Thinking for oneself - Nishan Karki

Thinking for oneself

"Its starting point has always been a willingness to think for oneself, a feeling of respect and concern for our fellow creatures, and a refusal to be complicit in abuse, and people of such conviction come from everywhere." —Matthew Scully

 

Thinking for oneself is one of the most important parts of life. It plays a crucial role in one's life. One should also think about his own motives instead of those of others. Well, it is also important to think for others, but before that, thinking for oneself is more crucial.

 

Arthur Schopenhauer, a German philosopher, said that:

 

A library may be very large, but if it is in disorder, it is less useful than one that is small but well-arranged. In the same way, a man may have a great mass of knowledge, but if he has yet to work it up by thinking it over for himself, it has much less value than a far smaller amount that he has thoroughly pondered.

So, one may have a great deal of knowledge, but if he does not use it wisely and in a fruitful manner by thinking it over for himself, his knowledge is worthless. He should utilize his knowledge to do good for himself and, thus, for others. He should not let it go to waste and always try to gain from it. If only he gains from his knowledge by thinking it over for himself, his knowledge will be valuable.

Nishan Karki

Class 10

Pestalozzi Children's Village Society

Image Courtesy- wikiHow

One kind word can warm three winter months - Nishan Karki

Picture Courtesy: https://emilysquotes.com/one-kind-word-can-warm-three-winter-months/

Being kind may not be your cup of tea, but it might be worth trying for the warmth it gives everyone. 

Snow melts with the warmth of a word of kindness. As such, one kind word can warm three winter months. It means even a small kind word can change someone's life. In other words, a kind word proves to be life-changing. Kind words refer to the good things we say, compliments or appreciation.

Three winter months mean a period which is harsh, bitter and cold. If we say a kind word or smile at someone suffering from a problem, it may help the person. Earlier, we wrote a reflection on the topic 'small things are big things'. We can make out that - it is not the size of things that matters; it is the value of things that matters. So even a small word can prove to be life-changing.

The power of kindness is widespread. It is the quality that all human beings possess. But it is shown only by some humans. Consider kindness to be salt and sprinkle it over some food and consider the food to be a person who needs help and a little kind word. Kindness is an activity we perform to bring some good to others and seek nothing in return. 

As mentioned earlier, one kind word can warm three winter months, and kindness is one of the most important values. Being kind and helping people will provide happiness and peace to both sides. The person who shows kindness and helps others gets a life of joy, happiness and peace. Likewise, The person whom we help gets to be happy too.

Kindness is not only a word. It is a human value making a human a valuable living being. It is hard to find the value of kindness in other creatures. Humans are born with kindness as a quality. We should make good use of it in a way that proves to be an influential and life-changing act.

At last, I would like to conclude my view with a quote.

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."

~Aesop

Nishan Karki

Pestalozzi Children's Village, India

Swami and Friends: The Value of Friendship - Oshi Singh

You often hear people saying school life is the best. Wonder why people say that? Well, maybe because we spend the most fun and memorable moments of our lives in school with our friends. Gradually, we stop thinking about catching up with our old friends when we grow older. We keep making new friends and forgetting about the old ones.

Friends have one of the biggest influences in our lives. Having a good and faithful friend is the most valuable treasure one can have. Next week we will be reading a fascinating book by RK Narayan, "Swami And Friends". The story takes place during British rule in the year 1930. The story is about a group of friends living in Malgudi and their friendship. The story's young protagonist Swami and his friends teach us many valuable lessons about life, like celebrating & accepting our differences, the innocence of youth, and the importance of friendship in one's life.

I'm looking forward to reading RK Narayan's first and one of the most famous books.

Written by Oshi Singh

Gyanshree School, Noida

Honesty - Rehan Raza

A major component for developing moral character is honesty. Honesty helps in developing good attributes like kindness, discipline, truthfulness, moral integrity and more. Lying, cheating, lack of trust, stealing, greed, and other immoral attributes have no honesty. Honest people are sincere, trustworthy and loyal, throughout their life. Honesty is valuable, and it is a habit of utmost importance. There are famous quotes, said by a great personality like “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom”. It holds good due to its ability to build, shape and motivate integral values in one's life.

First of all, honesty promotes authenticity. It reflects one’s own feelings and thoughts. Honesty certainly helps people in knowing who you really are. Hence, one must be honest in self-expression.

Honesty removes fear from the heart and makes a person courageous and confident. It certainly takes a huge amount of courage to speak the truth. Speaking truth is a sign of bravery. The one who lies is a coward. Speaking falsehood is a sign of low self-confidence.

Another notable benefit of honesty is maturity. Honesty certainly reflects the maturity of a person. An individual is probably mature if he regularly speaks the truth. Furthermore, a mature person speaks the truth in a non-hurtful way.

Honesty strengthens and improves relationships between people. It certainly helps in bringing people together. Most noteworthy, it fosters a connection between individuals.

Rehan Raza 

Class - Xll Science 

The Fabindia School