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geometrydaily:

#275 Perpendicular – A new minimal geometric composition each day

This is my new favorite tumblr, via Jim Rugg, who apparently is the only place I get inspiration from lately. I love this bit from the “about” page:

“Why are you doing this?

I love it. I get a serious flow when I draw simple shapes, combine them and experiment until they start to “sing”. I’m a designer with all my heart. It’s an experiment. A journey into a world of possibilities.

Contagion,” the extraordinary film portraying the outbreak of lethal virus that spreads rapidly around the world, may seem eerily familiar: from the medieval plague to the Spanish flu of 1918-19 to more recent fears of avian influenza, SARS, and H1N1 “swine flu”, contagions have long characterized the human condition. The film captures almost perfectly what a contemporary worst-case scenario might look like, and is eerily familiar because it trades on realistic fears. Contagion, the transmission of communicable infectious disease from one person to another (either by direct contact, as in this film — sneezing or coughing or touching one’s nose or mouth, then a surface like a tabletop or doorknob that someone else then touches

1. What goes up, must come down.
2. You never want to start anything with a headache.
3. New discoveries are always being made.
4. Vectors, vectors, vectors.
5. It doesn’t hurt once you get used to it. Some people even enjoy it.
6. One word: Friction.
7. Size isn’t everything. Sometimes the smaller ones take longer to do.
8. For every push there’s an equal and opposite shove.
9. Simple harmonic motion.
10. It’s always fun to experiment.

Sneedy was spooky with fiery red eyes and as Billy looked he doubled in size.

It looked like a mean grouchy 'ole brute, with jagged big teeth and a crooked

green snoot. He tried to breath fire, but it was only hot air, and the look on his

face made you too scared to stare.

His hair was orange and covered in soot, but you cannot judge a dragon

because of a look. Although Billy was scared, he watched Sneedy's face and

he looked like a dragon who felt out of place. Maybe Sneedy thought

he was supposed to be mean, since sometimes things are different from what they

seem.





The above excerpt is from one of my children's picture book manuscripts, Billy Board and the Reading Glasses. Billy, the protagonist, helps resolve a conflict between an entire kingdom and its adversary Sneedy, a dragon. It is a small way of helping kids understand that people and situations can appear to be different on the outside than they are in reality. Children's book characters are an effective way of teaching children about empathy, since they tell the story through the eyes of the characters. For example, Billy thinks for himself and puts himself in Sneedy's place by viewing his situation from the dragon’s point of view.

Children join their peers in judging or ridiculing other children, because they want to feel accepted. This encourages the cowardly act of bullying so prevalent in childhood today. If it is part of human nature to harass the weaker members of a community, then isn't it also possible that it is part of human nature to feel compassion?

Children’s need for acceptance encourages them to take part in whatever is popular rather than take the chance of being outcasts. When kids are taught how to feel empathy they are more likely to think for themselves than follow the crowd, since they are able to see things from another person's perspective. Nothing colors a persons view of a situation better than viewing themselves experiencing the same occurrence. It takes character to stand your own ground and listen to your own voice.

Sneedy’s appearance has little do with his heart or character however he is judged by his community for his outside persona. The ridiculed dragon is labeled evil before he has had an opportunity to earn the title.

As a result, Sneedy acts and reacts in the way the people in the kingdom expect him too, since he assumes the title of evil rather than accept the feelings associated with rejection, or worse yet no recognition at all.

Since children emulate their parents we need to act in the manner we wish them to act, respond to others the way we wish them to respond and so forth. By teaching empathy, we are teaching tolerance and disregarding the notion that to be accepted we must duplicate a certain popular attitude. If we teach kids how to develop and listen to their own voice, especially when it comes to the welfare of others, their generation is more likely to discourage indifference toward people who are different or less fortunate, thereby removing the opportunity for more misery and heartache. The most important thing we can teach kids is how to think their own thoughts and provide their own answers based on the values their parents taught them, and not the opinions or viewpoints of other more popular points of view.

Children’s writers, parents, aunts, uncles, teachers, everyone concerned with the welfare of children should do their part in teaching them how to empathize with others and when they do, show them how much you admire that quality.

My grandfather once said that when a man/woman treats a beggar with the same respect he would regard a king or queen it is the mark of true character.


Read Teaching Children Empathy Through Benevolent Selfishness an article from by Dr. Elisa Medhus, on MyParentime.com
about teaching child/children empathy.