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DIVERSITY AS STRENGTH OF INDIAIndia is a nation of festivals. No nation has as many. They mark the changing seasons, religious events, political anniversaries, and birthdays of eminent persons. And yet they are just one aspect of our amazing diversity. When we explore food, or language, or literature, or ritual, or dress, or ecology, or ethnicity or even different conceptions of beauty, we find diversity in all its glory.Diversity is India's greatest asset but an under-appreciated one. In the last sixty years we have given it the status of one half of the slogan, 'Unity in diversity', and have spent more time elaborating and campaigning for the 'unity' half, as we get about the task of nation-building. If diversity got a look in it was accompanied by some kind of subterranean anxiety as if its existence was a threat to unity, as if the fragility of 'unity' would be at risk if we stressed our differences and, worse, took pride in them. Discussion of diversity descended into a discussion of what holds us together, although we are different, and just like astronomers today who look for the dark matter that holds the expanding universe together, we spent our intellectual energies looking for the glue. Rather than marvel at the diversity we seem to have feared it. This is indeed a pity.India's strength, when seen in terms of the human story, lied in its diversity. There are many factors that have contributed to its existence from our varied geography and ecology to our long and colourful history. Factors such as accident, luck, memory, invention and design have even played a part. Looking at, and into, this diversity we find a capacious concept that needs to be inhabited by the details of our condition, by the many ways in which we live our lives, construct our systems of meaning, and conduct our social relationship. It is a concept that needs greater analytical attention.The Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS) at Shimla in its seminars, invited scholars from all over to look at the different dimensions of diversity in India.The first looked at 'Troubled diversity' that looks at India's North-East region and explores the relationship between diversity and social and ethnic conflict. Is diversity the cause of conflict or is the cause elsewhere which then uses diversity to make its case?The second was 'Managing diversity' that examined the wonderful world of an Indian election and illustrates how the Election Commission has to factor in this inherent diversity when planning the location of booths, allotting symbols, preparing voter lists, assigning observers, deciding on voting days, etc., and also how; looking at it from the other end, the electoral process consolidates this diversity.The third was 'Celebrating diversity' that looked at the eight and more food regions in India and discovers the deep interdependence between region, and community, and flavour, and favour in the preparation of food. The 'pure vegetarian' Udipi meal has had a little help from the Portuguese who have used the potato and the chilly. And lest one forget, it is the Hakim and the ageing Nawab who gave us the Kakori Kabab. Nothing explodes the myth of purity, that so dominates our social relations, so effectively as an anthropological exploration of our food history.The fourth was 'Treating diversity' where the coexistence of diverse health systems, from Siddha to Ayurveda to Folk to Unani and Tibetan, are all shown to be necessary to provide health services for our large and poor population. Allopathy has limited reach.The fifth was 'Flattening diversity' which looked at the educational domain and deliberates on the disjunction between the heterogeneous school environment and the uniform policy of DPEP/SSA that does not factor the diverse backgrounds, locales, requirements, and disabilities that are required for universal and quality education in India.The sixth was 'Mapping diversity' that will look at one region, the Himalayan region, and survey the differences in culture and ecology as we move from Kashmir to Sikkim, a fascinating story of how a diverse people have adapted to diverse ecosystems.The seventh looked at 'one Indian diaspora or many' as it journeys thorough how the different Indian communities across the world, form Malaysia to the Carribean, try to be Indian. The spelling of name would be a good place to start: Laxman (India), Lakshman (Sri Lanka), Latchmann (Mauritius), Lukshmann (Germany?)…Adapted from many Sources- Times of India, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies,

Just last night I attended a psychology seminar for psychologists, psychiatric nurses, gestalt therapists and other mental healthcare personell.I was invited by my own psychologist so she came and picked me up and we went to the university together.The seminar was hosted by Peder Kjøs - he is one of the most prominent psychologists in Norway and he has also had a TV show where he treats clients inside an institution/clinic (Not Dr. Phil style but real style), clients with a wide range of different types of disorders.The show was named “Me vs Me” and it massively successfull and it taught the public more about mental health.His work is to provide the public with more information about mental health problems as a way to remove stigmatization and taboo. He is often in the media, he writes many books and makes documentaries and TV shows on mental health.For this seminar the topic at hand was the increase of anxiety, depression and suicide rates in the population. Existential issues of philospophical nature was also debated.He also warned that there may be some looming dangers in the profession itself, as there are some (not many) psychologists that think that they have all the answers. That their truth is the only truth - the modern version of priesthood? The reality is that there is no one absolute truth to the human condition and there is no blueprint for what is wrong or what is right.What is right for one person may not be right for another. They key is to adapt to the individual and not follow one identical narrow path as if all clients with the same disorder is one and the same. We are not.So here I am (or atleast my long sexy leg) bang in the middle of the seminar :There was 300 guests attending, the pictures dont illustrate them all since most of them was sitting behind me. Everyone of the guests was working in the psychology profession with 1 exception - The narcissist in their midst aka me.(Fun fact: I counted 15 men and 285 women at the seminar. The psychology field in Norway is almost entirely dominated by women, 90% of the psychology students in Norway is today female)Alot of Quorans claim that “narcissists are scared of psychologists because they are afraid of being exposed” .For me that is wildly untrue - I do not see psychologist that way - I do not see them as people that want to expose or harm me.I see them as people that genuinly want to improve the lifes of others, I see them as people that wants to help and provide care for those in need - I see them as a great source of learning more about myself, my role on this planet and how I can better understand others.I enjoy broadening my knowledge pool and I value anyone whom can teach me more about the universe we all live in - I do not have all the answers but I am sure am bloody seeking them wherever and whenever I can.That’s why I often attend many seminars covering a wide range of fields and I read many academic books.The therapists that have worked with me over the years all say the same thing :“Working with Christian is awesome, he is very motivated, a fast learner, have alot of intellectual curiosity and is invested in improving and bettering his coping mechanisms.”I’ve even been told that I am a success story due to all the progress I’ve made.I’ve also been told that I am easy to work with because of my intelligence and that our conversations in therapy is nothing like any other conversations they have with other clients.We speak mainly in metaphorical and philosophical terms inside the therapy room. Things can be very abstract once you peek into my brain.So abstract that I myself have issues with deciphering my own thoughts, that’s when a therapist comes in handy - someone that really knows how your brain works and is able to fill in the missing gaps that is in my blindspot.Which is a challenge for the therapists, they really have to apply and engage their little grey cells. The job of a therapist is the see the world from the perspective of the client and engage in that world so both client and therapist speak the same language that both can understand.It’s imperative to remember that we all life in subjectively different realities.What is a truth to you might not be a truth to me, and the other way around. The therapist needs to tune in to my truth and my perception of the world.

Not romantic relations, I had around 15 of those and I cant seem to make it work.I also struggle with friendships, they are swapped out often aswell. But there is two friendships that have endured the test of time.1 is with my psychiatrist, I’ve been seeing her in a clinical setting since I was 17 and I’m 34 now. She considers herself my friend and we do have contact outside of the therapy room. I know that befriending clients is a big no-no due to various reasons but it isnt a problem in my case. She calls or texts me from time to time after work and do casual stuff like, cafe, cinema, going to seminars together on her invitation; mostly when the topics is psychiatry, philosophy, history or biology. I also attend everytime she is holding a seminar for colleagues, usually it’s about personality disorders since that is her field.The other friend I have is diagnosed with ASPD and we’ve been friends almost 11 years now - we talk everyday either by FB messenger, face to face, texting or phone calls.I’ve never had any problems in these 2 friendships, it’s smooth sailing. I suspect it is because they tolerate me for me and adapt to my personality traits.