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Discipline to Success:

The Social Attribute

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt

continuation from BLOG posting: social development

Building Your Social Skills

We have reviewed the first definition of the social attribute. We identified 4 key points.

1) A socially developed person has inner qualities that are attractive to other people.
2) Socially developed people force others upon themselves rather than forcing themselves upon others.
3) A socially developed person possess both leadership and follower qualities.
4) Socially developed people like and enjoy themselves.

We will now turn our attention to the second definition of the social attribute.

Developing the First Definition of the Social Attribute

The second definition of sociality is a person who maintains a balance between introversion and extroversion tendencies and activities. Introversion in this discussion characterizes people whose social satisfaction comes from within themselves. Extroversion characterizes people whose social satisfaction comes from outside of themselves.

The terminology for introversion and extroversion has changed recently in behavioral discussion. In the old days of psychology, we used to use the word introvert to describe someone who is shy, reserved and quiet. Introverts lacked the basic social skills to interact with other people. On the other side of the behavioral scale, we used the word extrovert to characterize someone who is bold, opened and confident. Extroverts could interact comfortably with other people and carry a sense of pride. These characterizations are being refuted in modern-day behavioral science. Introvert can be associated with a person who is bold and self-confident. Likewise, extrovert can be used to describe someone who is shy and timid.

In today’s psychology, the term introversion characterizes people whose social satisfaction or needs come from within themselves — in other words, from social activities that involve very few people. Introverts are more likely to enjoy a good book or piece of music. They incline to be solitude, and they generally participate in activities and sports that are single-oriented such as cycling, jogging or walking in the woods. Introverts enjoy being with themselves, but not always. They can and do interact with many people. But on average, depending on the situation, they spend more time with themselves, or with someone close to them, rather than interacting with large groups.

Extroverts are the exact opposite. Extroversion characterizes people whose social satisfaction or needs come from outside of themselves — or in other words, from social activities that involve many people. Extroverts are more likely to enjoy carnivals, ball games and parties involving large groups. Extroverts are happy when in the company of others. They can on occasion engage in solitary activities. But on average, they will spend more time interacting with many people.

If we were to scale the two -troversions, we could develop an arbitrary measurement scale that resembles the scale below. (These measurements are for illustrative purposes only and do not measure any scientific analysis). Introversion can range from the extreme introversion — scale mark “-5” — to minimal introversion — scale mark “0”. Extreme introverts are individuals who prefer not to be around people. They isolate themselves from all social activities.

On the opposite end of the scale, extroversion can range from extreme extroversion — scale mark “+5” — to minimal extroversion — scale mark “0”. Extreme extroverts are individuals who prefer to be around people constantly. They may turn on their television sets just to hear the sounds of people, for example, even though they are not watching any particular program.

You won’t find many people who are extreme introverts or extreme extroverts. Most of us fall somewhere on the scale between -2.5 to 2.5. Introverts who are within this range will enjoy a party or loud activity once in awhile, but generally, they flow to activities that interact with fewer people. Extroverts who are around “+2.5″ on the scale will sometimes enjoy a quiet evening at home with a book or video, but generally, they flow to activities that place them in the company with many people.

Next Week: we will continue the discussion on balance introverism with extroverism.
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Tags: Achieving Success, building success, gaining success, goal planning

One of the most traumatic experiences in anyone's life is a car accident. Being prepared before you take to the road can help reduce the emotional toll you'll experience when a collision takes place.

The chances that you’ll be involved in some type of traffic accident in your lifetime are quite good, perhaps much higher than what you might think. There is a reason why car insurance rates are so high — thousands of claims are filed each day, many of which involve costly repairs, medical bills, even the payment of a death benefit.

If you find yourself in an accident your emotions will certainly be put to the test especially if a loved one is hurt and help isn’t nearby. Limiting the chances that you’ll be involved in a car accident means keeping your car in good running order while driving defensively, but accidents can still happen.

Protecting Yourself After A Collision

The following tips can help you in the event of a car accident:

Pull Over — When hit my another car, immediately try to pull off of the road. Your crashed vehicle could be hit yet again by another driver who is unable to stop in time. Move as far off of the shoulder of the road as possible; if other occupants are uninjured, have them leave the car and move far away from traffic.

Get Help — Some of today’s cars will contact 911 for help, particularly OnStar equipped vehicles which sense the deployment of an airbag. Whether through your car’s communication system or via cell phone, dial 911 and give emergency personnel as much information as possible. Tell them your location (highway mile marker, street sign, etc.), the nature of injuries, and provide answers to questions asked.

Provide Help – If other occupants are injured or if you can reach occupants of the other vehicles involved in the crash and are able to provide emergency assistance, then do what you can before help arrives. Severely injured people should not be removed unless there is imminent danger that the car could explode or are at risk of worse injury. Carrying an emergency kit is wise along with a flashlight, pen and paper (to copy down insurance information as well as to jot notes related to the accident), flares, etc.

Give A Statement — Once help arrives and your passengers are securely cared for, you’ll be asked by a policeman to give an account of the accident. If you know that you are at fault, you’ll need to answer your questions carefully, perhaps declining to respond until you speak to an attorney. If one of the other drivers caused the accident, then you can explain to the best of your ability what happened. If you suspect drugs, drinking, or other erratic behavior was involved in the accident, insist to the police officer that the other party(s) be tested.

Call Your Insurer, Get A Copy of the Accident Report — At the earliest possible moment, contact your insurance company and give to them all of the information regarding the accident. They’re going to want to know all of the particulars including every car involved (get their plate numbers), the drivers involved (get their driver’s license numbers), and who their insurance company is (get their insurance company’s names, policy numbers, and their state registrations). Obtain your own copy of the police report for your records.

Take Care of Yourself — You’ve taken care of everyone else, but what about yourself? Seek medical attention if needed and contact an accident attorney if you need one. Ask your insurance company about obtaining a loaner vehicle and, if out of town, how you can get your family home safely — just how much of the legwork will your insurer do for you?

Moving Forward

Depending on the injuries sustained and the damage done, recovering from a car accident can take a long time. Your auto insurance company may not cover all of your medical bills, but your personal insurance may be able to help out. Replacing a car isn’t a simple task either; how much money is the insurance company willing to pay for it?

Finally, if involved in an accident, never leave the scene before a police officer arrives. The last thing you want is for someone to falsely accuse you of leaving the scene of an accident.

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Adv. — If you’re looking for additional consumer advice, please visit our sister site at SayLowerBills.com to find information about managing your income, handling debt, and other money saving tips.

Tags: auto collision, auto safety, car accident, car insurance

If you are planning to sell your home or simply looking to update its appearance, you probably understand just how important “curb appeal” is to everyone. Buyers will make a quick decision whether your home is worth looking at by the way that it appears from the street while you want to own a home that is your pride and joy.

Unless your home is dilapidated and requiring a complete renovation, you can handle most exterior home improvement jobs yourself. If your home is somewhere between looking nice and looking awful, you can contract out some of the updates to quickly bring your house up to par.

Taking An Objective Look

Oftentimes we’re our own worst enemy to making changes that can benefit us. Usually, some emotional tie binds us to the way that something appears, causing us to hold on to things that are outdated, out of place, or simply ugly. Therefore, when you stand in front of your home, try to look at it from the vantage point of a complete stranger.

Are the windows dirty? You might not need to paint the outside trim around the windows, but cleaning the glass can work wonders. Clean windows reflect light and can create a special glow for any home, adding visual appeal to your residence.

Are the bushes overgrown? Your green thumb is very evident as your shrubbery can well attest. But, it could need trimming back, even require the removal of some plants. If bushes are blocking your view of the front door or providing cover for burglars, trim them back accordingly.

Is your lawn trimmed? You need not have a perfectly green and crab grass free lawn, but plugging holes and filling in bare spots with seed can enhance your home’s visual appeal. Keep your grass trimmed and orderly, rake up fall leaves, and do something about all of those dandelions!

Is your house number visible? If you have a rural mailbox, make sure that the house number can be read on it. These numbers should also be on your home and easily seen from the street. Painting or replacing of the same may be in order.

Are cracks evident? No, not in your home’s foundation which can be a problem, rather can they be seen in sidewalks and driveways? Unless actual pieces are missing, you won’t have to do a major repair, but leveling upraised concrete, patching macadam, and filling in cracks can bolster your home’s appearance, extend the life of your walkways, and protect people from falling.

Can flowers be seen? You don’t have to be a horticulturist nor do you need to be a gardener to have flowers planted in front of your home. Seasonally appropriate flowers (i.e., mums in the fall, crocuses in the spring, and carnations in the summer) add to your home’s visual appeal. Remove dead flowers at once; pull up weeds and consider putting down mulch.

Does furniture and lawn ornaments distract? We have a neighbor whose lawn is filled with ornamentation including statues, figurines, wind mills, you name it. To say that it is the talk of the neighborhood would be accurate! Clearly, one’s love of yard ornamentation should be limited to a few tasteful items and even then most are best placed quietly in an enclosed backyard. Don’t count on your buyers sharing the same tastes in outdoor furniture as you have!

Do your gutters overfloweth? Plant life is lovely, but not when mystery weeds grow out of your gutters. Gutters should be cleaned twice each year — in the Spring following tree budding and in the fall following the last leaf hitting the ground. Let your gutters do what they are meant to do: remove water not, serve as hanging gardens!

Getting Help As Needed

If your home improvement projects are a bit more difficult, then hire the right people to do the work. A home contractor can help bring your home up to par in no time and a quality home improvement site can provide the tips you need to take on your projects.

Improving your home’s visual appeal can take as little as a few hours to complete or up to a weekend’s worth of activity. Regardless of the work at hand, once you are done you’ll be left with a home that you can be proud of and a house that will appeal to potential buyers.

Tags: Home Improvement, home renovation, Home Tips