Extreme Sports: A positive transformation in courage and humility

Extreme sports and extreme sports participants have been most commonly explored from a negative perspective, for example the “need to take unnecessary risks.” This study explored what can be learned from extreme sports about courage and humility - two positive psychology constructs. A phenomenological method was used via unstructured interviews with 15 extreme sports participants and other first hand accounts. The extreme sports included B.A.S.E. jumping, big wave surfing, extreme skiing, waterfall kayaking, extreme mountaineering and solo rope-free climbing. Results indicate that humility and courage can be deliberately sought out by participating in activities that involve a real chance of death, fear and the realisation that nature in its extreme is far greater and more powerful than humanity.

" Banish the self debasing principles, and scorn the disingenuity of readers. Humility has depressed many a genius into a hermit" : commencement essay, 1793

Two-page handwritten essay composed for the July 17, 1793 Harvard University Commencement by an unattributed author. The title is a quote from William Shenstone's essay "On Allowing Merit in Others." The essay begins, "Notwithstanding Philosophers have ever considered the human mind as a simple being..."

Madonna of Humility

Sassetta (Stefano di Giovanni); 1 ft. 6 27/64 in. x 9 61/64 in.; poplar

Claudine, or Humility, the basis of all the virtures. A Swiss tale.

Mode of access: Internet.

CEO Humility: Development of an Unobtrusive Measure and Strategic Implications

Over the past 30 years, the Upper Echelons perspective of strategic management has sought to explain a given organization’s strategies and effectiveness as a reflection of the differences in personality, background, and other characteristics of the senior executives that guides each organization. An important stream of research within this field has linked a firm’s strategy to the grandiose way that executives are often thought to view themselves – namely through examining the narcissism, core self-evaluations (CSE), and hubris of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs). In this dissertation, I focus on understanding the strategic impact of CEO humility – a trait that has often been erroneously thought of to represent a poor view of oneself. Consistent with ancient writings and recent research, humility is defined herein as a multi-faceted trait that is the common core of four dimensions: self-awareness, developmental orientation/teachability, appreciation of others' strengths and contributions, and low self-focus. In the first essay, I explore the conceptual relevance and various potential implications of executive humility. Drawing on existing empirical research about the humility construct and general behavioral implications of humility, I argue that executive humility is a critical avenue toward a more rich and nuanced understanding of the delicate interplay and implications of executive self-concept. In essay two, I develop and validate an unobtrusive measure of CEO humility. Ten indicators of humility are suggested and then validated using a self-reported survey administered to a sample of 30 U.S. and Canadian CEOs. Two behaviors were found to be significantly positively related to self-reported humility: CEOs who volunteered some of their time for non-profit organizations and CEO’s who reported that part of their own firm’s success was due to the help of the board of directors. In essay three, I examine the relationship between the level of CEO humility and four firm-level outcomes. Employing a sample of 163 CEOs appointed to S&P 500 firms between 2005-2008, I show that firms led by humble CEOs (measured by the unobtrusive indicators) tend to outperform others in regards to corporate social performance, while at the same time showing that their financial performance is generally no better or worse.

The Object Animates: Displacement and Humility in the Theatre of Philippe Quesne

This article considers the animating role that objects play in the theatre of Philippe Quesne and Vivarium Studio (France). The conventional role of object animation is often characterised by the performer manipulating objects and scenic material on the stage, asserting a control over the environment they are implicated in. In Quesne's theatre, this relationship is democratised. The theatrical apparatus, both materially and conceptually, is set up to enable the flow of animation to be interchangeable, affording an equal agency to the objects being used much as that of the performers. This theatre of animation is drawn through the framing concepts of displacement and humility. Displacement is considered as a compositional strategy that makes us aware of the volume of the stage space beyond the proscenium frame as a plane of composition. The introduction of large inflatable objects, real cars or large roles of fake snow foreground the objects material presence allows Quesne to play with moments of equilibrium, tipping, excess and absence. Humility is traced as a philosophy of objects that transcends the choice, handling and use of material items in Quesne's work. Simple objects take on a specific vibrancy because of how they give shape to the human participants on stage, animating moments of recognition that allows the human figure, its ethics, emotions and humour, to appear.

Extreme sports as a facilitator of ecocentricity and positive life changes

Extreme sports and extreme sports participants have been most commonly explored from a negative perspective, for example the 'need to take unnecessary risks'. This study reports on findings that indicate a more positive experience. A phenomenological method was used via unstructured interviews with 15 extreme sports participants and other first hand accounts. The extreme sports included B.A.S.E. jumping, big wave surfing, extreme skiing, waterfall kayaking, extreme mountaineering and solo rope-free climbing. Results indicate that participating in activities that involve a real chance of death, fear and the realisation that nature in its extreme is far greater and more powerful than humanity triggers positive life changes, and an eco-centric standpoint.

Athletes series

The researcher was invited to photograph athletes in the lead-up to the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne. She photographed four indigenous athletes, to produce a series of four large-scale cotton rag prints, 1 meter x 1 meter, printed onto photorag paper from digital files. “My photographic practice can be described as both political and spiritual, in the sense that as an Aboriginal Indigenous artist I take stock of the rationalising effect of the technologies I use, and create work that evokes nature and spirit. My methods often involve re-photographing or digitally re-working landscape photographs and adding historical or cultural icons of significance. Working with Indigenous athletes has been an honour and a pleasure. I admire the athletes’ passion and dedication to their chosen sport, and above all their humility, which seems a trait somewhat in contrast to what it takes to attain the highest levels of achievement. Indigenous athletes are wonderful role models for all Australians, and in making creative work that places their luminary presence with the land, I am aligning sportspeople with a deep sense of nature and spirit.” – Leah King-Smith. These works were commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery for the exhibition FLASH: Australian Athletes in Focus. The exhibition was a significant element in Melbourne2006 Festival, the cultural festival of the Commonwealth Games. The exhibition was prominently reviewed in Portrait: Magazine of Australian and International Portraiture and was subsequently remounted at Old Parliament House, Canberra (15 July to 12 November, 2006). One image was used for the front cover of Art Monthly, (March 2006).

Observation and modeling for terrestrial processes in alpine meadow

The water-heat transfer process between land and atmosphere in Haibei alpine meadow area has been systematically observed. A multi-layer coupling model for land-atmosphere interaction was presented with special attention paid to the moisture transfer in leaf stomata under unsaturated condition. A profound investigation on the physical process of turbulent transfer inside the vegetation has been performed with a revised formula of water absorption for root system. The present model facilitates the study of vertically distributed physical variables in detail. Numerical simulation was conducted according to the transfer process of Kinesia humility meadow in the area of Haibei Alpine Meadow Ecosystem Station, CAS. The calculated results agree well with observation.

Chico Xavier e o mundo dos espíritos: um estudo de representações sociais

O médium Chico Xavier (1910-2002) impôs-se no cenário religioso brasileiro como uma das personalidades mais admiradas e polêmicas do país dada a sua postura de afirmar se comunicar com espíritos de pessoas falecidas, atribuindo a elas seus mais de 400 livros psicografados, assim como pelas atividades assistenciais desempenhadas. As comemorações, em 2010, do centenário de seu nascimento teve ampla repercussão, com numerosas matérias na mídia, (re)lançamentos de livros e produção de filmes. Foi nesse contexto que se desenvolveu esta pesquisa sobre as representações sociais produzidas sobre ele por pessoas com ou sem religião, de acordo com a Abordagem Estrutural da Teoria das Representações Sociais. A coleta de dados foi feita através de um questionário padronizado, aplicado via "web", ao qual se associou uma tarefa de evocação livre ao termo indutor "Chico Xavier". Foram analisadas as respostas de 1960 sujeitos, dentre espíritas (56,6%), católicos (15,5%), teístas (12,1%), umbandistas (4,6%), ateus (4,2%), evangélicos (4,1%) e agnósticos (2,8%). A análise das evocações permitiu identificar os seguintes termos, possivelmente centrais, mais compartilhados por esses grupos: amor, caridade e humildade evocado por espíritas, umbandistas, teístas e católicos; espiritismo, mediunidade-psicografia por teístas, católicos, agnósticos e ateus; católicos e teístas distinguiram-se pela referência à bondade e paz; e evangélicos e ateus referiram-se a engano-mentira; agnósticos evocaram ainda o termo caridade; e ateus, os termos charlatão-fraude e doente mental. A construção de árvores de co- ocorrências confirmou os temas "amor" e "espiritismo" como mais característicos de Chico Xavier, sugerindo a existência de duas representações distintas. Nesse sentido, "amor" parece organizar as representações de católicos, espíritas, umbandistas, teístas, e "espiritismo", as de evangélicos, agnósticos e ateus. A análise do questionário revelou o seguinte ranking decrescente dos grupos quanto à sua proximidade com relação a Chico Xavier: espíritas, umbandistas, teístas, católicos, agnósticos, evangélicos e ateus. Em seu conjunto, os dados revelaram afinidades de representação entre os grupos, sendo principalmente semelhantes as representações dos espíritas e umbandistas, e dos teístas e católicos. Observamos uma representação de Chico Xavier construída a partir de três planos de significação: o da "virtude", o do "pertencimento" e o da "verdade". No primeiro, caracteriza-se pela valorização de "amor", que o situa numa ordem de sentido mais abrangente, reconhecendo-o como alguém capaz de ter vivido e demonstrado tal virtude de forma irrecusável, tornando-se dela um exemplo; no segundo, pela valorização de "espiritismo" ocorre sua identificação dentro de limites grupais, como alguém que viveu segundo sua crença e dela se tornou uma figura de destaque. E o terceiro, atravessando esses dois planos, pela atribuição de um sentido de "verdade" ou "mentira" sobre o que ele viveu/ensinou quanto à vida após a morte e a comunicação com espíritos. Desse modo, Chico Xavier, em geral, é representado pelos espíritas, umbandistas, teístas e católicos como alguém virtuoso que viveu/ensinou a verdade; e pelos evangélicos e ateus como um espírita não-virtuoso que viveu/ensinou mentiras. Os agnósticos posicionaram-se, principalmente, de modo ambivalente, mas com pequena tendência a enfatizar a virtude e a verdade em Chico Xavier.

Observation and modeling for terrestrial processes in alpine meadow

The water-heat transfer process between land and atmosphere in Haibei alpine meadow area has been systematically observed. A multi-layer coupling model for land-atmosphere interaction was presented with special attention paid to the moisture transfer in leaf stomata under unsaturated condition. A profound investigation on the physical process of turbulent transfer inside the vegetation has been performed with a revised formula of water absorption for root system. The present model facilitates the study of vertically distributed physical variables in detail. Numerical simulation was conducted according to the transfer process of Kinesia humility meadow in the area of Haibei Alpine Meadow Ecosystem Station, CAS. The calculated results agree well with observation.

基于USB接口的无线温湿度监测系统

针对环境温湿度检测的需求,设计了一种点对多点的星型无线温湿度监控网络。以无线通信模块nRF401为基础,配合AT89C2051和数字温湿度传感器SHT11构建了从机,以P89C51RD2BN单片机和USB接口芯片PDIUSBD12构建了主机。对系统的硬件原理及温湿度采集方法进行了介绍,对无线通信协议及USB固件设计方法进行了较详细分析。经上位机软件测试,系统运行稳定,具有较好实用性,可应用于多种场合的无线温湿度监测。

Making Sadza with Deaf Zimbabwean Women: A Missiological Reorientation of Practical Theological Method toward Self-Theologizing Agency among Subaltern Communities

Missiological calls for self-theologizing among faith communities present the field of practical theology with a challenge to develop methodological approaches that address the complexities of cross-cultural, practical theological research. Although a variety of approaches can be considered critical correlative practical theology, existing methods are often built on assumptions that limit their use in subaltern contexts. This study seeks to address these concerns by analyzing existing theological methodologies with sustained attention to a community of Deaf Zimbabwean women struggling to develop their own agency in relation to child rearing practices. This dilemma serves as an entry point to an examination of the limitations of existing methodologies and a constructive, interdisciplinary theological exploration. The use of theological modeling methodology employs my experience of learning to cook sadza, a staple dish of Zimbabwe, as a guide for analyzing and reorienting practical theological methodology. The study explores a variety of theological approaches from practical theology, mission oriented theologians, theology among Deaf communities, and African women’s theology in relationship to the challenges presented by subaltern communities such as Deaf Zimbabwean women. Analysis reveals that although there is much to commend in these existing methodologies, questions about who does the critical correlation, whose interests are guiding the study, and consideration for the cross-cultural and power dynamics between researchers and faith communities remain problematic for developing self-theologizing agency. Rather than frame a comprehensive methodology, this study proposes three attitudes and guideposts to reorient practical theological researchers who wish to engender self-theologizing agency in subaltern communities. The creativity of enacted theology, the humility of using checks and balances in research methods, and the grace of finding strategies to build bridges of commonality and community offer ways to reorient practical theological methodologies toward the development of self-theologizing agency among subaltern people. This study concludes with discussion of how these guideposts can not only benefit particular work with a community of Deaf Zimbabwean women, but also provide research and theological reflection in other subaltern contexts.

Characteristics of offenders:The HEXACO model of personality as a framework for studying offenders' personality

What are the personality differences between individuals who commit crime and those who refrain from crime? The HEXACO model of personality combines facets of honesty and humility with those of emotionality, extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness to experience within a unifying framework of personality. We applied the HEXACO model to examine differences in personality between offenders and nonoffenders. Criminal offenders differed from nonoffenders on five of the six dimensions of personality proposed by the HEXACO model. Compared to nonoffenders, offenders exhibited stronger tendencies toward greed and unfairness, but were also more anxious and fearful. Conversely, the offenders scored lower than nonoffenders on a number of facets of sociability, liveliness, and social boldness. The present findings indicate that offenders may in part be characterized by increased negative emotions but decreased sociability and liveliness. The HEXACO model of personality provides a valuable tool for studying this unique and important population. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Educar nas virtudes:programa de intervenção para alunos do 1º ciclo de ensino básico

Tese de doutoramento, Psicologia (Psicologia da Educação), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Psicologia, 2014