Denison University: A Comprehensive Guide to Academics, Student Life, and Campus Culture

What makes Denison University stand out among liberal arts colleges. How does the academic environment foster critical thinking and personal growth. Why do students find Denison’s community engaging and supportive. What career preparation resources are available to Denison students. How diverse is the student body at Denison University.

Academic Excellence and Critical Thinking at Denison University

Denison University, a private liberal arts institution in Ohio, has garnered a reputation for fostering critical thinking skills and preparing students to tackle complex challenges. The university’s approach to education emphasizes interdisciplinary learning and practical application of knowledge.

How does Denison cultivate critical thinking skills. The university’s curriculum is designed to encourage students to approach problems from multiple angles, drawing connections between diverse fields of study. This interdisciplinary approach helps students develop a well-rounded perspective and the ability to adapt to various professional environments.

• Small class sizes facilitate in-depth discussions and personalized attention
• Emphasis on research opportunities for undergraduates
• Diverse course offerings spanning multiple departments

Faculty Engagement and Accessibility

One of Denison’s standout features is the close relationship between students and faculty. Professors at Denison are known for their commitment to teaching and mentoring, often going beyond the classroom to support students’ academic and professional growth.

What makes Denison’s faculty exceptional. Professors at Denison are not only experts in their fields but also dedicated educators who prioritize student success. They are readily available outside of class hours, fostering an environment where students feel comfortable seeking guidance and engaging in intellectual discussions.

Career Preparation and Alumni Network

Denison University places a strong emphasis on preparing students for their future careers. The Austin E. Knowlton Center for Career Exploration serves as a hub for career development resources, offering a range of services to help students navigate their professional journeys.

How does Denison support career development. The Knowlton Center provides comprehensive career services, including:

1. Practice interviews to hone communication skills
2. Career coaching to help students identify and pursue their goals
3. Resume building workshops to create compelling job applications
4. Networking events with alumni and industry professionals

Why is Denison’s alumni network valuable. The university boasts a diverse and engaged alumni community that spans various industries and geographic locations. Alumni are known for their willingness to support current students and recent graduates, offering advice, internship opportunities, and job-related connections.

Diverse and Engaged Student Body

Denison University prides itself on cultivating a diverse and inclusive campus community. The student body represents a wide range of backgrounds, interests, and perspectives, contributing to a rich and dynamic learning environment.

How diverse is Denison’s student population. The university attracts students from across the United States and around the world, creating a melting pot of cultures and experiences. This diversity extends beyond nationality to encompass a variety of academic interests, extracurricular pursuits, and personal backgrounds.

• International students from various countries
• Representation from different socioeconomic backgrounds
• Wide range of academic majors and minors
• Diverse extracurricular interests, from sports to arts

Student Engagement and Campus Involvement

Denison’s campus culture is characterized by high levels of student engagement and involvement. The university encourages students to participate in various activities and take on leadership roles, fostering a vibrant and active community.

How involved are Denison students in campus life. Most students at Denison hold at least one leadership position during their time at the university. This high level of involvement contributes to a dynamic campus atmosphere and helps students develop valuable skills outside the classroom.

Campus Setting and Residential Life

Denison University’s picturesque campus is situated atop a hill overlooking the village of Granville, Ohio. The beautiful surroundings and close-knit community create a unique living and learning environment for students.

What makes Denison’s campus special. The university’s location offers a blend of natural beauty and small-town charm, providing students with a serene setting for academic pursuits. The campus is surrounded by forests, offering opportunities for outdoor activities and a connection to nature.

Residential Campus Experience

Denison is a fully residential campus, which plays a significant role in shaping the student experience. This residential model encourages constant interaction and community building among students.

How does the residential system impact student life. Living on campus fosters a strong sense of community and provides numerous opportunities for social interaction and personal growth. Students often gather in common areas, creating a lively and engaging atmosphere throughout the campus.

• All students live on campus, promoting a tight-knit community
• Diverse housing options to suit different preferences
• Regular campus events and activities to encourage social interaction

Academic Programs and Research Opportunities

Denison University offers a comprehensive liberal arts education with a wide array of academic programs. The curriculum is designed to encourage interdisciplinary study and hands-on learning experiences.

What academic opportunities are available at Denison. Students have the flexibility to explore multiple areas of interest, often pursuing double majors, minors, or concentrations. This interdisciplinary approach allows students to develop a well-rounded skill set and explore connections between different fields of study.

Undergraduate Research

Denison places a strong emphasis on undergraduate research, providing students with opportunities to engage in scholarly work alongside faculty members.

How prevalent is undergraduate research at Denison. Many students participate in research projects during the academic year or over the summer. These experiences allow students to delve deeper into their areas of interest, develop critical thinking skills, and prepare for graduate studies or professional careers.

• Faculty-mentored research projects
• Summer research programs
• Opportunities to present research at conferences
• Potential for publication in academic journals

Student Support Services and Resources

Denison University is committed to providing comprehensive support to its students, offering a range of services to assist with academic, personal, and professional development.

What support services are available to Denison students. The university provides various resources to help students succeed academically and personally:

1. Writing Center: Offers assistance with writing assignments across all disciplines
2. Library Services: Provides research support and access to extensive academic resources
3. Academic Advising: Helps students navigate course selection and degree requirements
4. Counseling Services: Offers mental health support and personal counseling
5. Disability Services: Ensures equal access and accommodations for students with disabilities

Technology and Learning Resources

Denison invests in state-of-the-art technology and learning resources to support student success. The university’s facilities are designed to enhance the learning experience and provide students with the tools they need to excel.

How does Denison support technological literacy. The university offers access to modern computer labs, multimedia production facilities, and specialized software for various academic disciplines. Additionally, Denison provides training and support to help students leverage these resources effectively in their academic pursuits.

Campus Culture and Traditions

Denison University has a rich history and vibrant campus culture, with numerous traditions that bring the community together and create a unique college experience.

What are some notable Denison traditions. While specific traditions may evolve over time, Denison is known for events that celebrate academic achievement, foster school spirit, and promote community engagement. These may include:

• Annual festivals and cultural celebrations
• Academic symposiums showcasing student research
• Athletic events and rivalries
• Community service initiatives

Arts and Culture on Campus

Denison has a thriving arts scene, with numerous opportunities for students to engage in creative pursuits and experience diverse cultural offerings.

How does Denison support the arts. The university hosts regular art exhibitions, musical performances, theater productions, and cultural events. These activities not only enrich campus life but also provide students with opportunities to showcase their talents and explore different forms of artistic expression.

Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives

Denison University is committed to environmental sustainability, implementing various initiatives to reduce its ecological footprint and promote environmental awareness among students.

How does Denison promote sustainability. The university has implemented several programs and practices to foster a culture of environmental responsibility:

1. Green building practices for campus construction and renovation
2. Energy conservation measures and renewable energy initiatives
3. Recycling and waste reduction programs
4. Sustainability-focused academic courses and research opportunities
5. Student-led environmental organizations and initiatives

Environmental Education and Research

Denison’s commitment to sustainability extends to its academic programs, with opportunities for students to engage in environmental studies and research.

What environmental academic programs does Denison offer. The university provides courses and research opportunities related to environmental science, conservation, and sustainable development. These programs allow students to explore environmental issues from various disciplinary perspectives and contribute to solving real-world ecological challenges.

Athletics and Recreation at Denison

Denison University offers a robust athletics program, competing in NCAA Division III. The university’s commitment to athletics reflects its belief in the value of physical activity and teamwork in a well-rounded education.

What athletic opportunities are available at Denison. The university offers a wide range of varsity sports, club teams, and intramural activities, catering to students of all skill levels and interests. Denison’s athletic facilities include:

• Modern fitness centers
• Indoor and outdoor sports complexes
• Swimming pool and aquatics center
• Tennis courts and golf facilities

Intramural and Club Sports

In addition to varsity athletics, Denison offers numerous intramural and club sport options, allowing students to stay active and engage in friendly competition.

How do intramural sports contribute to campus life. Intramural and club sports provide opportunities for students to participate in organized athletic activities regardless of their skill level. These programs foster a sense of community, promote physical fitness, and offer a fun way to balance academic pursuits with recreational activities.

Global Education and Study Abroad Programs

Denison University recognizes the importance of global perspectives in today’s interconnected world. The university offers various study abroad and international education opportunities to broaden students’ horizons and enhance their cultural competence.

What global education options are available at Denison. The university provides a range of international programs, including:

1. Semester-long study abroad programs in various countries
2. Short-term international experiences during academic breaks
3. Faculty-led international courses and research projects
4. International internship opportunities
5. Language immersion programs

International Student Support

Denison welcomes international students and provides comprehensive support to help them acclimate to life in the United States and thrive academically and socially.

How does Denison support international students. The university offers various services tailored to the needs of international students, including orientation programs, visa assistance, cultural adjustment support, and opportunities to engage with the broader campus community.

Community Engagement and Service Learning

Denison University emphasizes the importance of civic engagement and community service, encouraging students to become active and responsible citizens.

How does Denison promote community engagement. The university offers various opportunities for students to get involved in community service and service-learning projects:

• Volunteer programs with local organizations
• Service-learning courses that integrate academic study with community service
• Alternative break programs focused on community service
• Partnerships with local schools and non-profit organizations

Civic Leadership and Social Responsibility

Denison’s commitment to community engagement extends beyond volunteer work to include programs that develop students’ civic leadership skills and sense of social responsibility.

How does Denison foster civic leadership. The university offers leadership development programs, workshops, and courses that emphasize ethical decision-making, social justice, and community impact. These initiatives prepare students to become engaged citizens and leaders in their future communities and professions.

In conclusion, Denison University offers a comprehensive liberal arts education that combines academic rigor with practical skills development. The university’s emphasis on critical thinking, interdisciplinary learning, and community engagement prepares students for success in an ever-changing world. With its diverse student body, engaged faculty, and rich campus life, Denison provides a unique and transformative college experience that equips graduates to make meaningful contributions to society.

Denison University – The Princeton Review College Rankings & Reviews

Academics

Ohio’s Denison University is a small private liberal arts university that “makes people able to critically think and attack any task that they are confronted with,” so it follows that the school listens to its students, and “if there is something you want to add to or change about the school, it is easy to do if you put in the effort.” Support networks abound, from the Austin E. Knowlton Center for Career Exploration (which offers “a variety of help with career decisions: practice interviews, career coaching, resume building, and more”) to the Writing Center and the library, which offers help to students in classes with lots of researching and writing. Academically, students “often are involved in multiple departments” either though double majors, minors, or concentrations, and “conducting research is very common for undergraduate students. ..during the school year or over the summer.” All classes are taught by “intelligent, thought-provoking professors,” and there are “a multitude of unique class options.” At Denison, “one will find professors who are completely committed to their job: teaching their students.” Small classes mean students “really get to know their professors and can learn a lot outside of a traditional classroom setting,” and “a student is bound to form a great relationship, if not a friendship,” with many professors during their education at Denison. They are “almost always accessible outside of class time” and “have a knack for making students appreciate the interconnectedness of concepts and disciplines.” Professors are even helpful when connecting students to professionals in fields related to their majors, and alumni are a great boon to the school. The network is “very diverse in occupation and found all around the world,” and alumni “love Denison and are willing to help any graduate seeking advice, internships, or any job-related detail. ”

Student Body

Since Denison is a small university, students know or recognize most of their peers. “I can comfortably sit with most fellow students during any meal at the dining hall or in the classroom,” says a student. Within the “extremely diverse” student body, there are many different interests on campus, “from sports to film, from math to poetry, and from theatre to science,” and this “creates dialogue between [students].” In fact, the university has “an East Coast liberal arts feeling,” except in central Ohio. Denison students are “always very engaged,” and there’s “a high expectation of involvement on campus.” They “are passionate about their futures and the futures of those around them” and are “heavily engaged in current events and take politics a little too seriously.” There are a fair number of international students here, and Denison has “people who have traveled from the other side of Earth, to students who live in Granville themselves. ” “Although we are all very different, we all come together,” says one.

Campus Life

Located east of Columbus, Denison “sits atop the hill overlooking the village of Granville and is surrounded by beautiful forest.” “One easily feels at home here,” and although it may be somewhat isolated, “the community makes up for that.” Denison has an active student body regarding co-curricular and extracurricular activities, and “most students hold at least one leadership position on campus.” The average schedule of a Denison student is packed with “classes, meetings, rehearsals, practices, volunteer work, and much more.” This is an entirely residential campus which “encourages students to engage with each other in multiple settings,” and students congregate in common rooms to hang out regularly. “Everyone stays on campus during the weekends regardless of where they’re from,” and while some students drink and go out to parties, others watch movies or go to concerts. For people that don’t want to party, Denison has a large amount of programming—so much so that “students sometimes complain that the school is actually over-programmed.” “There’s so much to do on campus that people rarely leave,” says a student.

Denison University Student Reviews, Scholarships, and Details

About Denison University

Founded in 1831, Denison University is a
Private college. Located in Granville, which is a city setting in Ohio, the campus itself is
Suburban . The campus is home to 2,277 full time undergraduate students, and
N/A full time graduate students.

Campus Topics

How politically active are students?

14%

“We know about current events and vote”

75%

“We participate and encourage others to get involved”

6%

“There’s nothing we won’t protest”

Are there intellectual conversations?

2%

“We save it for the classroom”

17%

“Sometimes, but not often”

56%

“There’s usually intelligent conversation to be found”

25%

“All the time, including weekends”

Is the arts culture a priority?

5%

“It’s not really our thing”

18%

“Occasinally we gallery crawl”

62%

“There are a variety of opportunities”

15%

“We’re a very artistic group”

Do you feel safe on campus?

3%

“I’m always terrified”

3%

“I only go out in groups”

16%

“I usually let someone know where I’m going”

78%

“I feel extremely safe”

What’s the sports culture like?

48%

“We don’t play sports”

0%

“We play recreationally”

7%

“We live for the big game”

How accessible are your professors?

38%

“They keep regular office hours”

60%

“They’re always available”

How important is fraternity/sorority life?

0%

“No greek life, but other groups to join”

36%

“There is some involvement, but not a lot”

52%

“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”

11%

“It’s everything. If you’re not greek, you’re a geek”

Do students drink alcohol?

0%

“We’re not into drinking at all”

0%

“Maybe a little, but it’s not a big thing”

48%

“We only party on weekends”

52%

“There’s some drinking happening every night”

Do students do drugs?

2%

“Never, we’re here to learn”

38%

“There might be people who do”

50%

“People are known to partake on weekends”

11%

“There’s a huge drug scene”

Admissions Requirements for Denison University

Admissions at
Denison University are considered More Selective, with 43% of all applicants being admitted. In the 2017/2018 school year, of the students who applied to the school,
only 9% of those who were admitted eventually ended up enrolling.
100% of incoming freshmen are in the top half of their high school class.
88% were in the top quarter,
and 49% were in the top tenth.

The application fee is
$
40 and you can apply online.

Student Body

Students

2,277

Total Undergrad Enrollment

Organizations

180

Student Organizations

Housing

97%

of students living on campus

Student Diversity

% American Indian/Alaskan Native

N/A

% Asian/Pacific Islander

4%

% Black or African-American

7%

Academics

The Denison University Academic calendar runs on a semester basis. In the 2017/2018 school year the student to faculty ratio was
9:1. There are
245 full time instructional teachers. Degrees awarded at Denison University include: Bachelor’s Degree, Masters Degree, Post-master’s certificate, Doctor’s degree.

Cost

The total cost to attend on campus is
$61,930. Let’s break that cost down. Room and board will run $11,970 annually.
Books and Supplies will cost another $1,000.
And lastly, in state tuition and fees is $48,960. Additional cost elements for out of state students are as follows:

Cost Out of State

$48,960

Tuition and fees(Out of state)

$1,000

Books and Supplies

Actual Cost By Income Level(W/Financial Aid)

Financial Aid

All students must apply yearly for financial aid. This process starts with the FAFSA.
Though financial aid deadlines vary by school, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. For the upcoming school year, you can apply as early as October 1 for the FAFSA. Additional school aid will be dependent on the FAFSA results.

98% of students
attending Denison University receive some sort of financial aid.
21% were awarded federal grants.
While 57% received federal loans.
Many students do also need to apply for additional private student loans.

Nike Tennis Camp at Denison University

Longtime Denison University tennis coach Peter Burling has announced his retirement after leading the men’s and women’s programs to unprecedented success over the last three decades. The two-time National Coach of the Year leaves Denison as the winningest coach in school history, across all sports, with a career record of 734-329 (.690).

“Who would have thought that a 36-year-old junior development pro with dream jobs on Cape Cod and in San Francisco would end up spending the next 30 years as a college coach in the middle of Ohio,” said the ever-affable Burling. “From my very first season in 1990, I knew I was blessed.”

“I would like to thank Ted Barclay for hiring me. The transition from developing 18-and-under players to coaching 18-21-year-old men and women was seamless. To me, coaching and teaching are one and the same. I transitioned from preparing kids for college tennis to receiving them and attempting to take them further. I could have taught tennis anywhere, but the entire Denison community is what made this career so special.

“I am extremely proud of what the men’s and women’s tennis teams have accomplished during my stay. I would like to thank Peter Homorody, who was by my side for 17 winning seasons, and Jamie Scott, who served as my assistant before transitioning to head coach of the women’s team. Jamie is doing a phenomenal job. Many thanks to Athletic Directors Larry Scheiderer and Nan Carney-DeBord for their support in coaching the sport that I love. I am so excited to see where this program will go in the future. I will truly miss the daily interaction with my colleagues, but the lifelong relationships we have formed are in stone.”

Burling arrived at Denison in the fall of 1990 as the head men’s tennis coach, a team he has led consecutively for 30 seasons. He spent the 1992-93 season as the interim head women’s tennis coach. That team qualified for the NCAA’s for the first time and finished the year at #9 in the nation. He then resumed the role fulltime in 2000. That stint lasted until 2017 when his assistant coach, Jamie Scott, took over the reins of the women’s tennis program. Under Burling, Denison tennis has consistently been one of Division III’s most successful programs and his student-athletes have been high achievers in the classroom and on the court. Four former student-athletes; Brian Maebius (1993), Cameron Vincent (2002), Meridith Sulser (2005), and Kristin Cobb (2011) were honored with the prestigious National Arthur Ashe Jr. Sportsmanship and Leadership Award from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

As Denison’s head men’s tennis coach, Burling totaled a career record of 421-194 (.685) while leading Denison to seven North Coast Athletic Conference championships and two, top-10 national finishes. The men qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships eight times under Burling and enjoyed a five-year run as conference champions from 1997-2001. Eleven men’s tennis players achieved All-American status from the ITA during his tenure. He was named the NCAC Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year seven times.

While leading the women’s tennis program for 19 seasons (1992-93, 2000-17), Burling accumulated a record of 313-135 (.699). In 2004, he was named the ITA National Coach of the Year and in 2005 the United States Professional Tennis Association honored him with National Coach of the Year accolades. His women’s teams won 11 NCAC Championships highlighted by a run of 10-straight titles from 2002-11. In 2008, the Big Red placed third in the nation, marking the highest finish by a Denison tennis team. That squad set the program record for wins (22) and advanced to the NCAA Final Four while the team of Kristin Cobb and Marta Drane reached the NCAA Doubles Final.

Overall, Denison women’s tennis posted eight top-10 national finishes and six appearances in the NCAA Quarterfinals (Elite Eight). Burling was honored by the NCAC 11 times as it’s Coach of the Year, running his grand total of NCAC Coach of the Year awards to 18 across both genders. Twenty-three women received ITA All-American accolades in his career and in 2009, multi-time All-American Meghan Damico was named the ITA Senior Player of the Year.

“Peter is a master at teaching the game of tennis,” said Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Nan Carney-DeBord. “His body of work is outstanding and aligned with our core value of competitive excellence. His commitment to the holistic growth and development of each student-athlete throughout his tenure has been admirable. In addition to his coaching prowess, Peter has been a wonderful department member, always first in line to help when needed. We are very appreciative of all he has done for his student-athletes. His legacy will live on and Denison tennis is a national contender because of his efforts.”

A native of Orleans, Massachusetts, Burling has been a USPTA Level I Professional for 30 years. He has taught the game to thousands of young players as a teaching pro around the nation and through his highly successful Nike Tennis Camps held each summer on the Denison Tennis Courts in Granville.

Tennis Tips by

Peter Burling:

Jennifer Garner encourages Denison grads to choose kindness – News – The Columbus Dispatch

GRANVILLE — Jennifer Garner had not stepped foot on the Denison University campus since members of the Class of 2019 were in preschool.

But as the 1994 Denison graduate stood before the roughly 520 who were graduating Saturday at the school in Granville, Garner said she could see herself in them.

“I did, 25 years ago, sit in the seats where you’re sitting on the edge of something, the boundary between one part of my life and then the next,” she told the graduates as she delivered their commencement speech.

When people talk about graduating from college, Garner said, they often say the graduates are about to enter the real world — as though the “real world” begins on a certain day.

But she reminded the graduates that childhood does not end, and adulthood does not begin, in a single moment.

“The transition happens slowly and differently for every one of us,” Garner, 47, said.

After her own graduation from Denison as a theater major, Garner went on to star in numerous movies, including “13 Going on 30” and “Pearl Harbor,” as well as TV shows that have included “Alias” and “Felicity.” Her work has been recognized with Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations.

Since 2008, Garner, the mother of three children, has served as a trustee for Save the Children, a charity with the goal of improving the lives of children through better education, health care and economic opportunities. She’s also involved in other children’s charities.

Garner, who grew up in West Virginia, said she has met children from all across the country who live in poverty. She said it’s hard to see parents who sometimes find themselves having to choose between diapers and food. But she said that helping those families improve their lives is the most optimistic work she can do.

Garner told the members of the Denison Class of 2019 to insist on optimism.

“Dig in — fight for what makes you optimistic about the world,” she said. “Find it, insist on it, dig into it, go after it.”

She encouraged graduates to choose kindness, even when they don’t want to.

“A smile and a moment of your time … can mean more than you ever imagine,” she said.

Garner also had some lighthearted advice for the soon-to-be Denison alumni:

• Don’t walk down the Grand Canyon. The walk back up is a pain, and the view from the top is amazing.

• Wear sunscreen. “Nothing looks better in your 50s than sunscreen in your 20s,” she said.

• When it comes to Halloween costumes, go funny over sexy. “Why would you dress like a flirty nurse when you could be a mailbox?” she asked.

• “Mixed signals are not mixed signals,” she said. “They’re a no.”

• If you’re a woman, the world is yours to grab.

During the commencement ceremony Saturday, Garner was awarded an honorary doctorate, which was presented by college friend Mark Evans Bryan, who is now the theater department chairman at Denison.

University President Adam Weinberg said he was thrilled that Garner agreed to be the commencement speaker, but not because she is famous and admired.

It’s because Garner lives out the definition of a Denison graduate, he said.

“She used her Denison education to figure out the kind of life she wanted to live.”

the disadvantages and advantages of Denison university – Denison University

Could you be more specific about your financial parameters? Are you looking for need-based aid or merit (non-need based) aid? Denison is known for being fairly generous with merit based aid, up to about 1/2 tuition. When my kid was applying (he has graduated, so this was a few years ago), there were a handful of full tuition awards which went to the tippy top applicants – I’ve described that we met several of them at an admitted student event and they were choosing between full pay at Stanford and Columbia vs. full tuition merit award at Denison. The Stanford admit went to Stanford, the Columbia admit came to Denison and had a great experience. However, I don’t know if Denison still does full tuition merit awards, that would be a question to direct to the Admissions office.

The pros of Denison? Excellent academics, incredible performing arts and fine arts facilities, priority on mentoring and relationships so students really do get to know faculty and others on campus very well, excellent career development office with comprehensive programs for 1st year through graduation. Beautiful location in a charming village, but about 25 min from Columbus, the state capital, so good for political internships, plus range of corporate headquarters in the New Albany/Columbus area, so again, lots of internship opportunities. Economically diverse student body – the merit awards pull in more middle class/upper middle class students so, while there are certainly wealthy kids and low income kids, there is more of a “middle” in the student body than at some schools where there are mostly very wealthy and low income kids. Convenient travel since Columbus airport is 25 min away and an easy in-and-out airport, not congested. Student body comes from east coast – North Carolina to Boston – west coast, midwest (lots of Chicago area kids), though not as many from south/south east/south west.

Negatives? If a student is looking for a CS program like would be found at a major research university, the classes at Denison presumably won’t go as deep or as far as at a huge university. If a student doesn’t really want the small college experience, the 2300-2400 students could feel small.

R. Ford Denison | College of Biological Sciences

Google Scholar page

Graduate Faculty Memberships

Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Plant Biological Sciences

Research Interests

Applying evolutionary biology to agriculture and human health; developing instrumentation for higher-throughput phenotyping of nitrogen-fixing crops.  

Statement

Darwin argued that domesticated species have been “neglected by naturalists.”  That is still true of agricultural symbionts, such as the rhizobia that provide legume crops with nitrogen.  Students in my lab have used rhizobia mainly to test fundamental hypotheses about the evolution of cooperation, with possible practical applications in agriculture.  Evolutionary tradeoffs between longevity and reproduction are a significant side-interest, with implications for perennial grain crops and for human longevity.

Selected Publications

Denison, R.Ford 2021. Legume-imposed selection for more-efficient symbiotic rhizobia. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 118: e2107033118

Oono, Ryoko, Katherine E. Muller, Randy Ho, Andres Jimenez Salinas, and Robert Ford Denison. 2020. How do less-expensive nitrogen alternatives affect legume sanctions on rhizobia? Ecol Evol 10: 10645-10656

Sadras,V., J. Alston, P. Aphalo, D. Connor, R.F. Denison, et al. . 2020. Making science more effective for agriculture. Advances in Agronomy 163: 153-177

Denison, RF 2019. Evolutionary tradeoffs are key to beneficial manipulation of crops by microbes. American Journal of Botany 106: 1529 -1531

Muller, Katherine E., and R.Ford Denison. 2018. Resource acquisition and allocation traits in symbiotic rhizobia with implications for life-history outside of legume hosts. Royal Society Open Science 5: 181124

Denison, R.Ford 2012. Darwinian Agriculture: How Understanding Evolution Can Improve Agriculture. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

Denison, R.F. 2011. Past evolutionary tradeoffs represent opportunities for crop genetic improvement and increased human lifespan. Evol. Appl. 4: 216-224

Ratcliff, W.C., P. Hawthorne, M. Travisano, and R.F. Denison. 2009. When stress predicts a shrinking gene pool, trading early reproduction for longevity can increase fitness, even with lower fecundity. PLoS One 4: e6055

Kiers, E. T., R.A. Rousseau, S.A. West, and R.F. Denison. 2003. Host sanctions and the legume-rhizobium mutualism. Nature 425: 78-81

90,000 The trap of toxic positivity: what it is and how to get out of it

• Lucia Blasco
• BBC News Mundo

January 17, 2021

Photo author, Getty Images

Photo caption,

Are you hiding “negative” emotions ?

Have you ever felt like you have to hide your negative emotions? As if you are forced around the clock and at all costs to maintain the image of a “happy person”?

This may sound counterintuitive, but positivity can be toxic.

“Everything of value in life is achieved through overcoming associated negative experiences,” says American writer and personal development consultant Mark Manson.

“Any attempt to avoid negativity, suppress or drown out, leads to a backlash. Avoiding suffering is a form of suffering. Denying failure is failure,” he continues.

But toxic positivity requires you to do just that – to force yourself to pretend to be optimistic and drown out negative emotions, no matter how false your optimism may be.

Psychologist Antonio Rodellar, a specialist in anxiety disorders and clinical hypnosis, says that negative emotions (the psychologist prefers to call them “unregulated”) must be recognized.

“The palette of emotions includes unregulated feelings such as sadness, disappointment, anger, anxiety or jealousy,” he recalls.

“We cannot ignore the fact that as people we have a whole range of these emotions, which are useful and give us information about what is happening around and in our body.They cannot be ignored, “Rodellar adds.

British therapist, psychologist and writer Sally Baker agrees:” The problem with toxic positivity is that it requires us to drown out some of the wider range of emotions we may experience in a difficult situation. “

Photo by Getty Images

Caption,

Embracing our emotions makes us stronger, says Sally Baker

“If you only allow yourself to experience positive emotions, you are lying to yourself,” she says.

“When you find yourself in a difficult situation, suppressing all the ‘negative’ feelings that come up will exhaust you. And worse, you won’t be able to develop resilience to them,” says Baker.

“It isolates us from ourselves, from our true emotions. We hide behind positivity so that people do not see us in a bad light,” she sums up.

Positive – Normal and Toxic

To understand what toxic positivity is, we must distinguish it from positive thinking.It sounds similar, but they are completely different things.

“Positive thinking was popularized by psychologist Martin Seligman, who studied depression. He found a new approach to a range of problems, situations and pathologies,” says Rodellar.

In the 1990s, Seligman, then president of the American Psychological Association, told a conference that psychology must take a new step in the scientific study of everything that makes people happy.

In his famous 1995 book, The Optimist Child, the American psychologist explained that people are not born pessimists, but become pessimists because of their life experiences.He argues that we can combat this pessimism and transform our negative thoughts into more positive ones.

Great! So if I’m sad, all I have to do is focus on being happy, right? Not certainly in that way. This would be a shortcut to the trap of toxic positivity.

Negative emotions cannot be ignored – you must first acknowledge and accept them.

The trick is to moderate your positivism and avoid extremes.

Photo Credit, Getty Images

Caption,

You won’t always feel good, and that’s okay

“The concept of positive psychology has warped over time,” says Rodellar. – Focusing on the positive aspects of different situations in life can be useful, including from a therapeutic point of view. The problem is that if you get carried away with it, it can lead to a decrease in the ability to resist negative situations, “says the psychologist.

” Properly applied positive thinking is very useful, but it inevitably forms a fragmented perception of reality and a feeling of helplessness. To deny harmful and painful situations is like looking at the world with one eye, “says Rodellar.

How to recognize that you are trapped in toxic positivity

• You hide or mask your true feelings.
• You are trying not to get hung up on the problem, ignoring your emotions.
• You feel guilty for what you feel.
• You try to minimize the negative experiences of others by saying things that make you feel good.
• You are trying to rationalize the situation (“it could have been worse”) instead of acknowledging your emotional experience.
• You shame or point your finger at others if they express frustration or other “negative” feelings.
• You ignore what bothers you (“as is, so is”).

Source and : Tamara Quintero (Trauma, Hypnotherapy and Personal Growth Specialist) , Jamie Long (Relationship, Eating Disorder and Anxiety Specialist) .

How does this affect us?

Suppressing or ignoring “negative” emotions can be bad for your health.

“All the emotions we suppress are somatized [psychological stress manifests as physical symptoms] and manifests through the body, often as a disease. When we deny an emotion, it finds another way out,” says Rodellar.

Baker Agrees: “Emotion suppression affects your health. If you hide your problems behind a facade of toxic positives, they will appear in your body in alternative ways – from skin problems to irritable bowel syndrome.”

“When we ignore our negative emotions, our body begins to try to draw attention to this problem. Suppressing emotions is exhausting us physically and mentally. It is unhealthy and does not work in the long term,” says the therapist.

Another consequence, Rodellar says, is that “when we only focus on positive emotions, we get more naive, childish versions of situations that happen to us in life, and we become more vulnerable in difficult times.”

Photo author, Getty Images

Photo caption,

Are you being honest with yourself?

Psychopedic and neuropsychology expert Teresa Gutierrez says toxic positivity “has more serious psychological and psychiatric consequences than depression.”

“The world of emotions is devirtualized, and this can lead to the fact that a person does not live a real life – this is reflected in our mental health. This amount of positive is harmful to everyone. If there are no disappointments and failures, we will not learn to develop in our life.” she says.

If everything is not all right with you, this is normal

Is there a toxic positive in fashion? Baker believes so, and attributes this to the proliferation of social media “which forces us to compare our lives with other ideal lives that we see on the Internet.”

“There is a constant tendency on social media to show the most perfect version of yourself, it’s exhausting and not reality,” says Baker.

“If we were more honest, we would not hesitate to experience any emotion.We are human beings, we must allow ourselves to experience the full range of emotions. If you’re not okay, that’s okay. We cannot be positive all the time, “she says.

Gutierrez believes that” in recent years “toxic positivity has become more prevalent, especially during the pandemic.

” We live in atypical and strange times, many people are suffering. Anxiety, uncertainty, frustration, fear … These are all common feelings. But we get too carried away with the toxic positivity, and this is dangerous, “she says.

Photo Credit, Getty Images

Photo Caption,

“Everything will be fine” is a nice thought, but not very valuable advice

Rodellar believes that “people try to find a shortcut to mental health, feel better immediately, as if it is a right given to them by nature. ”

“It’s nice to think that everything will be fine. But that doesn’t mean that the process of achieving the goal should be pleasantly easy. It’s more realistic to say to yourself“ and it will pass ”when you have a difficult period in your life,” says the psychologist.

“Emotions are like waves: it accelerates, gaining strength, and slows down, becoming foam and disappearing. Problems begin when we do not want to feel what we are feeling, then we lose resistance to the next wave,” explains Rodellar.

Recognize and Don’t Ignore

The psychologists consulted by the BBC agree that ideally all emotions should be accepted without suppressing those we dislike.

Photo author, Getty Images

Photo caption,

We always “should” feel good, but this is unhealthy pressure

It’s not about giving up positive thinking, but acknowledging how we feel in everyone moment, even if we are unpleasant.

“Be more honest with yourself, don’t be afraid to say that you are sad, that you are depressed, that you are worried. It is important to acknowledge when you feel bad and understand that it is happening and will happen,” Baker says. your emotions and learn from them to become more resilient. ”

Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan Stephanie Preston believes that the best way to test your emotions is to “just listen.”

“When someone shares negative feelings with you, do not rush to reassure them or try to make them think more positively by telling them that” everything will be fine. Instead, try to think about what bothers or scares them. Try to listen. ” – the expert advises.

“Being emotionally upset is already isolation, and when people try to drown out these feelings, especially if they are your family and friends, it hurts a lot. Listening to someone who is hurting can lead to big changes in their lives. “Preston says.

Perhaps it will be useful for you too. There is evidence that being altruistic is good for your health, Preston notes.

Photo author, Getty Images

Photo caption,

Listening to a friend is more important than trying to cheer him up

What if you feel depressed?

“The most important thing is to practice mindfulness,” says Rodellar.

“Acknowledge the situation and your feelings. Do not deny that something is wrong, do not look the other way, and at the same time do not dwell on negative emotions,” adds the psychologist.

“Emotions are information that we need to read and understand in order to get a better look at the situation and see what lessons can be learned from it, what can be changed in the future,” says Rodellar.

How to translate this advice into practice? Here are typical phrases and alternatives to the paradigm of toxic positivity.

Toxic positive

• “Don’t think so, be positive!”
• “Don’t worry, be happy”
• “Losing is not our option!”
• “There is only positive here!”
• “It could have been worse!”

Validation of emotions

• “Tell me how you feel, I am listening to”
• “I see that you are not feeling well.How to help? “
• ” Failure is part of the success “
• ” I’m here, you can rely on me “
• ” I’m sorry you’re going through this “

Source: The Psychology Group

” We must be responsible for their own happiness, seeking it with the help of constructive psychology, “Rodellar urges.

” It is normal to think that the glass is half full, but you need to accept situations when it is half empty, and from this point take on responsibility for how we build our lives, “he adds.

“All our emotions are real and real, and they all have value,” Baker agrees.

How to behave if you are convicted of treason? Deny

The beginning is almost from The Great Gatsby. When I was younger and much more vulnerable, I was given advice that I followed for many years until I was convinced of its absolute ruinousness.

“If, for example, you cheated on your wife,” one great Russian writer told me, “and my wife knows this, but no one says anything out loud, then it’s as if it’s not.Then it can be lived through. But if you ran to surrender, confessed everything, then she can’t get away from this confession. It has become a fact. It’s even worse if you wrote to her about it in a letter – a document appeared. And if you’ve written and printed, that’s all. Death.

The opinion of this writer was then law for me, so I cheated in good faith, never confessed, tried not to write down, if I wrote down, then I destroyed, and if I didn’t destroy, then I didn’t print, and if I did, I changed names and situations.Thus, I successfully destroyed my family – and at the same time several strangers. There is something to remember.

My birthday. I am sitting at work. The wife and guests are waiting at home. One of my beloved women just called me and said that she would come to work with me with a gift, and then we would go somewhere. This is a problem: another beloved woman is already coming to me, and we must meet at the flower bed before work. We must not miss the beloved woman number two, but so that the beloved woman number one does not notice us.I hide behind a bush, number two appears, I quickly take her away and out of the corner of my eye I see that number one walks in confusion around the flower bed. Victory: she did not see us. We go to the cinema to watch Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. When they ask me about him later, I answer that the film is weak: I can’t remember literally a single episode. After the movie we go to her house. Husband at home. While the husband is talking on the phone, we manage to run into the bathroom and somehow make love. The main thing is participation, as our physical education teacher says.

I come home at eleven in the evening, guests have been expecting me from eight.I explain that these idiots from the Academic Council again held an evening meeting, and since my project was discussed, it was impossible to escape. They pity me, they admire me. The guests leave. My wife and I lie silently in the dark.

– Did you really attend the academic council?

– True.

Long pause.

– By the way, I called, and your secretary said that everyone left at seven.

– Sorry, – I say, – I told you a lie. I didn’t mean to upset you.Something unpleasant has happened. The point is … The point is that my first wife called me and said that she urgently needed to meet with me.

– Olya?

– Yes.

– But you said that everything was over for you long ago?

– That is why I agreed to meet with her. That is why I decided not to tell you anything, so as not to hurt you. She said she wanted me to return to her. I said that it was impossible, that I love you, and I could never leave you.

– Is it true?

– True.

The wife lies silent and motionless for a long time. Then he slowly turns to me, and we begin to make love.

Four years later I came to America and there I encountered a completely different life philosophy, which became a discovery for me that changed my whole style of behavior. In its simplest form, the idea was presented by a certain David Wiskot, who conducted psychoanalysis sessions on radio in Los Angeles.

“All family problems and mental illness,” he said, “stem from unspoken negative emotions. Here’s a typical situation. The husband told a joke about, say, fat men. The wife, for example, thinks that she is too fat.

“Oh my God,” the wife thinks, “he wants to let me know that she is fat and ugly. The main thing is not to show it, otherwise he will see my vulnerability and then bite me.”

The wife makes heroic efforts, smiles, after five minutes the pain disappears, and everything seems to be fine again. In fact, says Wiskot, the pain just went inside. A few more such episodes, the pain accumulates imperceptibly, and then an explosion occurs.The husband utters a meaningless phrase, and the wife suddenly falls into hysterics, and then all past grievances spill out of her: you always tried to show me that I was ugly, you never loved me … The husband is at a loss. The scandal ends with reconciliation, and everything is fine again – until the next scandal. A few more such scandals, and the family breaks up.

If a person close to you – husband, wife, father, mother, son, daughter – did something that hurt you, – teaches Viskot, – you have exactly forty seconds to start yelling:

– It hurts! Please don’t ever say such things!

“Forgive me, please,” says the husband in this case. “I had no idea it would hurt you. I will never say anything like that again.

Everything. The problem has been resolved. The pain is eliminated without consequences.

According to the American theory, it is impossible to cheat on a wife (husband, mistress) not because she can find out, and not only because it will hurt her, but because it will create negative emotions unspoken aloud. According to this logic, if the husband nevertheless cheated on his wife, and at the same time his own mental health is dear to him, he should have time to inform his wife about this within forty seconds.It is not clear, however, from what moment to start counting the seconds.

Now, from the area of ​​adultery, let’s go for a moment into the history of culture. Both the Russian and the American idea of ​​relationships are based on the sinfulness of man. Man is originally a dirty animal, and cleansing can only come from above. How to get this cleansing, Russia and America understand differently. There is a tradition of hesychasm in Russia. To achieve revelation, you need to completely turn off your mind and bring yourself into a state of ecstasy, for example, endlessly repeating the words of a prayer.

How does this relate to cheating on your wife? Very simple. Distrust of reason leads to a special understanding of the truth. Cheating on his wife is a low truth. To forget about this low truth and reach a high truth, you just need to bring yourself into a state of ecstasy, if not with the help of prayer, then at least with the help of alcohol or simply inspired lies.

It’s different in America. The English Puritans who sailed here in the Mayflower and landed on Plymouth Rock were Calvinists. They, as befits Calvinists, did not trust any systems and theories (since only God can create systems and theories), and trusted only the individual contract of man with God.The contract became the main form of relationship in America.

From personal experience. I invite to the cinema a charming artist from the company where I work. After the movie, she invites you to come to her house.

“If you, in principle, are going to have sex with me,” she says, “then you will have to run into a nearby supermarket and buy condoms, unless, of course, you have them with you. And second: I like to sleep alone, so then you go home. 0’key?

I am delighted: what simplicity, what clarity, no problems.

From the experience of an acquaintance. The boy was brought to America from Russia at the age of ten, and all his sexual experience took place there. Then he had a chance to go to his historical homeland and talk with Russian women.

– Well, how was it?

“Terrible,” he says. – Sheer impertinence, theatricality and anguish.

There is another reaction. Here is the testimony of three Russian women who have lived in America for a long time. All three have been married to both Russians and Americans, but they believe that they will not have any more relations with the Americans.Why? All three, independently of each other, give the same literal answer:

– They have no sense of drama.

On the one hand, there is not enough drama, on the other, there is too much of it. This is the clash of hesychasm with Puritanism.

Any relationship in America automatically becomes a contract – oral, written, or implied. In Russia, on the contrary, every contract becomes a relationship, something like a canvas for theatrical improvisation.

Which of these two models is better? You might just as well ask who is better – Armenians or Georgians, who is stronger – an elephant or a whale, or from which end you need to break an egg – from a sharp or blunt one.These are all questions of individual choice.

Having lived in America for eighteen years, I certainly prefer the puritanical contract over the hesychast drama. The contract makes life extremely easy and minimizes awkward situations. You can (and should) ask about everything out loud. Everything can be agreed upon. Don’t make assumptions. No need to worry about guesswork.

– Which of us will pay for gasoline?

– In what position do you prefer to have sex?

– Until what time do you invite me to your birthday?

– If we live together, who will wash the dishes?

– Is your neck your erogenous zone?

– Will we be faithful to each other when I leave for Los Angeles?

– How much to buy a gift?

– Did you have an orgasm?

How easy and comfortable the Puritan ethic makes life. But there is one oddity. With a woman who has this ethic, you can be wonderful friends, do business, sports, sex, travel, raise children, attend symphony concerts, baseball games. Only one thing is impossible. You cannot fall in love with her without memory. You can’t lose your head from her. You cannot commit madness for her sake.

I am like a person who, as in an old joke, was locked in a closet with French perfumes:

– Please, at least a small piece of hesychasm.

“Vogue”.

AIDS Center – Living with HIV

Living with HIV

The news of the presence of HIV infection is almost always stress and shock. Due to the lack of information, the diagnosis is often perceived as a sentence. Confusion arises, fear for your future, fear of losing your family and job. Dealing with this requires support, but not everyone can ask loved ones for help. You can contact professional psychologists and organizations that provide assistance to people living with HIV, where anyone can receive comprehensive support and necessary information.

Video “You have been diagnosed with HIV. What to do?”

The main task of support is to help in the acceptance of a diagnosis and the development (increase) of adherence to treatment.

Adherence to treatment – The level of agreement between patient behavior and recommendations received from the doctor. The main condition is an open cooperation between a doctor and a patient, which allows discussing all possible issues of treatment (not only medication), nuances and difficulties arising in its process.

Acceptance of the diagnosis. The following stages of understanding the diagnosis are distinguished

The first stage is disbelief, denial. “It can’t be!” A person considers the diagnosis to be erroneous, is rechecked many times, or, conversely, ignores the diagnosis.

The second stage is anger, aggression. “Why me? Why do I need all this? ” A person is looking for someone to blame, aggression can be directed at others or at himself. The understanding comes that there is a diagnosis, but one does not want to accept it.

The third stage is bargaining. “I will be healed if I do this and that.” A person tries to conclude a “deal”, comes up with different ways of “miraculous healing”.

The fourth stage – apathy, depression. “There is no hope …” Hope for a happy life is lost, hands give up, I do not want to fight the situation.

And the last step is accepting the situation. “Everything will be fine!”. The person accepts the fact that he has an HIV diagnosis that can and should be treated.Begins to soberly assess the situation and look for constructive ways out of it. The understanding comes that life goes on, and that HIV will not interfere with living it fully, happily ever after.

Who can support, give advice, help if you or your loved one is diagnosed with HIV?

Psychologists and social work specialists of our Center:

• Anonymous counseling before and after HIV test
• Psychological individual counseling
• School of Health for HIV Patients
• Psychological support for pregnant women
• Child psychologist consultation
• Social support

Patient’s School – schedule and topics.

Video “What is Patient’s School?”

ORGANIZATIONS AND MOVEMENTS HELPING PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV IN ST PETERSBURG

The life of a person with HIV infection differs little from the life of a healthy person. Thanks to modern medicine, this disease has ceased to be considered fatal, and the World Health Organization has transferred it to the category of chronic diseases.Having started taking medications on time and following all the doctor’s instructions, people living with HIV can live a long and fulfilling life, since their HIV infection will not progress and do not go into the AIDS stage (terminal stage of the disease). Thus, life expectancy depends only on the natural aging processes of the body and does not differ from the life expectancy of a person without HIV.

Video “Awkward questions for HIV-positive people”

WHAT IS TREATMENT FOR HIV INFECTION?

Antiretroviral therapy (ARVT) is the treatment of HIV infection, thanks to which this disease has passed from fatal to chronic.ARVT suppresses the multiplication of HIV. There are currently no ways to remove HIV from the body; perhaps they will appear in the future. In this direction, research and development are being actively pursued.

ARVT.RU “Goals and principles of ARVT”

HIV is a cunning virus. Instead of being destroyed by the immune system, it uses the immune cells to multiply HIV to make more new viruses. In response, the immune system produces even more CD4 cells, working in an overactive mode – burning energy and eventually depleting.Once ART has reduced viral load to undetectable levels, the immune system has a chance to rest and recover.

ART in pictures: accessible and interesting about HIV treatment.

It is important to remember that regular observation by a doctor and timely initiation of treatment for HIV infection allows you to take control of the disease with the least consequences for the body, protect your loved ones from possible infection, give birth to a healthy child, and live a full life. Video “The Mysterious Story of Vanya Pugovkin”

Material from the site of St. Petersburg AIDS Center “Early start of treatment”

IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE HIV INFECTED TO CREATE A FAMILY AND BIRTH HEALTHY CHILDREN?

Yes, it is possible. An HIV-infected person can start a family without infecting a partner. Numerous studies have shown that in discordant couples, where the HIV-positive partner took ARV therapy and maintained an undetectable viral load, there was not a single case of sexual transmission of HIV infection.The first Russian-language campaign “N = N” (“Undefined means not transmitting”) aims to convey this information to as many people as possible. More about the UNDEFINITABLE = NON-TRANSMITTING (N = N) campaign

Women living with HIV can give birth to healthy children. Today, medicine knows a lot about how to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. According to the World Health Organization, the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV without any intervention is 20-45%. When carrying out preventive measures, this risk can be reduced to 2% or less.

Video “Discordant couples (couples where only one partner is HIV-infected)”

Even if an HIV-infected woman did not take preventive measures and the child was born HIV-infected, it is important to know that following the recommendations of doctors, HIV-positive children can live just as long and as happily as HIV-negative ones.

Video “Children with HIV are not dangerous for other children”

OPPOSITE LIFE

Video “We open our faces so that you open your heart to us!”

Photo exhibition about people living with HIV, “Open Faces”

Yulia Lisnyak is a photographer and photojournalist who has worked for Russian media for ten years: Russian Reporter, Expert, Ogonyok, Lenta.ru, about his project “Open Faces” :

“HIV is an infection that is perceived with great negativity and is accompanied by gossip. The lack of awareness of the human immunodeficiency virus is so great that sometimes even the official media confuse HIV positive status with the stage of AIDS.

I believe that thanks to the stories of specific people, neighbors and friends, you can reach out to tightly closed hearts, destroy fears and prejudices. I dream that people will stop being afraid.That adults and children with HIV + status will not be harassed – at work and in sports clubs, clinics, schools and kindergartens.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus is not a sentence or God’s punishment. It’s just a disease, nothing more. My heroes opened their faces to tell about themselves and show that they are alive and happy, no matter what. ”

If you want to take part in the exhibition, you can call +7 (925) 172-02-37, write to e-mail: live @ openfaces.ru or go to the website http://openfaces.ru/

90,000 8 tips for those who want to learn to lie correctly

Gazeta.Ru has collected the main advice of psychologists on how to behave when lying in order to be believed.

American psychologist Robert Feldman , who has dedicated his career to studying lies, claims that even the most truthful person, talking to a stranger, lies on average four times in ten minutes.Interestingly, when talking to relatives or close friends, we cheat even more often.

Lying can be completely harmless – saying this, we do not even notice that we are lying (for example, “you look great”). And maybe serious – when we ourselves know that time (for example, “dear, I never cheated on you”).

Most of us believe that it is impossible to deceive them: we always know when they lie to us. This is not true.

Lianne Brink, a psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies lies, claims that it is almost impossible to understand that they are lying to you if the liar is capable.And her colleague from the University of San Francisco Paul Ekman conducted an experiment in which 15 thousand people participated. They were shown a video in which people lie and tell the truth, and asked to recognize where they were lied to. On average, less than half completed the task.

Whatever you teach your children, you yourself know very well that it is good to lie. By the way, a psychologist from the University of Massachusetts Robert Feldman conducted a very interesting study and found out that the most popular children in school are the ones who know how to lie well – because it’s interesting with them.Indeed, we all have acquaintances who cheat voluptuously, with fantasy; and even knowing in advance that they are lying, we listen to them with great pleasure. But even in essence truthful people sometimes have to lie, even though they do not like to do it.

So, let’s learn. What needs to be done to make people believe in your lies?

Decide to lie

Weigh the pros and cons and make the final decision that you are lying. And after the decision has been made, do not doubt it anymore.Lies are very easy to identify precisely because of the inner doubts that torment the liar. Is it moral or immoral? Right or wrong? Honestly or not? It doesn’t matter anymore. If you decide to lie, lie.

Weigh the possibility of failure

Before you lie, think about what will happen if the truth turns out, and how likely it is at all. If you’ve lied about this particular topic before – and believed you – then you may be able to do the same thing again. Have you been caught in a lie by the people you plan to lie to? Are there any witnesses to the “truth” who could potentially undermine your story? And finally, what will happen if the truth is revealed.For example, if you are ten, think about why you will be punished more – for a deuce or for hiding it? If, after weighing all the circumstances, you nevertheless come to the conclusion that lying will be better than telling the truth, you need to lie.

Make sure that it is profitable for you

It is very important to understand why you are lying at all. What do you want with this?

Remember that the less often you lie, the stronger your reputation as a “truthful” person, the more they will believe you.

And this means that if you do not exchange for petty lies and save this “capital” for the moment when you really need it, the effect will be stronger – no one will doubt you.In general, if you lie, lie in a big way.

Work through your lies

Psychologist, Dr. Cynthia Cohen did some research and found out what we already knew without her: the easiest way to get caught is when you tell a story for the first time. If you carefully work out all the details of the lie in advance, so that you do not have to invent anything on the spot, the probability of success increases several times. You have already lied to someone on this topic – and the second time you write about the same thing much more efficiently, because you have practiced.

And moreover, this time you are not creating lies (using parts of the brain responsible for creative processes), but remembering it – that is, doing exactly the same thing that you would do when retelling a true story.

Speak the Truth

The hardest thing to identify is a lie, which is not exactly a lie. The more truthful facts in your story, the more difficult it will be to convict you that you are not telling the truth. Also, truthful facts lead the listener to ask fewer questions.And the fewer questions, the less likely you will be declassified.

Know who you are lying to

The secret of a good liar is that he is very empathic. He perfectly sees and feels what is going on in the head of the one to whom he is lying. Different lies suit different people. Who are you going to lie to? What will he believe in sooner? Adapt the lie to the victim.

Tell shortly

The story you are telling should be as short as possible.Liars often fail by telling endless stories with a lot of details, because all this was thought out in advance. It is important to think through the lies to the smallest detail, but you do not need to give them all away until you are asked.

Initial lies should be as short as possible.

Start with lies

If you need to lie to someone, do it right away. Do not start the conversation with any other topic, hoping that this will help you gather strength.Will not help. The first step is to lie, while the interlocutor has not yet looked closely at you, is not used to your gestures and does not know how to read the implications in your words. First lies – then the truth.

Bonus

Liars are often given not by words, but by actions. How to look to be believed?

1. Do not look away, but do not look directly into the pupils of the person to whom you are lying. Look at his face as a whole.

2. Smile ( scientists say that when people tell the truth, they smile more often).

3. Watch yourself – the liar often touches his buttons, pulls his own clothes, unconsciously scratches himself.

4. Control your own voice. Since lying is an energy-intensive process and requires the concentration of too many body systems, the voice of the lying becomes colorless and monotonous (the brain has no additional reserves to unconsciously control it). Therefore, you need to do it by force.

Add color to your voice, raise and lower the key, change the rhythm – try to sound truthful, that is, varied, as you would do it, telling an interesting truthful story.

5. Wave your arms – if that’s your nature. Lying often unconsciously limits movement and facial expressions. If you want to be believed – do not limit.

Personal defense mechanisms

The term “defense mechanism” was first introduced by Sigmund Freud.

The functional significance of psychological defenses consists in the weakening of anxiety, tension, worry, frustration caused by the contradiction between the impulses of the unconscious and the demands of the external environment arising from interaction with the environment.Psychological protection performs the function of regulating human behavior, making it more adaptive, increases adaptability, stabilizes the psyche and normalizes the state of the individual.

The main defense mechanisms include: repression, projection, substitution, rationalization, reactive formation, regression, sublimation, denial.

1. Displacement.

One of the main and primary mechanisms is repression, which consists in discarding events, thoughts, experiences that are unpleasant for us.As a result, a person ceases to be aware of internal conflicts, and also does not remember the traumatic events of the past. Repressed impulses do not lose their activity in the unconscious sphere and appear in the form of dreams, jokes, slips of the tongue, etc.

Displacement can be compared to a dam that can break – there is always a risk that memories of unpleasant events will burst out. The psyche expends a huge amount of energy to suppress them.

2. Projection.

In terms of its significance, the next mechanism is projection – the attribution of one’s own socially undesirable feelings, desires, and aspirations to others. This psychological defense mechanism makes it possible to relieve oneself of responsibility for one’s own character traits and desires, which seem unacceptable.

For example, unfounded jealousy may be the result of a projection mechanism. Defending against his own desire for infidelity, a person suspects of cheating on his partner.

3. Substitution.

In this defense mechanism, the manifestation of the instinctive impulse is redirected from a more threatening object or person to a less threatening one. For example, an overly demanding employer criticizes an employee, and she reacts with outbursts of rage to minor provocations from her husband and children. She does not realize that, being the objects of her irritation, they are simply replacing the boss.In this example, the true object of hostility is replaced by a much less threatening subject.

4. Rationalization.

Rationalization as a protective process consists in the fact that a person unconsciously invents logical judgments and inferences to explain his failures. This is necessary to maintain your own positive self-image. One of the most commonly used forms of such protection is “green grape” rationalization.This name originates from Aesop’s fable about a fox who could not reach the bunch of grapes and therefore decided that the berries were not yet ripe.

5. Reactive formation.

Reactive education becomes a psychological defense mechanism when a person demonstrates actions that are opposite to his true experiences. In the case of this defensive reaction, a person unconsciously transforms one mental state into another (for example, hatred into love, and vice versa).

A similar fact is important in assessing the personality of this or that person, because it indicates that the real actions of a person can only be the result of a veiled distortion of his true desires.

For example, excessive anger in other cases is only an unconscious attempt to veil interest and good nature, and ostentatious hatred is a consequence of love, which frightened a person who unconsciously decided to hide it behind an attempt to openly splash out negative.

6. Regression.

In regression, a person returns to earlier forms of behavior. Regression allows us to adapt to a traumatic situation due to an unconscious return to the forms of behavior habitual since childhood: crying, whims, emotional requests, etc. We unconsciously learned that such forms of behavior guarantee support and safety.

This type of protection is especially often manifested in a situation of illness, when an adult begins to behave like a child.Regression makes it possible to throw off the burden of responsibility for what is happening: after all, in childhood, parents were responsible for a lot.

Abuse of regression leads to a lack of a successful life strategy, difficulties in relationships with people around and the emergence of psychosomatic diseases.

7. Sublimation.

Sublimation is an unconscious switch of negative psychic energy to engage in socially useful work.Sublimation is expressed in the fact that a person experiencing some kind of neurotic conflict finds the replacement of internal anxiety by switching to another occupation (creativity, chopping wood, cleaning the apartment, etc.).

This mechanism is considered as the only constructive strategy of behavior in a situation of psychological discomfort.

Sublimation is a productive defense mechanism that has given the world a huge number of works of art.

8. Negation

This defense mechanism allows you to ignore (deny) the obvious facts, protecting the psyche from injury.This is a complete rejection of unpleasant information. Denial is often the first reaction to the pain of loss or to the presence of a dangerous illness.

When a person refuses to admit that an unpleasant event has occurred, this means that he turns on such a protective mechanism as denial.

Denial of reality takes place there and then when people say or insist: “This just cannot happen to me”, despite the obvious evidence to the contrary (this happens when a doctor tells a patient that he has a fatal disease).

Considering the mechanisms of psychological protection of a person, it is necessary to remember the following:

1) defense mechanisms are manifested at the unconscious level, i.e. a person does not realize that he is using defense mechanisms;

2) defense mechanisms do not appear in isolation, i.e. a person usually uses 1-2 protection mechanisms;

3) defense mechanisms protect a person from overwhelming anxiety, tension, prevent disorganization of behavior and help maintain the integrity of the personality.

4) a person’s awareness of the existence of psychological defenses helps him to better understand and accept himself.

If you have any questions or are interested in studying your personality, the psychologists of the medical and psychological department will be happy to help you.

List of used literature:

1. Melnik S.N., Psychology of personality
2. S. A. Zelinsky Protective mechanisms of the psyche.Basic protection characteristics
3. Chumakova Elena Viktorovna “Psychological protection of the personality in the system of child-parent interaction”
4. Belov V.G., Biryukova G.M., Fedorenko V.V. Psychological protection and its role in the formation of the human adaptive system.
5. S.L. Bogomaz Psychological protection of personality: methodology, mechanisms, tools.

Material prepared by psychologist I.D.,

medical and psychological department.

“I don’t believe it!”

Alexander Lukashenko, Jair Bolsonaru, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, John Magufuli, and many more. All these very different rulers of completely different states are united, among other things, by one thing – from the very beginning they ridiculed the danger of the new coronavirus, or even considered its very existence to be a fiction. And they did nothing, or almost nothing, to protect their peoples.

When former US President Donald Trump left the White House, one of the main accusations against him from all his opponents was that he allowed more than half a million Americans to die from COVID-19, refusing to impose strict national quarantines and other preventive measures. The United States lost more people to the pandemic than as a result of all the wars in which the country participated in the 20th century – more than 568 thousand people.

Trump continues to chuckle at the danger of the new coronavirus, although he himself has had it, and it is quite difficult.However, now many experts say that the tactics he chose may not have been so bad – the United States clearly overcame the worst period of the pandemic without colossal damage to its economy and the general social well-being of the population. And in general – was Donald Trump really the worst “covid-denier”?

Probably not. There were many leaders of states in the world (and before the pandemic had at least a very ambiguous reputation on the world stage) who managed to show themselves after the advent of COVID-19 from the worst, and even frighteningly strange, side.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko – especially after his openly rigged elections in August last year, which led to massive street protests against his government, which he suppressed with extreme cruelty – all this time was concerned only with how to sit in his chair, and not at all the danger of an epidemic. In its midst last spring, in the center of Minsk , the Victory parade took place on the occasion of the anniversary of the end of World War II, at which all the top officials of the state present were without medical masks.At the same time, doctors denied the official statistics of morbidity, they did not introduce quarantine in the country, but they continued the national football championship, with a mass of spectators present in the stands.

Alexander Lukashenko himself advised everyone to be treated for coronavirus “with a bath, vodka and work in the field on a tractor” and generally opposed any anti-epidemic measures in every possible way. Nevertheless, many Belarusians continue to resist his disbelief in the disease, probably in the same way as everything else that comes from their president – on their own initiative, wear masks and respirators and practice physical distancing.According to official information (and there is no other), less than 2,300 people have died from COVID-19 in Belarus today.

But Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov (a doctor by training), the head of Turkmenistan, another post-Soviet dictatorship, one of the most closed countries in the world, went even further – there are officially no patients, no epidemic, or even the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself. The Turkmen authorities have banned even the use of the word “coronavirus” in everyday life. It is not used not only in the state media, but also absent in informational medical brochures that are distributed in schools and clinics.

According to Radio Azatlyk correspondents in Ashgabat, any talk on the street about the coronavirus may end in arrest. In addition, plainclothes law enforcement officers are constantly in line with other citizens in medical institutions and listen to what people are talking about. tacitly measures to combat the spread of infection, of course, are being taken. And even Berdymukhamedov himself last year publicly wore a mask when he went fishing.

Funeral of COVID-19 victims in Manaus, the capital of the Brazilian Amazon.January 2021

Brazil, with its more than 213 million population, has long been in second place after the United States in both the absolute number of COVID-19 cases and the death and infection rate per 100 thousand population. Here, by the beginning of April 2021, more than 331 thousand deaths from the new coronavirus were recorded, while almost 13 million people had been ill. At the same time, according to foreign experts, the real scale of the epidemic in Brazil may be 15 times higher than the official one.

However, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a former dictatorship paratrooper officer who is now facing a major drop in his rating and a massive political crisis, continues to disbelieve in the danger of what he calls “gripezinha” and other measures taken by the governments of other countries.

The country’s medical facilities are practically non-functioning, especially after several successive health ministers who were fired by Bolsonaro for refusing to agree with his denial of the danger. Recently, the Brazilian president again declared that “his people are immune to this” flu “- because half of them are already constantly living in the gutter and nothing happens to them.” And to everyone who is afraid of getting sick and not getting any help at the same time, Bolsonaro advised “stop whining”: “Enough of these snot and howls! How long will we cry? We are all inoculated with the fear virus!” – he tweeted.

Another Latin American leader who has managed to get seriously ill with COVID-19 and still not stop laughing at the danger is Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a left-wing populist who shrugs his shoulders every time and advises to turn his thoughts to God when he is asked questions about the coronavirus … In Mexico, during the epidemic, more than 204 thousand people died from SARS-CoV-2. A year ago, Obrador gave all residents of the country only one piece of advice: “think less about all sorts of horror stories and live an ordinary life.”

Obrador, according to him, will wear a medical mask or respirator only when corruption and drug mafia are completely eradicated in the country. That is, in a very distant future, at least. At the same time, a week ago, the Mexican Ministry of Health, trying not to attract attention, published a report on the level of the spread of the disease – from which it indirectly follows that the real number of deaths and cases may be 60 percent higher than the official figures. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador himself continues to wear an Indian amulet around his neck under his clothes, which, in his words, “protects him from everything.”

Interestingly, in the last year in the states of northern and central Mexico, local drug cartels were apparently smarter than the president and used the epidemic to improve their image among the poor. Volunteers hired by the bandits distributed, and in some places continue, aid to those in need – disinfectants, respirators, simple medicines like antipyretics, soap, and so on, and even money. All help is packed in sturdy new cardboard boxes or plastic bags – with the names of criminal gangs and even portraits of their leaders.At the same time, 100-120 people per day are still killed by criminals in Mexico every day.

Twitter photo showing the daughter of Mexico’s most famous drug lord Joaquin Guzman Loera, nicknamed Shorty (“El Chapo”), handing a box to a poor man on the street with – with a logo in the form of a portrait of her father

It is also difficult to explain the reaction to the pandemic of the “eternal” President of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo (who has long been considered the true ruler of the state with her husband gradually losing her mind), die-hard Sandinista socialists who periodically urge people to take to the streets for festive processions -Action called “Love during COVID-19”.Of course, this is an allusion to the famous novel by the cult Colombian writer, master of magical realism Gabriel García Márquez, “Love in Time of Cholera”, published in 1985. However, neither magical realism nor love has yet helped Nicaragua, the poorest country in Central America, cope with the epidemic. Official data from the Ortega government that 200 people have not died from infection with the new coronavirus in the country in more than a year, all experts laugh at it.

Prayer for a coronavirus outbreak at a church in Tanzania’s largest city, Dar es Salaam.April 2021

“If you catch the coronavirus, you have not a penny and you are in despair, do not be afraid – just drink your urine and everything will be fine.” Approximately such advice was given to his citizens by John Magufuli, the president of Tanzania on the other side of the Earth, another authoritarian populist who died in mid-March at the age of 61 – for an officially unknown reason. His opponents, after he suddenly stopped appearing in public, said the president was hospitalized with COVID-19 in neighboring Kenya.

John Magufuli did not introduce quarantine in the country and advised supporters to be treated with prayers and witchcraft, ridiculed vaccinations, did not wear a mask, and the country did not publish statistics on the number of cases of a new type of coronavirus with him. The Tanzanian president explained his position by the fact that he did not trust “Western science” and that when he allegedly passed samples of papaya and pineapple fruits for testing, they, he said, turned out to be positive. “I’m not going to announce a lockdown because God will protect us!” – John Magufili repeated almost until his death, telling how he treated his son with steam inhalation.

According to official figures, only 21 people died from COVID-19 in 60 million Tanzania. The country’s health minister, Dorothy Gwajima, recently confirmed that Tanzania is refusing any vaccines made anywhere, be it in the United States, Europe, Russia or China, including even those that can be obtained free of charge. At the same time, the autonomous region of the country, the island of Zanzibar, has become one of the few tourist destinations opened in the world during the pandemic. Since August, the island has been allowed to travel from Russia, and it has suddenly become a very popular holiday destination.

In addition to Tanzania, of 62 African countries have refused free vaccines, , according to the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, also Burundi, Madagascar and Eritrea. The President of Madagascar Andri Radzuelina, however, does not deny the danger of the disease at all – however, he specifically calls for treatment and protection. In May 2020, he personally presented to reporters a mixture called Covid-Organics, prepared by traditional healers he hired based on a local variety of wormwood (which is indeed recognized as a medicinal plant that helps in the treatment of many diseases, including malaria).In the entire island nation of just under 30 million, according to official figures, fewer than 460 people have died from the disease in all the time.

90,000 From denial to treatment – Wonderzine

When I began to talk openly about my illness with others, the usual circle of carefree acquaintances opened from a completely different side. I remember how one of the funniest parties I had at home ended with friends starting to discuss loneliness and antidepressants: I found out about several dear and active acquaintances that they had been on prescription pills for years.They talked about it so casually and so coolly, as about household precautions: two in the morning and one at night, so as not to smear – something like that. I was seen crying or gloomy more often than usual, but I also saw old friends different – worried, worried, afraid to live life half-heartedly. More recently, I came across an article that most modern children, instead of ghosts, are afraid of failure – as if I was surrounded by all these children in the flesh of old friends. Many vied with each other about fatigue from unloved work, about lack of confidence in their abilities, in a partner, in the future.The crisis was in full swing, and even the most calm ones began to worry, thinking what their salaries and plans for the year were turning into, how to live further and how to change their lives for the better.

When my insomnia exceeded six months, on the next nervous night I asked my friend, who had been suffering from depression, for the contacts of another doctor. To begin with, I needed a good sleeping pill just to get enough sleep in six months of my dangerous life. My third psychiatrist met with me in a public place when I once again found myself at the bottom.I got tired of counting these times and quietly arrived at the meeting at 9 am, not getting enough sleep at night. Hypnotherapy and a five-hour conversation ended with a terrible vision and a very unpleasant discovery: despite the fact that I seemed to allow myself to be myself, all my life I cannot really love myself. Accept the flaws and start working on the pros, put all your strength into what you love and not be afraid of failure. Most have these phobias, but if they prevent you from waking up and getting out of bed – in any case, you cannot do without a specialist.

After the first visit, I experienced a tremendous surge of energy, which I have never felt in my life. Well, that is, never at all. There are vulgar metaphors about wings that have grown, but I would rather say that my power has tripled physically and mentally. I was aware of the syndrome of the first visit to the therapist, but I could not even imagine such a relief. The half-year lump in my chest disappeared, I started to sleep normally and stopped worrying, in five days I did things that I could not do for two months.But the next poignant moment of dangerous self-doubt came, connected with work. Insomnia and appetite disorders reappeared in my life, and for the first time I decided on pills. These were the simplest and most well-known antidepressants under the supervision of a psychiatrist with 30 years of experience, who works in the rehabilitation of suicides and pulls people out of the afterlife in batches in one shift.