Question of the week 14: Psychological resilience

Hi and welcome to this week’s ‘question of the week’! As you may already know, the past week saw some traumatic events occur in Japan. First, an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 struck just off the east of Japan. This was then followed by a tsunami that swept inland, devastating coastal cities and damaging a nuclear power plant. I’ve been personally quite touched by the events that occurred, and really wish and hope all the strength that Japan recovers and learn from this tragedy.

In this week’s entry, the term ‘psychological resilience’ will be covered in the following question:

Does psychological resilience lead to hope?

The term psychological resilience stands for the ability to cope with, and bounce back from, stress and catastrophe. What occurred in Japan had, and still has, a large emotional impact on individuals. This may include people directly affected by it, people that know of others affected by it, or people that are touched by the stories and experiences that are shared by those affected. Yet, it is their resilience that makes them want life to go back to normal, help others who are in need, and learn from what went wrong. Resilience is also apparent in people who lost loved ones, as they try to accept that what happened cannot be changed.

With a resilient mindset, a person is able to create hope. Resilience pushes a person to return back to normal, which is done by creating hope for others as well as for oneself. A loved one that is missing makes a resilient person hope that he or she is still alive. In other words, whilst resilience is a state of mind, it leads to hope that drives a person to get back to normal.

In short: Psychological resilience stands for the ability to cope with stress and catastrophe. When found in a person, it leads to that person trying hard to return life back to normal. It is the process of returning back to normal that creates hope in finding loved ones, personal belongings, and in learning about what went wrong so that it won’t occur in the future again.

If you have any questions, disagree what was said, or have another opinion, then please do not hesitate to comment!

Question of the week 13: Lucid

Hi and welcome to Edit-your-work’s ‘question of the week’! This week the word ‘lucid’ will be covered in the following question:

How important is it to have a lucid mind during an emergency?

The term lucid stands for something that is clear, understandable, rational, and not confusing. Examples include a lucidly written text, lucid directions, and a lucid mind. A lucid mind in itself means a person that knows exactly how to behave in a given situation. Thus, a person who is in a burning house would not panic and instead keep low to avoid being suffocated by the smoke.

When an emergency happens, such as a fire, earthquake, or tsunami, the first reaction is panic because everyone is scared for their lives. However, it is this panic that creates more danger. A lucid mind means a person stays calm and thinks clearly on how to get around safely. Furthermore, it would also help other people become calmer. Having a lucid mind means being alert and knowledgeable on how to act during an emergency. Thus it is important that you take safety precautions seriously in order for you to have a lucid mind.

In short: Lucid means something that is clear, easily understandable, rational, and not confusing. In case of emergencies, it is very important to have a lucid mind so as to prevent panic, which creates further danger. To have a lucid mind means to have a knowledgeable and calm mind during an emergency.

If you have any other opinion or have something interesting to share, then please do not hesitate to comment!

Question of the week 12: Volatility

Hi and welcome to this week’s ‘question of the week’! The word that will be covered is ‘volatility’, which will be found in the following question:

What drives stock volatility?

The term volatility can be used to describe something that is unstable, unpredictable, and affected by external factors. An example would be when a person is at first peaceful, and then suddenly shows an outburst of anger. Another example would be a person who randomly shows aggression, which is triggered by the environment. These are forms of unstable and volatile behavior. The stock market shows this type of behavior as well, as any form of new knowledge would lead to the buying or selling of stocks. But what exactly drives stock volatility?

There are an endless amount of reasons why the stock of a company rises and drops in price. Examples include natural disasters that stop the flow of raw materials, national problems that stop imports and exports, and labor disputes that halt operations. Company statements that introduce for instance change, a new product line, or problems between managers, also influence the price of the stock. There is however only one factor that drives it, information. This is why when the CEO is usually replaced when a company performs poorly for a couple of periods. An individual would not want to own stock of a company when hearing negative news, whilst wanting to own stock if they hear for instance a new, more efficient form of technology to be used in their production facility. Thus, information about and from the company drives stock volatility.

In short: Volatility can be defined as something that is unstable, unpredictable, and affected by external factors. Stocks are volatile because depending on what information is heard about the company, it determines whether somebody buys or sells stock. Thus, information drives stock volatility.

If you would like to voice out your opinion, or believe that what was written is wrong, then please do not hesitate to leave a comment!

Question of the week 11: Imperative

Hi and welcome to this week’s ‘question of the week’! The word ‘imperative’ will be covered in the following question:

Why is it imperative for kids to go to school?

The word imperative stands for an action that must be done, that is of utmost importance, and that is essential and urgent. For instance, it is imperative that people are quiet in the library.

When thinking about school, some kids may find that certain classes are boring, too difficult, or not useful. This may create the feeling that it is a waste of time, teaching them to never take that class again in the future. For instance, a kid that hates biology may never want to become a doctor, or a student that hates math may never want to become an accountant. They would identify the class with something that they dislike, and thus not put as much, if any, effort into it. Thus, why should kids then go to school in the first place?

The purpose of a school is to teach students basic knowledge that is shared in a community. This then helps the student in shaping his/her own future, allowing them to realize their strengths and select their university study and/or career paths. In addition to knowledge being taught by teachers, students also learn how to get along with other students, with superiors, how to multitask between different class assignments, how to learn from their mistakes, and how to develop presentation skills, amongst others. Given these reasons, it is imperative for kids to go to school as it gives them the opportunity to find their role in society and teach them the basics on how the world operates.

In short: The term imperative stands for an action that a person must do, that is essential and urgent, and of utmost importance. It is imperative for children to go to school in order for them to identify themselves in society, teach them how to interact with others, and educate them in how the world works.

If you have any questions, doubts, or opinions, then please do not hesitate to leave a comment!

Question of the week 10: Audacity

Hi and welcome to this week’s ‘question of the week’! Last week was an unusually busy week and thus I was not able to write an entry. Measures have been taken however to ensure that each week a new word will be explored in the form of a question! As such, let me bring today’s word: ‘audacity’.

Are politicians forced to show their audacity?

The term audacity stands for being fearless, not scared of confronting, and willing to take risks. A police officer would have to show his audacity in order for a criminal to follow instructions and stop the illegal activity. Any sign of weakness however from the police may lead to the criminal continuing his actions and not listen. Is this image of fearlessness however also necessary for politicians?

A politician is an individual who represents a group of people. These people elect a politician on condition that he or she shows the interests of that group. In order for politicians to keep their job, it becomes very important for them to pursue and accomplish the people’s interests. As such, their audacity towards their agenda strengthens their political position, creating a win-win situation for both the people electing the politician, and the politician’s career. Thus a politician has to be audacious towards opposition, follow his or her own agenda, and ensure that he or she delivers on the people’s expectations.

In short: Audacity has to do with being fearless, not scared of confronting, and willing to take risks. Politicians are forced to show their audacity in order to push forward their agenda and ensure that the people who elected them are satisfied, whilst defeating the opposition.

If you have a different answer, or disagree to what has been said, then please do not hesitate to comment!

Question of the week 9: Tentative

Hello everybody and welcome to this week’s ‘question of the week’! The word ‘tentative’ will be covered in the following question:

Question: Is it important to make a tentative career plan?

The term tentative can be defined as something that is not certain, that is not yet proven or lacks evidence, and that speculates on something that will happen in the future. When starting a career, usually these thoughts come into mind, feeling uncertain of what you will do, how you will achieve your goals, or who you will become. So does making a tentative career plan actually help?

Following a specific direction after graduating narrows down your career choices. It also makes you take a risk, as you may end up choosing a direction that you are not as happy with. It is however the only way for you to specialize yourself in the labor market and seem unique, which makes you more employable. Perhaps everybody can be a window cleaner, but not everybody can create an accounting report, or design a house. It is these specializations that come from narrowing down your career choices. Thus how do you combine the risk and reward of selecting your career path? By creating a tentative career plan.

Through researching careers that link your interests with what you have studied, you can create a plan to see what you want to achieve. It does not have to be written, or visualized, but even just by putting thought into your future will help you make better choices. Thus a tentative career plan would make you self reflect, spot opportunities, and see what you want to accomplish. This will also be to your benefit as you then have a direction to follow, and can do the necessary research and preparation to become successful in it. After all, companies want driven individuals that are interested in their work (i.e. that have done their prior research and match their choices to their personal interests and skills).

In short: The term tentative stands for something that is uncertain, not yet proven, and speculative. A tentative career plan is a plan that gives you a direction, linking your interests and skills with actual job opportunities, and makes you self reflect and create a picture of what you want to become. It is thus an important step for shaping your future, and for maximizing your potential.

If you have a different opinion towards a tentative career plan, or any questions, then please do not hesitate to comment!

Edit-Your-Work blog moving

Dear Question of the Week readers,

Please be advised that from now on all entries can be found, and new entries will also be written, on the new 'Vocabulary' page of the Edit-Your-Work website. Apart from this change, the rest will stay the same.

Kind regards,

Patrick van den Hoek

Edit-Your-Work founder