Observations of the BaMbuti Pygmies

It is important to mention first of all what the BaMbuti Pygmies are. These are said to be the most fascinating people living on planet earth. The pygmies are a nomadic group which hunts in the Congo Forest of Africa. The BaMbuti are the most famous Pygmies and also the shortest with a height of about 4-5 feet. These Pygmies are psychologically conditioned by what they are surrounded they do not carry a very busy social life nor do they see or interact with things, people or animals within more than 100 meters from them. Colin M. Turnbull is an anthropologist who was captivated by these creatures to make a study on them. Colin M. Turnbull decided to condition these Pygmies something that they had never been shown or taught. Turnbull decided to take on Pygmy out of the dense forest of Congo in which they lie in and take them to a plain where there were no mountains surrounding it whatsoever and in which animals were seen miles away. The Pygmies were intrigued by the fact that thing looked too small for what they thought they were and this was something obvious to happen since they had never had the opportunity to see objects, animals or person from far away. This perspective had never happened to come across their eyes and it is why they were wondering why things looked so small and how all of a sudden when they were near them they had changed size from being really tiny to being big and tall. Colin figured this entire thing out in a very simple way, he assumed that since the Pygmies were never able to see such things in a different perspective their brains and their vision were not accustomed to this. It is why it was impossible for the pygmies to assume that objects “change its size” from a farther or nearer perspective. All of this sums up in one special point, people do not perceive things the same way everyone else does since we as individuals are taught by our parents and by experience the things we know, see and feel. There is not one person with the same perspective of the universe of another whatsoever.

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/cultures_of_world/64244

Colin Turnbull

Collin Macmillan Turnball was a famous British anthropologist who was born on November 23, 1924 and died the 28th of July of 1994. Collin was born in London and achieved his studies of politics and philosophy at Magdalen College in Oxford. Turnbull was one of the first anthropologists who worked in the field of ethnomusicology. Turnball decided to work for a life-long with African Pygmies. This made him one of the most famous intelligent person in respect to African Pygmies during the 1060s and 1070s. One interesting fact about Turnbull, is that he fell in love with a poor African American man named Joe Towles who became Turnbull’s stout as did the creation of the Pygmies. It is said that he lived in a very open relationship for 30 years in New York City and Virginia until Joe Towles died of AIDS in the year 1988. For the rest of the years Turnbull lived as a Buddhist monk tutored by Dalai Lama’s oldest brother and gave away most of his money. Through life, Turnball accomplished many jobs that lead to him studying anthropology in Oxford back in 1954 and it is when he discovers that he is born to be an anthropologist. He worked as an anthropologist in many states in the US and even worked for the Department of Sociology and Anthroplogy of Virginia. Turnball even wrote a book named The Forest People which consisted of the impressive study he made of BaMbuti. Collin rejected neutrality and it is said that his visit to Africa and the study of the pygmies may have distorted their normal behaviors and customs.

http://www.colinturnbull.com/

What factors influence our perception?

Factors such as our senses, our age, the technology around us, our influences, our standpoints, our education, the people we are surrounded with and the abilities were are given are factors that most definitely shape the perception each and every one of us have. These factors are derived into internal and external factors. Internal factors are those factors that we have inside our conscious and our soul. Examples of internal factors may be our age, our gender, our physiology, our senses, and the education we are taught at a very little age. These factors surely influence the perception we have of the world itself and of everyone and everything that surrounds us. Whereas internal factors are those that belong to our conscious and our soul, external factors are those factors around us that most definitely have a great influence on our perception. Examples of influential external factors are the following, the culture we belong to, the religion we follow, the new and improved technology, the people we are surrounded with, our social status and the place in which we live in. I am personally influenced by internal and external factors that I like and dislike. For example I really enjoy listening to jazz music, sale shopping, traveling, eating vegetables and resting whereas influential external factors that I dislike are the following, going to the dentist, getting bad grades, going to the hospital, getting screamed at and braces. There are factors such as the ones above that we may like or dislike since we have been given a previous background on them that has made us feel the way we feel about them.

http://www.austincc.edu/colangelo/1311/textbookch2.htm

Perception is Reality

It is not accordingly enough to say that perception is reality since not one person on Earth has the same perspective of the World to another. Each and one of us live life differently and are born with a special and unique perspective on the World. We perceive things differently than others and at the same time create our own universe while perceiving things differently. It all depends on how people adapt to their environment that perception differs on every one of us. We are the ones who create what we are, who we are surrounded with and finally the life we carry on. Us, human beings as individual persons have the complete power to make us who we are in actuality. We depend on ourselves and therefore create our own environment in which we feel comfortable. According to many psychologists, people perceive things in their own way since we, human beings, tend to discard information from our minds since we cannot handle to visualize and analyze everything we see, hear and learn. Through this process, we tend to discard the information unconsciously in a way in which we ourselves feel comfortable and relaxed. After all, by the experiences each and every one of us undergo, we formulate a perspective of our own, meaning that what we live day to day reflects in our tomorrow.

Why is Psychology So Important?

Psychology studies the human mind and behavior, but why is it so important? I'd certainly say that psychology helps us, human beings, understand ourselves and others, but most important it helps ourselves understand who wea re and why we are here. In addtion, psychology not only helps us understand ourselves but it helps us endure life through understanding and in several different perspectives. I'd day that psychology takes a huge roll in our lives since through understanding we would be able to achieve peace among everyone of us.