very cold and they come with an acid tongue. You will not only lose in an argument with an Aries, but they are very likely to say something that can really hurt.
Virgos are the biggest critics of all signs. Their self-criticism makes them think that they are never good enough for whoever they are with. And their criticism toward their partner can be a real turn-off for many.
Their painful insecurity and jealousy lead many of their relationships to their end. If they fail at something, you will see them falling apart and beating themselves up over it. And this is very hard to watch for someone who loves them.
Their negativity and pessimism will never allow them to see themselves through the eyes of their partner. And besides being very self-critical, they can also lash out at their partner and pick them apart.
And even though they show these weaknesses only to the person they love and feel secure with, it’s hard for many partners to recognize this as love and this makes it very hard to be with them.
Scorpio women are the scariest of all zodiacs. For many, they are the devil in the flesh when it comes to relationships. They like to run the relationship and control everything about it and they are relentless and won’t hold back on this.
They aren’t mean, but their honesty may come out as very blunt and you will need to have a very thick skin for the things they are ready to tell you. They have high relationship standards, and their partners may feel like they are walking on eggshells sometimes.
Scorpios are often dubbed the storm of all zodiac signs, and there is literally no way to predict them. It’s best to be on their side because if you get in their way they will be ready to destroy you completely.
If you dare to cross them, they become ruthless, and they will have their payment. They are the hardest to fall in love out of all signs, but if you win their heart, you will have their loyalty and love forever.
Source: Thought Catalog
