personal reflections out loud

I left Greece three weeks ago. It is already a totally different life. Thinking about the Exhibition «Erasmus», it feels like it was a long time ago.

It is time to finally close this chapter and move on with life. What I mean is not to hang emotionally in the past, but to accept as a fact my story and experience in Greece and be very grateful that everything happened as it happened!
So, my final reflection I would like to dedicate to the people I have met in Greece!

At this point I am a totally different person in comparison to one who came to Greece in mid-October 2022. The change in person is inevitable but the quality and direction of change is what makes all the difference. I consider myself lucky to be in circumstances I have been to!

My reflections led me to a compilation of the most significant changes in me thanks to the Professor Alexios Brailas’s class “Systems Theory, Psychology & Social Media”:
I. Reflections
The homework in the form of my reflections is a very nice and useful habit when you go about your life. These six questions will stay with me: What I learned? What I understand? What I do not understand? What I want to ask? How I feel? How I can utilize it in my life?

II. Feelings
I started to talk about my feelings, I normalized it. I am more fulfilled and happier when I realize that I can just communicate what I feel. The person’s story is about the past, the person’s plan is about the future. What the person feels is about now.

III. Perception of the reality
Each one of us has a completely different story, meaning, that we see and approach the life differently. It is a person’s moral obligation to know how different the life can be.

IV. First impression
Each person is much more than my first impression of him/her. I got the chance to get a glimpse of a person at this particular moment with these particular circumstances.

V. Stoicism
Define the boundaries between the things you can and cannot control. If I feel bad, I have to realize that it is my decision to do so. Most of the time when I felt bad was because of my expectations for something in a particular way to happen. It is inevitable to have downsides in life, what you can do is to change your attitude toward what has happened.

VI. Expectations
Do not have expectations regarding events, do not give the label “important” to them. Everything in life goes as it should. You will experience and go through things that are destined to happen to you. But it could happen with the other person you are thinking about now, and it could be today or tomorrow. If it is feasible for something to happened, why would it not happen today? Take the reality as it is.

VII. Individuals
Everything begins with the individual. The individual is the result of his actions in the past and his reality, accompanied by coincidences. However, the individual is a constantly evolving process. The person is a part of many-many systems, person can learn more about himself and about his surroundings. Each one of us in the class brought a pearl of his/her uniqueness to the class and then to the systems, which he/she became part of. Starting with one large system (class), we had at least a dozen of new systems: guys spent time together, had fun, supported each other, and even traveled. I can surely say that I will be a member of some systems which have formed in Greece for a long time.

VIII. Role of individual
You play a particular role in a person’s life and he/she does the same for your life. Most of the people come and go when the circumstances change. It is natural: you have changed, because specific person played specific role in your life, he gave you something you did not have before. As a result, you both have upgraded.

IX. The comfort zone
The comfort zone is needed to rest and reflect, however being able to constantly grow and develop requires a person to leave the comfort zone.

X. Live now
By appreciating today, you would not look back and think that you did not do something for such a stupid reason. Each experience you had and will have is unique, you would not be able to replicate it even with “same” circumstances. So, build new ones!

XI. Open-mindness
The notion of open-mindness is vital to a person’s immaterial wealth. People experience different emotions, hear new ideas, observe various behavior – all of these are a by-product of relationships. I try to do my best to pass my “story” by being honest with most of the people. I encourage you to open up to people and to idea that this world has a lot to offer in terms of learning how one can live his life!
Being judgmental means closing your mind from learning new experiences: it is not about the person who speaks, it is about the idea that he/she shares; it is a speech that finds a truth not a person who say it. I think better you regret doing it (hear the person’s idea till the end and get it as he/she meant it) than regret not doing it (not let person fully share the idea and judge person based on your experience).
Just think how much you know because once you just decided to ask!

XII. Actions
You rarely know how you do influence others with your actions. But I can firmly say that in big part I am the result of other people’s actions.

At the end, I would really like to thank dear Professor Alexios Brailas! The course was very insightful and useful! The Professor created such a warm atmosphere in which I wanted to immerse every week!
I also would like to thank my classmates for being who they are and for being honest with me!
All these experiences have shaped me already subconsciously: in the way I talk, think, behave.
Result: I really like the “new me”!

One more thing. The hell with anonymity!
Sincerely yours,
Nikita Chernukha

I was really curious how Artificial intelligence can benefit ordinary people?
So after researching and reflecting I came up with the following benefits:
1) Automating repetitive or tedious tasks, such as data entry or customer service inquiries.
2) Assistive technologies, like speech recognition and natural language processing, can make it easier for people with disabilities to interact with computers and technology.
3) Personalized recommendations and search results, based on a person’s preferences and behavior.
4) Improving healthcare by helping doctors make more accurate diagnoses, or even making personalized treatment plans.
5) Helping with crime prevention and emergency response through the use of image and facial recognition technology.
6) Improve the overall life of people, such as self-driving cars will make the transportation more efficient, safe and comfortable.
7) Helping to make predictions and forecasts, such as in finance (yes), weather forecasting and natural disaster response.
8) Improving education through personalized learning, which can help students learn at their own pace.
9) Helping to improve the efficiency and sustainability of businesses and industries, such as through the use of predictive maintenance in manufacturing.
10)Making scientific research more efficient by automating data analysis and modeling.

Of course everything is two-sided. Was it imposed on society or Did society choose freely to go this path? I hope that society understands and is aware of what deal it has signed

I got anxiety when I write my blogs. Unfortunately, it seems like my identity is not anonymous anymore. So you could associate the post with an author.

The idea of being anonymous for me is not common. It depends on the circumstances of your life, but highly likely you speak out your ideas to a certain people.

(I experienced to have an opinion to myself. The consequences are quite destructive and unproductive)

After a class I asked a guy who also takes the course about this issue. Even though I have subconscious predisposition of associating ideas with people by making judgments before they have to say something, I mean how competent they are in a particular subject, I am now a fan of an opinion that each of us could have a nice idea. 

So, it is not about the person who speaks, it is about the idea that he/she shares. It is a speech that finds a truth not a person who say it.

I encourage you to take this opinion. As the saying goes: better you regret doing it (hear the person’s idea till the end and get it as he/she meant it) than regret not doing it (not let person fully share the idea and judge person based on your experience).

Before arrival in Greece, I expected the country, especially Athens, to be like a museum. Now I can say that my expectations did not change, they just took another shade. I feel like I’m in a museum or an exhibition where you can interact with the exhibits (who are the guys around you), and this event is only limited by my time here.

Me, as anyone else, is an individual, who is a part of a lot of different systems/groups. Most of the systems were formed before the “Exhibition Erasmus”. But what can we observe here? People, unknown to each other, gathered in one city, at one university, under the pretext of studying. As we found out earlier, everyone brought a pearl of their uniqueness to the class and then to the systems, which he/she became part of.

The pattern of new acquaintances is similar to a funnel: they start at the top, where happens a superficial acquaintance with as many people as possible. Further, the quality of acquaintances decides, not their quantity.
Starting with one large system (class), we have at least a dozen new systems: guys spend time together, have fun, support each other, and even travel.

Coming back 2 months ago, how much changed in you due to relationships you build with the “exhibits”?

As the saying goes: Erasmus is not a year in life, it is a life in a year.

What do I co-create with my actions?

In my life, I met different people in different circumstances. Most of the people come and go when circumstances change. It is natural: you have changed, because specific person played specific role in your life, he gave you something you did not have before. As a result, you have upgraded to a “new level of you”.

Only during my studies in Greece I started to grasp the notion of open-mindedness. Some of the ideas that I hear make me question my values, views, way of thinking.
At the end of the day person does not obliged to follow other people’s ideas. But it is his moral obligation to know what ideas exist in this world if he wants to be a better version of himself.

It is a unique experience to get to know people with different “stories” and focus on relationship with them at the same time.

What do I co-create with my actions? You rarely know how you do influence others with your actions. But I can firmly say that in big part I am the result of other people’s actions.

People experience different emotions, hear new ideas, observe various behavior – all of these are a by-product of relationships. I try to do my best to pass my “story” by being honest with most of the people.
I encourage you to open up to people and to idea that this world has a lot to offer in terms of learning how one can live his life!!

How the systems are created, particularly those where you feel safe being the part of it?

Everything begins with the individual. Individual (who is standing right in front of you) is a result of a decisions in the past accompanied by coincidences. However, this individual (since the first talk with you) is still evolving and he would continue to do so even after you leave.

Each one of us has an autonomous identity (even though sometimes it is easier to take opinion of others in order not to waste time for things of no interest or for things you have no influence on, or, sadly, it is the way of life). Consider the positive scenario: person has the autonomous identity.
Person cannot be in isolation intentionally for a long period of time. He has to at least support the organism somehow. The comfort zone is needed to rest and reflect, however being able to constantly grow and develop requires to leave the comfort zone. That leads the person to be a part of a system. By being the part of the system, person can learn more about himself and about his surroundings.

System is a group where members interact with one another, creating synergy between them, each having his own reasons and purposes to be a part of it (have a purpose in mind, because it drives your actions).

How the systems are created? I see two reasons: circumstances and internal feeling of liking. Circumstances allow you to know other people who are in the same situation as you. You start talk with the someone, building your relationship on similarities. At some point you move (if you are an interesting conversationalist) to the differences, where you would be able to learn. After a first “small-talk” each would reflect about his thoughts and feelings about the conversation. You take decision whether to continue relations with that person based not only on the information you heard, but also on internal feeling of liking. At some point small groups like that unintentionally create a system.

“You do not realize when you are in the moment until it is a memory” – fight with it!
If you do not fight it, meaning not appreciating today, then you would not stop looking back and thinking that you did not do something for a such stupid reason. Each experience you had is unique, you would not be able to replicate it even with “same” circumstances. So, build new ones!

We have limited time here (1 month has already passed), enjoy while you can: be open, have fun, do pleasant things!

How can I appreciate the bad feelings of others? I do not know. 

What is a bad feeling?
Bad feeling is a feeling that causes you to be miserable and sad. These emotions make you dislike yourself and others, reduce your confidence, self-esteem, and general life satisfaction.

Why do you have a bad feeling in the first place?
The discipline of will governs our attitude to things that are not within our control, those that we have done to us (by others or by nature). We control our own actions and are responsible for them (I suppose we do not intentionally act wrongly to do harm to ourselves). By contrast, things outside our control have no ability to harm us. Acts of wrongdoing by an agent (crimes) harm the agent, not the victim. Acts of nature such as fire, illness, or death can harm us only if we choose to see them as harmful.
So why do you feel bad? It is your decision that is based on your judgement.

We must see things for what they are and accept them. If we recognize that all events are tiny parts of a big plan, and that the plan is unfailingly good (as it must be), then it follows that we must accept whatever fate has in store for us, however unpleasant it may appear. 

How can I appreciate the bad feelings of others? I do not know. May be people around should change their attitude toward all obstacles and apparent misfortunes?

What I learned? What I understand? What I do not understand? What I want to ask? How I feel? How I can utilize it in my life?
Normal reflections after gaining new experience.

But how I feel? Why? I got used to got the material, learn it, utilize it.
During the class I got a first glimpse of sharing my feelings about something I cannot fully grasp or put into words. Awareness of my own feelings seems impossible: too far and too high, however at the same time I felt something that didn’t experience before. What was it? Something that gives a feeling of euphoric state of mind and body.

Each one of us has a completely different histories, realities, perspectives, values. Seems like this idea is a common sense yet it was an uncommon sense for me.
A person is more than my first impression of him, more than his story over a cup of coffee after class. The person is a constant evolving process and I get to know him at a certain stage. How I feel about it? I feel curious. I am interested in a person’s story, values, and his perspectives (past and future). Up until this point I didn’t realize that I also would like to know person’s feelings (now). I felt that life has more to offer (in material and immaterial substances) to those who open.

«The random coincidences in your life and your choices based on those coincidences have brought you to this point».

Welcome to your brand new blog at Edublogs!

To get started, simply visit your blog’s dashboard, edit or delete this post and check out all the other options available to you.

Like more help?

We can walk you through step-by-step in our guide to getting started with your blog.

Happy blogging!