What are my Moral Values

I happened to fill in a Moral Foundation Questionnaire which meausres the 5 psychological foundations of morality that seemed to find across cultures. They are as follows:





1. Harm / Care for people/environment/animal


2. Fairness & Reciprocity (including issues of rights)


3. Loyalty


4. Authority / Respect


5. Purity / Sanctity





The first two foundations (Care & Fairness) are about how you treat others. The last three indicate how do you behave in a group. Generally, the liberals scores higher on the first two and conservatives score more on the last three.





I found out that i am conservative on three scales namely Fairness, Respect for Authority and Purity. However, i am in between liberals and conservatives when it comes to Care and Loyalty.





I rate respect to authority and care for others as the highest moral traits with a score of 3.3 and 3.2 respectively. Fairness and Purity are rated next at 3.0 each. Loyalty is rated the least at 2.5.



I suggest you try as well, its pretty close to reality. You can access it by clicking on the following:

http://www.yourmorals.org

How to Beat Street Crime while in Karachi

This is just a precautionary public service message to all my non resident Pakistani friends who are intending to visit our troubled homeland for Eid. The street crime rate has really gone up breaking all records - so travel safe. Here are few tips which might be of some help:

Airport Strategy:

Be Extra Vigilant when coming out of Airport. There have been numerous incidents of robberies targeted at passengers coming out of international flights. Especially the moment you exit the Airport jurisdiction and hit Shahrah e Faisal be vigilant to suspicious bikers. Keep your passport and forex under your car seat. Do not carry lot of baggage, as it attracts attention. Do not even think of using a mobile phone while on road.

Feeling Homely Mindset:

Once we reach home, we get into the care free mode of “Feeling Homely”. This feeling-homely-feel remains with us even when we step out of our home. That’s where we are again open to the external threat.
Therefore, before you go into that mode, put your valet (credit cards, labour card, licence etc) in some safe place. Just use CASH when you go out or carry a local ATM card (only one).

Street Fighter Mode:

While driving on roads, make sure you drive in the central lane. Avoid extreme left or right especially when you stop on traffic signals. Extreme lanes give these people a one side cover and their exposure is minimal.
Try not to drive alone. Have a company for a change. You may think it doesn’t make a difference but believe me you will be less vulnerable. Attempting on two requires a different tactic all together.

Bank Visit:

Many of us visit a bank branch atleast once during our stay (atleast an ATM). Generally, we are occupied with the thought as to how much should we withdraw. Again please note that’s exactly when someone sitting somewhere is watching and waiting for you. Plan your EXIT before you ENTER the ATM. If you have a company tell that person to keep an eye on you. When you come out in the open, immediately after drawing CASH, waive at your friend as if you are signalling that the ATM is not working or the Card didn’t work. Again, anyone who is watching would change his mind and wait for the person who is going to draw next.

Enjoying the Nightlife:

We are 10 times more vulnerable in the dark. If you are visiting a friend, or a restaurant, or planning to shop, park your car in LIGHT. Even if it means “No Parking”. If you don’t find a parking under a street / store light, then try parking in front of the security guards. When you are through with your adventure, stay at the exit door and have a good glance of your surroundings. Look for the threat.

Exit – Departure:

We always leave in hurry. Are we going to make it? Have I put everything back in my bag? Oh where is the passport / ticket / mobile ?? These are some of the thoughts that we are occupied with while coming back to the airport. We recount the whole trip and feel lucky to be going back safe n sound. What we need to remember is that it aint over yet !! The last time while sitting in the departure lounge I saw a women crying and screaming loudly, “they have destroyed my country, I will never come back, that’s what you get when you come back after 10 years”. Everyone in the waiting lounge heard that. The Airport Security Staff was accompanying her. On my query I came to know that she was robbed just a KM away from the airport. She lost her jewellery, mobile and purse. They gave her passport and ticket back.


Here is easy to remember acronym for you “BE SAFE” i.e. B - Bank Visit, E- Enjoying the nightlife, S-Street Fighter Mode, A-Airport Strategy, F-Feeling Homely Mindset, E-Exit.

Have a very safe journey.

Three Cups of Tea

On a weekend visit to one of the Malls in Dubai, i found a big book store named "Magrudy". It was a newly opened one in Festival City. It is perhaps the biggest bookstore in UAE. I thought its a good time pass to have a look on the assortments. I went to my usual section "Non Fiction". I was looking for something different, something which i havent heard about, or read about. I guess someone was listening there. I came across a book called "Three Cups of Tea". I was little intrigued by the title which forced me to read further. It was a story about a mountaineer, Mr. Greg Mortenson, who wanted to climb K2, the second highest peak in the world. For a moment i thought i have no interest in mountaineering so forget it. To top it all, a freshly pasted Magrudy's price tag was indicating a price of AED 60 i.e. US $ 9.0.

I moved two shelves down and started browsing few other titles. But there was something unique about the three cups of tea which made me go back and scan it again. I wonder was it the title page picture of three school girls with their headscarves, which was inconsistent with the title or was it the contradiction of title with the mountaineering theme. So, this time i forced myself to read a bit more.

To my surprise it was a story of a Mountaineer who went to Pakistan to climb K2 and ended up building a school for girls. Not one school but 53. It was unbelieveable. How in earth i dont know about this gentleman who did that in my own country for my people? How has it been hidden by 70+ TV channels? But, then i thought he might be representing UNICEF or AGA KHAN FOUNDATION or some renowned NGO. Hell, No. This guy was doing it at his own, single handedly. A very ordinary American who was almost broke when he came to Pakistan to climb K2, ended up living in that area for 10+ years and became part of the social fabric of Northern Areas of Paksiatn. Doesnt look like a real story. It must be a fiction. But the book was full of pictures. Well well well, i guess i found what i was looking for. So, i paid AED 60 and headed straight back home to know this fellow more.

In any developing country, its not easy to build schools, hospitals or roads not because of high financial cost but of extra ordinary social and political issues that you have to face. On every step you face a new challenge. When you start such a project you think its for the benefit of mankind why would somebody stop you from doing this. But as you progress you realise the social challenges which are far difficult to overcome then by pouring few million dollars.

This was the mystery that i wanted to read about. How, Mr. Greg Mortenson avoid those challenges. Interestingly, he did not or couldnt avoid any. He faced them one by one and sometime all at once but he overcame all. His first truck load for his first school was stolen, the was conned by the suppliers, he was deceived by the fellow villagers, he was ditched by his girlfriend, he was cornered by the local Mullahs, he was kidnapped by Taliban and he was chased by the intelligence agencies. He faced it all. Yet, he came out as a winner.

A very thought provoking book. A must read for my fellow comrades.

By the way, i searched for the gentleman on the internet. He is as real as his schools. I am planning to visit one of the schools whenever i could. I am ashamed of hunndreds of Pakistani newspapers, scores of TV channels and number of radio station for not failing to mention a single bad thing that happens in that counytry but completely failing to talk about such a phyric victory by Mortenson, all alone.

For all those who want to know more can log on to www.threecupsoftea.com

Chio
Akbar