Kirtiman Gopanayak's Blog

Metaphors and Idioms Metaphors and Idioms Idiom/Metaphor Meaning Origin Type 800 pound gorilla "The 800 pound gorilla is a dominant force in an industry or situation often acting without regard for others' rights or rules." The phrase originates from a riddle: 'Where does an 800 pound gorilla sit? Anywhere it wants to.' It has been in use since at least . Animal "Monkey see monkey do" The act of imitating others without understanding the reasons behind their actions; mimicking behavior without critical thinking or consideration of consequences. "The idiom originated in Jamaica in the early th century used in a pidgin context and was recognized as an 'old saying' by ." Animal never put an apple in your rabbit "The idiom signifies that certain foods like apples can ...

Colorful Contranyms Table Contranyms and Homonyms Table Word or Phrase Meaning 1 Meaning 2 Type Bill A payment An invoice for payment Contranym Bolt to secure to escape or flee Contranym Bound heading to a destination restrained from movement Contranym Buckle To connect To break or collapse Contranym Cleave to split or cut apart to adhere or stick closely to something Contranym Clip To fasten together To detach or cut apart Contranym Consult to offer advice to obtain advice Contranym Continue To keep doing an action To suspend an action Contranym Custom Specialized Typical Contranym Dust to remove dust from a surface to cover with dust Contranym Enjoin to order or command someone to do something to prohibit or prevent someone from doing something Contranym Fast To move quickly To be firmly fixed in place ...

Philosophical Blog Post Exploring Philosophical Thought Experiments Themes Aesthetics Authenticity vs cultural amalgamation Temporary beauty vs lasting permanence High pleasure vs low pleasure Art as intentional creation vs random natural occurrences Counterargument to expressive theory: art isn't just intentional expression of examined clarified emotions. Politics and Social Utilitarian guilt ridden action vs moral inaction. Utility monster: Utilitarianism exploited as hedonistic endeavors. Tragedy of the commons: shared resources overused. Ownership vs labor rights and their conflicts. Radical translation: challenges in interpreting languages and meaning. Language game: social context shaping language use. Fair inequality (better than past vs b...

Understanding Semantics in Morality Understanding Semantics in Morality Cognitivist Holds that moral judgments express objective beliefs about the world and can be true or false. Realism Posits the existence of objective moral facts or truths that are independent of subjective opinions or beliefs. Naturalism Is the view that moral values and ethical principles can be understood through natural phenomena and empirical investigation. Non-Naturalism Is the position that moral values and ethical principles are not reducible to natural or empirical facts. Subjectivism Asserts that moral judgments are grounded in individual subjectivity, such as personal preferences or emotions. Ideal Observer Posits that moral judgments are based on the perspective of an unbiased, rational, and fully informed o...

Philosophical Concepts Exploring Philosophical Concepts Logic Deduction : "Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end." - Spock Rooted in axioms and foundational principles. Induction : "Doubt is the key to knowledge." - Persian Proverb Embraces fallibilism and probabilistic reasoning. Perception Rationalism : "Knowledge is justified true belief." - Plato emphasizes fundamental, self-evident truths. Empiricism : "Experience is the teacher of all things." - Julius Caesar Knowledge derived from sensory experience. Idealism : ...

Types of Questions Cont.. Types of Questions Cont.. Yes/No Questions 1. Auxiliary + Subject + Main Verb: "Do you like coffee?" 2. Be + Subject + Complement: "Are you ready?" 3. Modal + Subject + Main Verb: "Can you swim?" Wh- Questions 4. What + Auxiliary + Subject + Verb: "What do you want?" 5. Where + Auxiliary + Subject + Verb: "Where do you live?" 6. When + Auxiliary + Subject + Verb: "When does the train leave?" 7. Why + Auxiliary + Subject + Verb: "Why are they looking at us?" 8. How + Auxiliary + Subject + Verb: "How do you bake a cake?" 9. Which + Noun + Auxiliary + Subject + Verb: "Which dress do you prefer?" Advanced Structures Leading Questions 10. Rating Word + Subject + Verb: "How good was the service?" ...

Blog Post on Misdirection Techniques Understanding Misdirection Techniques Let me break down each technique into a clear formula: Advanced Linguistic Misdirection Metonymic Redirection Use " [container] for [contained] " or " [part] for [whole] " structure. Example: "The White House announced" instead of "The President announced". Example: "The Pentagon has deployed troops" instead of "The US Military leadership has deployed troops". Metaphorical Misdirection Structure: " [Target] is characterized as [Source] " where the source intentionally masks the target's true nature. Example: "His heart was a frozen tundra" instead of directly stating "He was emotionally unavailable". Syntactical Manipulation Create complex nested clauses using recursion: " [Main clause] that [subordinate clause] that [deeper sub...

Cognitive Biases and Laws 99 Eponymous Laws List of Cognitive Biases and Laws Maslow hammer: a cognitive bias that involves an over-reliance on a familiar tool . Murphy Law (Finagle Law, Sod Law): Anything that can go wrong will go wrong . Parkinson's Law: The demand upon a resource tends to expand to match the supply of the resource (If the price is zero). Sturgeon Law: asserts that 90% of everything is crud. Occam Razor: states that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. Hanlon Razor: suggests that one should not attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by incompetence. Pareto Principle: also known as the 80/20 rule, states that roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Peter principal: states that employees tend to rise to their level of incompetence within an organizational hierarc...

Building Genuine Connections Building Genuine Connections A Guide to Positive Social Interactions Navigating social interactions can feel like an art form, but with the right approach, anyone can develop meaningful connections. Here's a strategic guide to engaging with others respectfully and effectively. The Connection Spectrum: Five Levels of Social Engagement Foundational Level: Creating Comfort Start by finding common ground Demonstrate genuine interest in the other person Focus on shared experiences or perspectives Intermediate Level: Active Listening Ask for the other person's opinion Practice subtle mirroring of body language and communication style Maintain a balanced, neutral approach Challenging Level: Building Trust Approach interactions with an open, curious mindset Request assistance in a thoughtful, no...