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THANKS FOR THE MEMORY

6/25/2021

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Reprinted from 2018

MEMORY IS WHO WE ARE
Memories make up the ongoing experience of our lives. Our collective memories provide us with a sense of past, present, and future, and make us who we are. Memory makes fictional characters who they are as well.

Memory is not something you have, like eyes or hair you can touch, but the active process of remembering which involves encoding sensory perceptions, storing them, and recalling information. It is a brain-wide process made up of a group of systems that work together, but each playing a different role, in creating, storing, and recalling memories.

The notion of memory being like a filing cabinet in one location of the brain is no longer the current scientific view of what memory entails. As you learn and experience the world, and as changes occur at the synapses and dendrite, more connections in your brain are created. The brain organizes and reorganizes itself in response to your experiences, forming memories triggered by the effects of outside input.

As you learn and experience the world and changes occur at the synapses and dendrites, more connections in your brain are created. The brain organizes and reorganizes itself in response to your experiences, forming memories triggered by the effects of outside input prompted by experience, education, or training.

OH, MAN! HERE COMES THE BORING STUFF
Brain can process large amounts of information. How much depends on the source you're consulting, but all sources agree the brain can only register a limited amount of information taken in by our senses of sight, touch, sound, smell, feel (non-tangible such as mood).

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Image Source: http://www.willamette.edu/~gorr/classes/cs449/brain.html
Then the data moves to parts of the frontal cortex responsible for analyzing the sensory inputs and deciding if they're worth remembering.
If they are, they're shipped off to the various parts of long term memory. Much of it returns to the sensory cortex areas where the brain originally received it.
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If you choose to explore the complexity of neuro-transmitters diffusing across the space between brain cells, the following are links to articles that give you plenty of information:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/human-memory.htm  http://www.human-memory.net/index.html



◄Image source: http://www.human-memory.net/index.html

● Long Term Memory -- If our long term memories are essentially who we are and what we believe in, then everything we see and do is filtered through that lens.

When three characters (or real people) walk into a room, they don't all see the same thing. Presumably all three will take in the gist of things without the details. Let's say they all perceive a large luxurious-looking dining room with a long table set for a dinner party, and soft music playing in the background.

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The important thing: we remember only those details which the brain chooses to store based on what the individual has learned and experienced. Our Filters.
See, that wasn't too bad, was it?

WHO WE ARE IS WHAT WE PERCEIVE
Because our brains only focus on a fraction of the details, our filters kick in. We tend to focus on those things that matter or are important to us as individuals. Although humans seem to rely more heavily on sight, remember that sounds, vibrations, touch, smells, and a general sense of mood are all processed through the brain in the same way.

Now, let's go back to the dining room scenario and imagine the three people entering the dining room are an architect, the wife of a diplomat, and a cellist who play in the local philharmonic orchestra.
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The architect ogles the dome above the center of the table, thinking about the construction and the effectiveness of a dome. He/she may wonder about the effect of opening up parts of the dome to natural lighting.
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      Image Source: castledesign.com/ceiling-domes
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     Image source: creativehospitality.blogspot.com
The wife of a diplomat may focus on the table settings, the flower arrangements, and the way in which this number of people are seated for lunch...and could care less about the dome. The cellist focuses on the music and thinks about the orchestra playing the composition.

What your characters notice and perceive is a way of describing for the reader what matters to the character and what interests and experiences they have.

SEEING IS BELIEVING
Have you ever used that cliché? Most of us have. Unfortunately, what people see and experience is not necessarily an accurate record of reality.

Our brains are good at taking in the general gist of things without taking in the details, particularly if you see the item, person, or scene frequently. This applies to all the sensory inputs although, as mentioned, humans rely heavily on sight. The brain, however, receives, processes, and stores information that the individual is not aware of at the particular moment.

On the History Chanel production of "Our Bleeped Up Brain," the host challenged people to pick out the picture of an actual penny (which is something we all see all the time) from several false images. See below.
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Do you know off hand which is the correct depiction of the US penny? Respond to the blog with your choice of the correct coin...BEFORE you look at a real one.
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Image Source: http://stuff4educators.com/?p=1_177_May-15-Long-term-memory
The point is, the brain recognizes a penny without necessarily registering the details. Have you ever looked at a family member, co-worker or someone else you know well and had the feeling something is different about them...but you don't know what?
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Your brain recognizes who the person is from general indicators and fills in the details from memory (the way it has been seeing the person). It may take a while before you realize that she cut her hair or that he shaved off his beard.


So, seeing (smelling, hearing, touching, feeling or sensing) is not always believing. First, because a good story teller can get people to believe almost anything. Second, everything we see is filtered through our own individual values, beliefs, and our perceptions of what is important. Third, because the brain fills in the details.
​
The best illustration of not necessarily believing what you see, is an optical illusion. 
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Impossible Penrose Rectangle ▲
Image Source: newopticalillusions.com/3d-chalk

                  Illusive drawing by Humberto Machado ►
​             Image source: newopticalillusions.com/3d-chalk
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Our minds can be tricked into seeing things that aren't there or are different than reality. This is the one I like the best. Below are two photographs of body painting by Craig Tracy.

Body painting by Craig Tracy - Image Source: http://craigtracy.com/?p=95

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Most of the time, our brains get it right...but not all of the time.

FLASHBACKS
People have flashbacks, just like characters in books. A flashback, in the more medical sense, it an involuntary memory in which an individual has a sudden powerful re-experiencing of a past event, like PTSD.

A flashback can be, to some people, like reliving the experience, particularly when it's a traumatic or highly emotional event. 
Most of the time, humans simply remember something about another time, place, event, or incident. That isn't like reliving the event or watching a movie, although it can evoke sounds, smells, and emotions.

First, to simply "recall" something, our memory/brain requires a retrieval cue or trigger. You have to see, hear, smell, or receive other stimulus that makes you pull that memory out of its storage places in your brain, partly because you may not have been aware of it when it went into storage.

Second, remembering is a process of reconstructing what may have happened based on the details your brain chose to store during the experience and, afterward, was able to recall. So those particulars which the brain didn't choose to store won't be there for you.

Third, the retrieval cue itself makes a difference what is recalled. The more specific the cue, the more complete the memory. But the cue can also influence the memory. Asking a person if he saw a car speeding away from a hit and run accident and, then, asking if he remembers the color of the car, may give you one answer. Asking if the person saw a red Ford speeding away from the accident will almost always get an answer that the person saw a red car, even if that wasn't the color.

So, the trigger itself may cause someone to reconstruct the memory incorrectly. I believe that's part of the reason many of us have selective memories.
​
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Flashback and internal thinking are tools of the trade for writers. It's important to remember fictional characters have the same kind brain as we do. When a character thinks about how she first met her husband, it doesn't just come out of thin air while she's driving to work and worrying about the project she's working on, unless something triggers the memory.
 
"I CAN REMEMBER WHEN I WAS ONLY A YEAR OLD..."
One more thing about memories. It might be possible to remember something from when you were a year old, but not probable.

​There are some rare incidents of people born with this ability which is called Hyperthymesia. People with Hyperthymesia remember an abnormally vast number of their life experiences – some say every day of their lives -- in great detail, as well as public events that are personally significant to them. However, there are only 25 people identified with this ability [who are known to science].

Image Source: momsmagazine.com/your-childs-feelings

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Many times there are early childhood events which have been described by others so often that the person believes these are their own real memories. General Patton believed in reincarnation and was convinced he had fought in and personally remembered having participated in various famous battles in history.

Be sure your characters' memories and motivations from early childhood events are generally possible, unless you can explain why this individual is different than the norm.

WHAT'S YOU ANSWER TO THE PENNY QUESTION?
Write a comment giving the number of the correct image of the penny. Then go compare that to a real penny and see if you were correct.
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References

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/how-memory-works.html
http://www.history.com/shows/your-bleeped-up-brain/episodes
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/brain.aspx
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/aprilholladay/2007-03-12-memory-first_N.htm
http://www.human-memory.net/brain.html
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/brain.aspx
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_pieces_of_information_can_the_human_brain_process_in_one_second
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5006337_human-brain-remember-things.html
http://www.willamette.edu/~gorr/classes/cs449/brain.html
http://home.comcast.net/~momtofive/SIDWEBPAGE2.htm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2659620/Memories-really-ARE-Researchers-uncover-brain-decides-remember.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/humanbody/brain.html
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/The_average_age_of_the_earliest_reported_memory_is_roughly_years_of_age
http://www.psychicsdirectory.com/articles/general-george-patton-and-reincarnation/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140124135705.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childhood_amnesia
http://www.human-memory.net/processes.html
2021 updates
http://www.newopticalillusions.com/illusions/3d-chalk-drawings/page/13/
https://depositphotos.com/5448880/stock-photo-3d-man-stacking-some-cardboard.html
http://creativehospitality.blogspot.com/2014/01/decorative-dinner-table-setting-ideas.html
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/289848925988009204/
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8588167/Human-brain-limit-information-process.html
https://momsmagazine.com/emotional-contagion-catching-your-childs-feelings-when-you-use-parental-intelligence/
https://momsmagazine.com/emotional-contagion-catching-your-childs-feelings-when-you-use-parental-intelligence/

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RISK TAKING and DECISION MAKING

6/18/2021

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Everyone makes millions choices every day, and fortunately we make them unconsciously by instinct, rote, habit, experience. If we had to remember to breathe, to make our hearts beat, or consciously control all our bodily functions, human beings wouldn’t last a second. Choices at the primal level are similar to a computer: they are either off or on.
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Some people are natural risk takers, others are not. Natural risk-takers possess personalities which are a result of both genes, environment, and experience. Even though they tend to put themselves in danger sometimes, they highlight a human trait which is essential to survival as a species.


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​​​HOMANID TO HUMAN – We Bring Baggage
Hominids, including humans, evolved slowly over a few million years in a world filled with life-or-death risks, including large predators which hunted them. One of defenses mechanisms used by large primates, including the forerunners of humans, was hunting and living in groups. This provided for protection and a number of other advantages, which is the reason, at least in part, why large primates evolved to be social animals. We are still today.
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Our primitive ancestors survived by their wits and cooperation within the group. Those with traits which contributed to group survival were passed on to the next generation, presumably because those without those traits failed to survive. The misfortune of being ousted from the group due to unacceptable behavior or lack of status meant death.

Anything that threatened having a place within the community was felt as a risk or threat. That primal threat, and its resultant fear, underlies the human trait of wanting to fit in with the others around them. Behaviors, looks, or whatever that resulted in not fitting in or being different from the community is perceived, consciously or unconsciously, as a risk.

“Ostracism appears to occur in all social animals that have been observed in nature,” says Kip Williams, a professor of psychological sciences at Purdue who has studied ostracism. “To my knowledge, in the animal kingdom, ostracism is not only a form of social death, it also results in death. The animal unable to protect itself against predators, cannot survive.”
psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology

Although risk-taking has its negative aspects and can prove fatal, it is a positive force as well. If our primitive ancestors had never taken risks, humans would still be swinging in the trees or extinct. Without curiosity and the drive to have new experiences, humanity would have stagnated with little impetus for discovery or advancements. No doubt certain primitive progenitors did take successful risks, which must have increased the individual’s status within the community. So the human traits that existed in prehistory still exist in human today. Not just the fear of ostracism or the propensity to be part of a group, but also curiosity and need for new experiences.

FAST-FORWARD
In 2021 most of us do not live in an environment where we are required to fend off predators bigger than we are on a daily basis. We don’t have to kill for food or starve. But we still to face risks every day at every stage of development.

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Babies and Pre-School Age
Babies and toddlers don’t have a clue about what is a risky and what isn’t. It is up to the parents and other adults around them to teach them. Babies are all about self, but they learn very quickly how to signal their discomforts and needs, and they learn to fear things that can hurt           them.  They also don’t worry about hurting anyone’s feelings.

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Grammar School Age to Tweens
By the time children are ready for grade school, most have a limited grasp of action and consequence. They know if you place your hand on something hot, you get burned and it hurts, but they don’t have a lot of experience knowing what is and isn’t hot. Children are always testing their limits ‒ that is how they learn ‒ and most parents, by the beginning grammar school, know which of their offspring are risk-takers by nature.

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Teenagers and Young Adults
Teenagers have reached the point of mental maturity to generally understand action and reaction, both mental and physical. They also have the capacity to understand how to make choices. However, until the early twenties ‒ some psychologists say 25 ‒ the prefrontal and frontal cortex are not fully formed. These parts of the brain “house executive functions such as judgment and decision making. Risky behavior, thrill seeking and impulsivity….are symptoms of the developing adolescent brain.” harbormentalhealth.com/adolescent-risk-taking-Dr. Frances Jensen in The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults.

At any age, risk taking is likely to occur when the short-term positive consequences reduces the negative emotions they are feeling, which run high in teenagers, and increases physical pleasure. Thus teenagers are drawn to risks that promise:
● A quick positive response that makes them feel good and forget the unpleasant emotions;
● Satisfaction of an internal need, such as self-esteem; and
● Approval from their friends and peer group.

Those in the 13-20+ age group are undergoing significant developmental changes, mental and physical, which affect the way they perceive themselves and the world. They also lack the experience to identify all the negative consequences of an action, tend to underestimate the number and severity of the bad results, and most of the time react spontaneously without bothering to think at all about the results.

Adults
By the time people reach adulthood their brains should be developed enough to recognize risks, be able to analyze the pros and cons of certain behaviors, and have enough self-discipline to control urges and actions. Although most Western cultures recognize young people as adults at the age of 18 [it does vary] most people have not reached complete brain development at that point.

For anyone over the age of 20, the key is making the effort to think about the positive and negatives consequences of a decision and gather the necessary information from reliable sources before making decisions. i.e. making informed decisions.


FEAR OF TAKING RISKS
People today have pretty much the same basic fears as primitive man. We all start out as newborns and have to learn as we grow and develop and learn about fear.

Man on Glass Bridge – Tianmen Mt., China                   This is why he’s afraid – He is on this glass walkway ▼
 
Image Source: youtube.com/watch  ▼                           Image Source: boredpanda.com/glass-bridge-tianmen

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Fear
Fear, conscious or unconscious, is important because it is the built-in emotion that protects humans from negative events. It drives and moderates behavior by directing our attention to potential risks. While physical fear is the most obvious, it also applies to social and personal situations, like the fear of having another broken heart. The basic role of fear is to protect us, but it can also get in the way of achieving your goals or doing normal everyday things like taking an elevator.

Another dilemma is distinguishing rational fear‒ “Don’t touch the hot frying pan.”‒ from irrational fear ‒ “If I leave the house, I’ll be kidnapped by aliens.” ‒ and everything in between such as another broken heart. To the person experiencing the fear, it is rational and real.

Some psychologists and researchers believe we live in a culture of fear. As a society, we have actually become more risk-adverse. The fact is, facing things that make us uncomfortable offers a cluster of psychological benefits that has been coined as “the risk-taker’s advantage.” psychology.iresearchnet.com/

According to Theo Tsaousides Ph.D., writing for Psychology Today, “Being successful relies to a large extent on knowing how to leverage fear.” To do that, you must understand what you are afraid of, then evaluate the pros and cons. Imagine what you can do to deal with the fear and what you can accomplish if you take the chance. That requires us to recognize and weigh the outcomes, in relation to ourselves and other.
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What Do We Fear?
Certain fears are primal, but most are learned behavior, either because parents and/or adults teaching us or from experience.
Fear, like all other emotions, is basically information. It offers us knowledge and understanding ‒ if we choose to accept it.                                                                                     
The Scream - 1893 By Edvard Munch
                                                                                                                            Image source: psychologytoday.com/

  ● Fear of Extinction ‒ the fear of annihilation, of ceasing to exist. Fear of death. “The idea of no longer being arouses a primary existential anxiety in all normal humans.”
  ● Fear of Mutilation ‒ “the fear of losing any part of our precious bodily structure; the thought of having our body's boundaries invaded, or of losing the integrity of any organ, body part, or natural function.”
  ● Fear of Loss of Autonomy ‒ “the fear of being immobilized, paralyzed, restricted, enveloped, overwhelmed, entrapped, imprisoned, smothered, or otherwise controlled by circumstances beyond our control.” Physical and social.
  ● Fear of Separation ‒ Humans have a need for love and belonging. “The fear of abandonment, rejection, and loss of connectedness; of becoming a non-person ‒ not wanted, respected, or valued by anyone else.” Being exorcised from the group or losing acceptance or approval is a fear of separation.
  ● Fear of Ego-death ‒ “the fear of humiliation, shame, or any other mechanism of profound self-disapproval that threatens the loss of integrity of the self
; the fear of the shattering or disintegration of one's constructed sense of lovability, capability, and worthiness.” fastcompany.com/your-brain-wired-take-risks

Understanding that every fear we have reverts back to one of the primal fears, we can understand and assess the situation and deal with it. Keep in mind that only the first two fears deal with the physical… being killed and suffering severe injury. Three of the basic fears are social and/or psychological.

This information, along with the non-primal concern about how your action can affect others, gives a person the tools to examine the worst consequences of speaking in public, going up in an elevator, jumping out of an airplane, or whatever. Then the individual can decide if the rewards are greater than the potential losses. Or they can decide they simply don’t care… which is still an informed decision albeit a poor choice.

Benefits of Risk Taking
Humans also have an internal curiosity, a needs to explore and experience new feelings. They get bored. In making an assessment of risk, keep in mind that certain types of risks can be beneficial. Try to imagine the possibility of success, but be reasonable in your expectations and don’t downplay risks.
  ● Unforeseen opportunities may arise
  ● Build confidence and develop new skills
  ● Develop sense of pride and accomplishment
  ● Learn things you might not otherwise
  ● The chance to actively pursue success
  ● Spurs creativity
  ● Opportunity to create change in your life
  ● Develop emotional resilience
  ● Feel more engaged and happy
psychology.iresearchnet.com/decision-making/risk-taking/

Risk-taking can result in negative consequences, but taken in small amounts at lower risk levels, it is beneficial for your brain and mental health. Novel experiences can help to ward off sadness, depression and reinvigorate a stale relationship.
What keeps people down is the fear of failing. Unknowingly, some may adopt the mantra, “If you don’t do anything, you can’t fail.” That is not a good reason for never trying anything. You can’t live your life encased in bubble wrap for protection. You have to try new things and make mistakes. It’s completely acceptable to fail as long as you are taking smart risks. Try, make mistakes, learn from mistake and don’t do it again.

THERE’S ALWAYS ONE RISK-TAKER IN THE CROWD
Image Source: engrprofmom.blogspot.com/baby-birds
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Even though humans want, and thrive on, the approval of their communities and do not want to be exorcised, sometimes the desire for recognition, for a chance to move up in status, curiosity, or just plain boredom leads some of us to take risks; even to become thrill-seekers.

After all, if humans weren’t a risk-taking species, Homo sapiens, who originated in East Africa, could not have spread over the entire  globe in 100,000 years. Just as with most other character traits, tests have determines that a risk-taking character style is a mix of genes, biology, culture, and experience. 

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Predominant Kinds of Risks
The risky activities of our century are many, but currently the articles and studies by psychologists seem to focus on these risks:
  ● Financial, such as gambling or investing in the stock
  ● Drugs
  ● Excessive Alcohol
  ● Unprotected sex
  ● Unsafe driving, including talking and texting on cell phones and drunk driving
  ● Traveling in unsafe places
  ● Extreme sports

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Skier Lindsay Vonn - Image Source:
 
today.com/news/olympic-ski-lindsey-vonns
    
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   Motorcycle racing - ​Image Source:
   
pinterest.com/190347521720620349/
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Image Credit: Getty Images- Image Source: reddit.com/r/wtfstockphotos/comments/
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Bull Riding - Image Source: gen.medium.com/as-sports-become-safer
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​Sky Diving - Image Source: ​
​
goodfinancialcents.com/high-risk-activities/
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Tight Rope Walking Image Source: infobloom.com/tightrope.htm    
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Parachuting - Image Source: content.time.com/time/health
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Mountain Climbing -​Image Source:
docktorsinsurance.com/high-risk-life-insurance/
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Car Racing - Image Source:
tvovermind.com/dangerous-car-racing
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WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BRAIN
Risk-taking, whether it be physical, social, or psychological, effects us psychologically. Major risks lead to a quick release of adrenaline and dopamine, which engender intense feelings of pleasure.

The impact of these chemicals is a powerful high which can become addictive, particularly in those who are unhappy, sad, or depressed. Over time, the individual may need bigger risks
to get the same rush.                                             
Image Credit: Illustration by Liz Meyer
                                                                                            Image Source: fastcompany.com/brain-wired-take-risks

                                                                                                          
According to studies performed by Vanderbilt University in Nashville and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, dare devils and adrenaline junkies appear to have fewer dopamine-inhibiting receptors in the brain; i.e. their brains are more saturated with this chemical, thus more inclined to take risks. In addition, David Ropeik, a Harvard instructor and author, says there is some consensus among psychologists and researchers, that certain brains are inherently better wired for risk taking.
  ● Thalamus: The AssessorIn any given situation, the thalamus takes in all the information, then sends it to yhe amygdala.
  ● Amygdala: The Gut Reactor
In a few milliseconds, the amygdala, responsible for emotional responses, reacts to the situation before the cortex, responsible for decision making, even receives the news.

  ● Cortex: The Reasoner
Around 22 milliseconds after you’ve registered the situation, the cortex starts reasoning. The cortex breaks it down and sends signals to other regions of the brain to determine a solution.

  ● Ventral Striatum:
People who show increased activation in the ventral-striatal, which is involved in emotional responses,  tend to be more willing to take risks.

  ● Insula: The Soft-Stepper
People who show an increased activation in the insula region of the brain, associated with cognitive reasoning, tend to make more conservative decisions, according to the same study.

OTHER FACTORS
But there are other factors than how the brain sends messages to its different parts. Remember the propensity to be a risk-taker includes possess personalities which are a result of both genes, environment, and experience.
● Environmental Influences
Scientists know that environment contributes to sensation-seeking traits, but not so much the surroundings of the home as the exterior which consists of friends and exposure to potential behavioral risks.

● Genes
Genetic background plays also plays a role. Molecular genetics has made it possible to identify major genes influencing personality and forms of psychopathology. Scientists have found an association between novelty-seeking [a trait very highly correlated with impulsive sensation-seeking] and a gene that codes for a class of dopamine receptor; the dopamine receptor-4 (DRD4).

Dopamine is an important brain neurotransmitter, active in pathways related to the brain's intrinsic reward and pleasure centers. It responds to stress, and enables people not only to see rewards but to take action to move toward them.
Genes also influence two other personality traits associated with risk-taking which are aggression , agreeableness, and sociability, the main components of extroversion.
psychologytoday.com/us/are-you-risk-taker

● Chemicals
The various levels of chemical in the brain contribute the most to this behavior, or lack of it, and not just adrenaline and dopamine.

Testosterone levels correlate with the tendency to overcome psychological inhibitions associated with drinking, drugs, unprotected sex and antisocial behavior. This hormone is also associated with normal traits such as dominance, sociability, and activity. Primarily this hormone is thought of in relation to men but women also have testosterone, only less of it.
Another biological correlate of sensation-seeking is the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO) Type B, active in the brain. Monoamine oxidase functions as a regulator, keeping neurotransmitters in balance. It could also contribute to the gender and age differences in sensation-seeking and risk-taking. The enzyme is low in high-sensation-seekers, implying a lack of regulation. MAO levels are known to be higher in women than in men, and the levels rise in both men and women with age.

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GOOD DECISION-MAKING and RISK-MANAGEMENT GO HAND IN HAND
The bottom line is that good decision making can balance risk-taking so outcomes are beneficial experiences unlikely to do harm. “There is a saying that good decisions are a consequence of experience and experience is a consequence of bad decisions.” In other words, you make a mistake, you learn, and the next time you make a better choice.
  https://agileleanlife.com/stupid-decisions/you learn
 

Just about everything we do and say is a choice. Most choices are made unconsciously and are low risk, but there is always some level of risk involved. You could choke drinking a glass of milk. Every time you drive your car you could be in an auto accident. But we do these things because the risk is low and the payoff is positive. We usually don’t think consciously about those small decisions. Our brains act on automatic based on prior decisions and experiences.



Start Making Smarter Decisions

You can only start making better decisions where you are right now, not somewhere in the past or future.

The sum of your past decisions is where you are today. All those things that make you as a person over which you had no control ‒ such as your ethnic group, the color of your eyes, where you grew up, having a low or high IQ, etc. ‒ and the sum of your past decisions make up your experiences. Together they are who you are. Start now and your smart decisions will accumulate and influence your life for the better.

Poor Decisions Affect Your Future
Significant decisions most often deal with stepping outside your comfort zone or a major change in your life. Safety first. Protecting the downsides. Never go too far from the learning zone to the panic zone. The bigger the choice, the more calculation it requires. Paying attention to your decisions is absolutely a big part of a superior life strategy.
  ● Know yourself, your strengths and limitations, your comfort zones.
  ● Know your short- and long-term goals.
  ● Start by thinking about the decision.
  ● Gather information. What do you really know about the risks and consequences? Be sure what you believe is not just hearsay.
  ● Evaluate the positives and negatives. Be careful not to underestimate negative outcomes, and not to overestimate the positive outcomes.
  ● Ask yourself if the positive consequences outweigh the potential negative consequences. Will the risk justify the reward? What could go wrong?
  ● Are the things that could go wrong out of your control?
  ● Are the rewards short lived? Will the adrenaline rush really change anything? Does it move you towards your goals?
  ● When accidents happen react quickly and wisely.
  ● When making decisions that you know are significant, always do an evaluation of where your choices are leading you.

Decisions May Depend On How The Risk Is Framed
Obviously, asking someone what they would do under certain circumstances, without the reality ‒ i.e. Without the pressure and with time to think ‒ does not necessarily reflect how they would react when faced with the actual situation. Still, the following experiment teaches something about the framing of the risk.

“One group of participants was willing to implement a risky health policy involving a vaccination plan when they were told only that the vaccination plan would likely ‘save the lives of 600 people’ in a particular town (population = 1,000). A second group, in contract, was unwilling to implement the same policy when they were told that ‘400 people might die’ if the plan were implemented. Thus, people made different choices even though the choices were formally identical.” psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/decision-making/risk-taking/

STUPID DECISIONS CAN RUIN YOUR LIFE IN A INSTANT
Stupid decisions have nothing to do with failure and learning. Stupid decisions result from not thinking through the choices. All people make mistakes; make them in a controlled, manageable and risk-reward justifiable way.
According to Author Blaz Kos, writing for agileleanlife.com, these are a few of the stupid decisions people make:
  ● Jumping into the water without knowing how deep it is
  ● Not wearing a safety belt
  ● Dangerously driving any kind of vehicle, like speeding and so on
  ● Engaging in a physical fight (if you aren’t really protecting yourself)
  ● Sleeping with a prostitute or your best friend’s wife
  ● Having unprotected sex
  ● Cheating on taxes or breaking the law in any other kind of way
  ● Taking on a huge debt just to enjoy a lavish lifestyle
  ● Travelling to a country with dangerous diseases or war zones
  ● Marrying too soon
  ● Exposing yourself in an investment you don’t understand
  ● Quitting your job without having a strategy of what you will do next
  ●Cheating on your exams
  ● Having somebody else write your diploma thesis or copying it from somebody else
  ● Stealing at your job or cheating at your company in any other way
  ● Getting into business with people you don’t know

NEVER SAY “I HAD NO CHOICE”
That is a copout. There is always a choice.

JUST SAYIN’
□

Sources:
http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/decision-making/risk-taking/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200011/are-you-risk-taker
https://safetycenter.org/the-psychology-of-safety-taking-risks/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18792715/
https://bitrebels.com/lifestyle/psychology-risk-taking-control/
https://www.888poker.com/poker/your-brain-on-risk/
http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/social-psychology/decision-making/risk-taking/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-real-story-risk/201211/the-thing-we-fear-more-death
https://harbormentalhealth.com/2020/11/14/adolescent-risk-taking-impulsivity-and-brain-development/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-couch/201303/afraid-take-chance
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smashing-the-brainblocks/201712/why-fear-failure-can-keep-you-stuck
https://sites.psu.edu/psych256fa1602/2016/11/20/the-effects-of-fear-on-decision-making/
https://agileleanlife.com/stupid-decisions/
https://www.verywellmind.com/why-you-make-bad-decisions-2795489
https://dpopulars.blogspot.com/2013/06/tightrope-walker-nik-wallenda.html#.YK5dQ42Sncc
https://www.infobloom.com/what-is-a-tightrope.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWVriShkwkc&feature=emb_title
https://www.fastcompany.com/1784815/your-brain-wired-take-risks
https://www.docktorsinsurance.com/high-risk-life-insurance/
https://www.seenox.org/instant-regret-bad-decisions/

http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1869106,00.html#:~:text=In%20the%20risk%20taker%27s%20brain%2C%20researchers%20report%20in,drinking%20too%20much%2C%20overspending%20or%20even%20taking%20drugs.

https://nautil.us/issue/53/monsters/how-evolution-designed-your-fear#:~:text=1%20Fear%20of%20the%20dark%202%20Fear%20of,of%20others%20%28paranoia%29%2010%20Fear%20for%20someone%20else

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=141164708#:~:text=Brain%20Maturity%20Extends%20Well%20Beyond%20Teen%20Years%20Under,don%27t%20reach%20full%20maturity%20until%20the%20age%2025.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222691153_A_Review_of_Behavioral_and_Biological_Correlates_of_Sensation_Seekinghttps:/www.researchgate.net/publication/222691153_A_Review_of_Behavioral_and_Biological_Correlates_of_Sensation_Seeking

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/psych-unseen/202007/how-does-fear-influence-risk-assessment-and-decision-making

https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/risks-adrenaline-benefits-neuroticism-0418137#:~:text=%20The%20Psychology%20of%20Risk-Taking%20%201%20Effects,or%20not%20people%20are%20willing%20to...%20More%20
Photos Only:
https://www.today.com/news/olympic-ski-hopefuls-lindsey-vonns-crash-risk-par-course-1B8273743
https://www.goodfinancialcents.com/high-risk-activities/
https://www.docktorsinsurance.com/high-risk-life-insurance/.
https://www.tvovermind.com/seven-incredibly-dangerous-car-accidents-in-nascar-history/
http://ceoselfimprovement.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-most-common-risk-people-take.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWVriShkwkc&feature=emb_title
http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1869106,00.html#:~:text=In%20the%20risk%20taker%27s%20brain%2C%20researchers%20report%20in,drinking%20too%20much%2C%20overspending%20or%20even%20taking%20drugs




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SALUTE TO OLD GLORY

6/11/2021

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“I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG…”
Flag Day, celebrated on June 14, commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States which occurred on June 14, 1777, by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. It wasn't until 1916 that the president of the United States issued the proclamation which established Flag Day, but not as a 
national holiday.


​Image Credit: Shane’s Photography
Image Source:
pinterest.com/397864948300820614/


Flag Day was not only to celebrate its creation, but to acknowledge the ideals behind it. It is a time to pay respect to what's become part of American iconography.

THE MEANING OF THE US FLAG
While the US flag code [The United States Flag: Federal Law Relating to Display and Associated Questions - April 14, 2008] does not articulate any definition of what the flag is supposed to mean, it is generally thought of as representing the principles of liberty, justice, and humanity, and the patriotic ideals and spiritual qualities of the citizens of the US.


WHERE DID THE NAME “OLD GLORY” COME FROM?
We frequently hear the US Flag referred to by the nickname “Old Glory”. That nickname has become synonymous with the US Flag, but in fact “Old Glory” is a specific, single flag.

The United States Flag was not referred to as “Old Glory” until March 17, 1824 when Captain William Driver turned 21 years old. His mother and a group of ladies in the area presented him with the flag as a gift, which he named “Old Glory”.

William Driver [March 17, 1803 – March 3, 1886], ran away from his home in Salem, Massachusetts at the age of thirteen to become a cabin boy on a ship. He must have kept in touch with his family because, at 21 Driver qualified as a master mariner and took command of his own ship, the Charles Doggett. To celebrate that occasion, his mother and other women from the community sewed a flag which they gave to him in 1824.

He was thrilled and named the flag “Old Glory”. Throughout his career he flew “Old Glory” from his ship. Later he settled in Nashville and brought the treasured flag with him.
Driver was 34 when his wife died on throat cancer leaving their three young children. He retired from sea faring and settled in Nashville, Tennessee, and later remarried.

​He flew his flag every holiday, although it was so big he had to attach it to a rope from his attic window and stretched it on a pulley across the street to secure it to a locust tree.
 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Glory

THE CIVIL WAR
The original Old Glory had 24 stars. It was updated in 1861 with ten more stars, and a white anchor was added to signify the captain’s years at sea.

In 1861, when Tennessee seceded from the Union, the Confederates made an attempt to seize and destroy all union flags. To protect Old Glory, Captain Driver had the flag sewed inside a quilt.

On February 25, 1862, as Union soldiers entered Nashville, Old Glory was display above the state Capitol building. This was the last time Old Glory was flown.

OLD GLORY’S RESTING PLACE
Before his death in 1886, he presented the flag to his daughter with these words. “Mary Jane, this is my ship flag, Old Glory. It has been my constant companion. L love it as a mother lover her child. Cherish it as I have cherished it.” worldhistory.us/american-history/

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Image Credit: Homer Hoyt - Harlan Hoyt Horner.                               Old Glory, on display at the Smithsonian
New York: State Education Department. 1910. Public Domain         Image Source:
                                       
​
Image Source: commons.wikimedia.org/curid=9687050                   newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/old-glory 

            
FLAG MYTHS - TRUE or FALSE 
Most American know a little about the US flag. Some remember that the thirteen stripes in white and red represent the thirteen colonies and the stars on the field of blue [originally 13 and now 50] represent the union of the states under one federal government. There are a number of myths, or at least misinterpretations, related to the US Flag, some oe which we learned in school.

● Betsy Ross made the first American Flag.
That's what I was taught back in the day. And back then, if it was in print, it had to be correct. Right? 
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                     Portrait of Betsy Ross                                                     Artist’s depitction on Betsy Ross and Martha
       Image Source: timetoast.com/betsy-ross                                    Image Source: www.revolutionarywararchives.org
​

​Actually, there is no historic evidence that Elizabeth Claypoole [her maiden name] Ross was involved in either the design or production of the flag that made its debut in 1777. It appears that this myth found fertile ground in 1870 when Betsy Ross' grandson, William Canby, first made this claim [100 years after the fact].
​​
It's true that Ross made flags in Philadelphia in the late 1770, along with many other women, but most historians now believe the story about the first flag as pure legend


● The red, white, and blue colors symbolize American sacrifice.
Nothing in the statues mentions an official reason or explanation for the colors of our flag. ​
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When people say the colors symbolize something, they are probably referring to the explanation given by Charles Thomson, secretary of the Continental Congress, about the meaning of the colors in the Great Seal of the United States which are also red, white, and blue. Thomson's report to the Congress in 1782, says the "white signifies purity and innocence; red, hardiness and valor; and blue signifies vigilance, preservation, and justice."

● It is illegal to burn the American Flag?
Burning the flag was illegal until 1989, when the Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 in Texas v. Johnson that burning the flag is a form of symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment.
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The Supreme Court’s decision invalidated a 1968 national flag-desecration law, as well as similar laws in 48 states (all except Wyoming and Alaska).

In response, Congress passed the Flag Protection Act, but that law was also challenged and wound up in the Supreme Court. The court in 1990 essentially affirmed its earlier ruling, stating that any law banning flag burning violated free speech.
                                                                       
Image Source: commons.wikimedia.org/US_Flag_Burn 

● It's Okay to wear clothing with the Stars and Strips
Wait! Don't buy that T-shirt yet. The US Flag Code states the flag "should not" be displaying on any article of merchandise. [Other references say the words are "Shall never"]
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The US Flag Code also states that the flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever and goes on to say specify a number of things. Technically, if you wear garments or use beach towels bearing replicas of the US Flag, you are violating the Flag Code.

But don't worry! The law doesn't have any provisions for enforcement, so are there are no Flag Police lurking around the corner to fine you. However, we should respect the flag, and I don't believe the last garment is very respectful.


MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL
Respect the flag and treat it properly.

JUST SAYIN’
□
2021 Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Glory#:~:text=Grave%20marker%20of%20sea%20captain%20William%20Driver%2C%20who,to%20become%20a%20cabin%20boy%20on%20a%20ship.
https://worldhistory.us/american-history/why-is-the-american-flag-called-old-glory.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Glory
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9687050
https://www.history.com/news/what-is-flag-day
https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/old-glory-gets-little-glorious/
Photos Only
https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/old-glory-gets-little-glorious/
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9687050
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_Flag_Burn.jpg

Older Sources:
http://www.answers.com/Q/What_does_the_United_States_Flag_Represent
http://www.usflag.org
https://www.nyhistory.org/web/crossroads/gallery/all/pewterers_banner.html
https://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/RL30243.pdf
http://search.excite.com/excite8/search/web?fcoid=417&fcop=topnav&fpid=27&q=flag%20etiquette
https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/flag-day
http://www.debunkingmandelaeffects.com/51-or-52-states-in-the-united-states-of-america/
https://www.legion.org/flag/flagmyths
https://www.reference.com/geography/51-states-fa0d9935e4f12b61
https://www.aflag.com/flag-etiquette/
https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/flagdisplay.pdf
http://mentalfloss.com/article/547248/rules-displaying-american-flag
https://www.quora.com/What-does-it-mean-if-the-US-flag-is-upside-down
https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/use-of-american-flag-as-car-cover-sparks-neighborhood-debate/article_e17bc242-6433-11e1-ad0c-0019bb2963f4.html
https://www.greatseal.com/
https://www.nbc-2.com/story/36587395/condo-resident-being-threatened-with-lawsuit-for-hanging-american-flag
https://www.congress.gov/109/plaws/publ243/PLAW-109publ243.pdf
http://www.revolutionarywararchives.org/betsyross.html
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/vintage-illustration-of-george-washington-watching-betsy-ross-sew-the-american-flag-american-school.html?product=metal-print
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THE SCOTTISH CLAN LOGAN

6/4/2021

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If you have the desire to trace your roots back to the middle ages to find out where you came from and the real family history, think thrice!

You are less likely to learn your ancestors were heroic leaders among men than you are to find the family patriarch described as "ane godless, drunkin, and deboshit man" or as Sir Walter Scott describes the person as "one of the darkest characters of that dark age".


IN THE BEGINNING
Unless your family is famous or you are royalty, it’s hard to trace your specific blood relatives more than a few hundred years back. Most amateurs end up tracing the history and location of the family surname. Soon you find the family name has been spelled a dozen different ways in different dialects or languages, and that the same or similar surnames have settled in many locations throughout a country or multiple countries.

There are many many branches to everyone’s family.
                CLAN 
▼ LOGAN

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​Verbal family history informed me that one part of my family was Scotch-Irish ‒ whatever that means ‒ and that the surname was Logan. I had always heard that one progenitor, Benjamin Logan, traveled part of the Cumberland Gap Trail with Daniel Boone, and that Fort Logan, Kentucky, was named after him. Not a shred of evidence as back up.
Image Credit: allseasontreeservicealberta.ca/tree-root-problems

I never got anywhere with it. Oh, there is definitely a figure in history named Benjamin Logan, and some of the family names even match up, but unfortunately the dates and locations are too garbled for me to proceed. Besides, after I read that he, under military orders, seized and burned thirteen Indian villages, I didn’t want to claim any connection.

That was when I decided I’d have to settle for the origin of the name. Much easier and less bloody. Alas, that was not the case. You’ll see.

CLAN LOGAN
The history of Scotland is fascinating and bloody, primarily due to the nature of the clan system which had grown firm and tangled roots as early as the 1300s.


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​The word “clan” in Gaelic means family or children, but not everyone in any clan was actually related to each other. The clans lived off the land, and raising cattle was the main source of wealth. Continual borer disputes between the land of one clan and another, caused unrest and often bloody battles between them. The most important clan chiefs at this time were part-kings, part-protectorates and part-judges. They each held real power over their controlled lands. Disputes over land often ended in gory battles among the clans.

The system remained largely intact until the time of the bloody Battle of Culloden in 1746, where the Jacobite rebellion was mercilessly crushed by the royal troops of King George II.

By this point, improved trade and communication links between northern and southern clans were already leading to the dilution of the clan system and the infamous Highland Clearances effectively signalled the end as thousands of Scottish land workers sought the promise of a better life on distant shores.

Official Status
In Scotland, the Logan Clan does not have a Chief recognized by Lord Lyon King of Arms, and is therefore is called an Armigerous clan. Before 1745 all chiefs had Coats of Arms; however, not all of these are recorded in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, which was only established in 1672. Today Clan Logan is chiefless.


Coats of Arms
Being without a clan chief has serious ramifications in Scotland. Coats of Arms in Scotland can only belong to one person at a time. There is no single coat of arms which all people with the same name can use. A “'family coat of arms” is a non-existent misnomer because the whole concept of coats of arms originated to identify an individual person

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​In the middle ages, a coat of arms was an actual cloth coat bearing the distinctive design of the knight’s lord, worn over a suit of armor to enable the knight to be recognized: i.e. to who he paid homage. The knight did not have to be a family member to bear the coat of arms.

A family crest is not the same, only an element of part of a coat of arms.
Image Source: scotlandspeople.gov.uk/record-coats-arms      

Most personal Coats of Arms consist of a shield, helmet, crest and motto. Supporters, the figures or beasts standing on either side of the shield, are only granted to particular groups of people.

The Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland records all coats of arms in Scotland from 1672 to the present day and it is added to daily. Coats of arms cannot be used legally in Scotland unless they are recorded in that Register. The Register is maintained by the Court of the Lord Lyon, the office responsible for heraldic matters in Scotland, and a great deal of genealogical information is required to register a new one or use one of an ancestor.

According to Wikipedia, these are the Logan Crest is a passion nail piercing a human heart, and the Logan motto is HOC MAJORUM VIRTUS (Latin for "This is valor of my ancestors. Their slogan is Druim-nan-deur (Scottish Gaelic for "The ridge of tears").


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                   Logan Crest                                         Logan Badge                                   Clan Flower- Furze or Gorse 
Perhaps the reason for not having a specific coat of arms, shield, etc. is because the clan is chiefless. (armigerous). There are quite a few versions on the internet, but they are all variations of the nail piercing the heart.
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FROM WHENCE CLAN LOGAN CAME
Similar to the branches of the tree shown above, describing Clan Logan ‒ or any other, for that matter ‒ is a tangled mess. Dealing with both name and location are difficult because they are so intertwined and have so many variants of each.

Common belief is that Clan Logan originated in both the highlands and lowlands of Scotland, with no historical connection between the two. Another Clan Logan is prominent in Ireland, also with no tie to the other two branches.

That alone leads one to surmise that there is a connection further back in history: the Normans. The “de Logan” family existed in Normandy even before the 1066 invasion by William the Conqueror, and several “de Logans” accompanied Richard de Clare on his invasion of Ireland in 1170. Later in history, many Scottish family groups of highland stock emigrated to Ireland during the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century, after the surname Logan was well established.

The Irish believe the name Logan derives from the Gaelic surname O'Leoghain which translates to “the descendant of the warrior.”
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The Scottish Highland Logans claim they are descendants from Clan Logan of Drumderfit in Easter Ross (north of Inverness), and Clan MacLennan is believed to be a variant of the Highland Logan Clan. The clans Logan and MacLennan share the same tartan, which doesn’t mean much historically since clan plaids were the product of the 19th mercantile industry. (Currently, there are eleven clan tartans.) https://clan.com/family/logan


Image Source: images.fineartamerica.com/scotland-political-map
​
In the lowlands, the surname Logan is a territorial name, and believed to be derived from the lands of Logan in present Ayr, Scotland. Later, the clan center was Restalrig, Scotland, which is now a suburb of Edinburgh.

SCOTTISH NAMES
A Scottish surname may or may not originate with a Clan. It can also be derived directly from ancient Gaelic or even from a profession you ancestors did, which makes it even harder to decipher where any particular Scottish name came from.

Place Names
Place names, often called territorial or habitational names, derive from location or type of location. For example, the name Craig derives from the Gaelic word "creag" which means crag or rocks. The name Logan (from the lowlands) is also a place name originating from the Gaelic word "lagan" which means either little hollow or signifies a hollow place, plain, or meadow, encircled by rising ground. As a place name, it is common throughout Scotland.

Personal Features
Names can also be based on individual features, the way a person may be described. The name Cameron comes the Gaelic words “cam” and “sròn” (camshròin) which means “crooked nose”.

Profession
Last names can also be derived from an individual’s or family’s profession. The names Lister, McInlester, Lidster, McLeister, Laister, Litster all originated with the profession of dying fabric. A Webster was a weaver of cloth, and so on. Baker originated with someone or a family who bakes.

Children usually worked in the same profession as their parents, and crafts where handed down mother to daughter, so it’s simple to deduce that families would become associated with that activity. Perhaps, small villages had only one family who dyed cloth or baked.

Patronymics
A Scottish surname can also trace its origin to derivations of the name of the father or ancestor, typically by the addition of a prefix or suffix: e.g. Johnson, O'Brien, Ivanovich.
Patronymics is the basis for Russian surnames. If you have ever read a Russian novel and had problems figuring out who all the characters were, this confusion results from patronymics plus the fact family relationship in Russian also dictate what name is used by which relative. Very complicated. In Scotland, the process is simpler. For example, Peter has a son called John - John's surname becomes Peterson (Peterson's son). I’m not sure what happens if John then has a son of his own.

Mac and Mc are prefixes that mean “son of”. Both are used in Scotland and Ireland. It is not true that Mc is Irish and Mac is Scottish. Folk history has claimed that these prefixes designate illegitimacy status, but there were no references I found to corroborate that Folk Rumor.

Variants
To complicate matters, there are numerous variations to the spelling of each name.
Surnames related to Clan Logan include: Lagan, Laggan, Leonerd, Loban, Lobban, Loben, Logane, Logan, Logen, Loggan, Loggane, Loggans, Loghane, Logie, Loggie, Loggins, Loghyn, Login, Logyn,  Lohan, Lopan, Lowgan, Lyndon – to name only some of them.


MAKE YOUR NAME MEAN SOMETHING
Andrew Carnegie, a Scott himself, advised “Make your name mean something.” He came to America and did just that.

Quite a few of other Logans did make a name for themselves, and the lowland Logans became Scottish Royalty for a while. There are many Robert Logans in the southern clan, which makes following bloodlines rather difficult, and many dates of birth and heritage seem to be inconsistent, depending on the source.

1200s
● The first written record identifying a lowland Logan is Robert Logan (from Ayrshire) who is recorded as witnessing the resignation of the lands of Ingilbristoun in 1204.

● In 1296, at least four Logans signed the “Ragman Rolls” to pay homage to Edward I of England: Phelippe de Logyn (burgess from Montrose), Thurbrandus de Logyn (from Dumfrieshire), Andreu de Logan (from Wigtonshire), and Wautier Logan (from Lanarkshire).

● In 1298, Walter (possibly another spelling for Wautier) Logan of Hartside received a grant of the lands of “Lus” form Robert the Bruce.

1300s
● The same Walter Logan, Lord of Hartside, was sheriff of Lanark in 1301. This Walter Logan appears twice on a roll of landowners forfeited in 1306 by Edward I, for supporting Robert the Bruce. In the same year a man named Dominus Walter Logan was taken prisoner by the English forces and hanged. This sounds suspiciously like a relative, but probably not Wautier himself, since he later petitioned for the return of his confiscated lands.

● Sir Robert and Sir Walter Logan were among the Scottish nobles who in 1329 set off on a pilgrimage headed by Sir James Douglas. Douglas’ mission was to take the heart of the dead King Robert I of Scotland (Robert The Bruce) to the Holy Land. Both Logans were killed in the Battle of Teba (1330) fought against the Moors in Andalucía in Spain.

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15th Century depiction of the battle of Teba where brothers Robert and Walter Logan perished
▲Image Source:                                           ▲ 
Source of Imagespinterest.com/pin/557390891378956037/    ▲ ​
ites.google.com/site/loganfamilyhistory   
● The original line of the Logan chiefs in the north highlands ended in an heiress, Colan Logan Druimanairig in Wester Ross, who married Eachan Beirach, and carried the estates into his possession. Eachan took his wife’s name, and, dying at Eddyrachillis about the year 1350, left a son, Eanruig, from whom descended the Sliochd (family clan) Harich. From this point on, most of the tales and events from the highlands are found under the name MacClennan.
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At this point in history, it is necessary to go back in time to explain how the Logans became the Barons of Restalrig. According to some sources, Restalrig The Barony of Restalrig passed in an unbroken line through 2 families from the 11th century to the 17th, the two being joined through in the middle through marriage. The first Barons were the de Lestalrics, who passed the keys of Lochend castle to Logans in the 14th century. Both these families pop up repeatedly in Scottish history and were generally always loyal to the Scottish Crown.
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▲Lochend Castle, Edinburgh                                 ▲ Image Source: stravaiging.com/castle/lochend-castle   ▲
Image Source:
pinterest.com/pin/Lochend Castle

● Robert Logan, the 1st Baron of Restalrig under the Logan Clan, was born about 1345 in Ayrshire, Scotland, son of Robert Logan of Cunningham and Katherine De Restalrig. In 1365 he married Princess Katherine Stewart, daughter of Robert II of Scotland, and later was appointed as Admiral of Scotland. The lowland Logans claim descent from this Robert Logan, who at this time was royalty.

1400s
● Second Baron of Restalrig, John Logan of Grogar. (1420 – 1451).
● A Sir Robert Logan was one of the hostages given in 1424 to free James I of Scotland from being held in England. Robert's son or grandson, John Logan of Restalrig, was made principal sheriff of Edinburgh by James II of Scotland.


● Third Baron of Restalrig, Robert Logan. (1445 – 1498).

● Fourth Baron of Restalrig. (? – 1513) He died on September 9, 1513, at Flodden, Northumberland, England, killed in the Battle of Flodden Field.

1500s
● Fifth Baron of Restalrig, Robert Logan. (1503-1543).

● Sixth Baron of Restalrig, Robert Logan (1533-1561). In 1555 Logan of Restalrig sold the superiority of Leith (the principal seaport of Edinburgh) to the queen regent Mary of Lorraine (aka. Marie de Guise).

● Seventh and Last Baron Restalrig, Robert Logan. (1555 – 1606). This Sir Robert Logan was not well liked and had an unsavory reputation, but he had great wealth and power. His only allegiance sHe was described by contemporaries as "ane godless, drunkin, and deboshit man". Sir Walter Scott described him as "one of the darkest characters of that dark age."

In history he is famous for his supposed involvement in the Gowrie Conspiracy, a plot to assassinate King James VI of Scotland. The attempted assassination took place in August 1600. The plot was thwarted, and the principal conspirators killed.

Logan, who was not present at the actual assassination attempt, died six years later. After an eight year lag, in 1608, suspicions were raised that Logan had been involved in the plot to assassinate King James VI.

Logan was summoned to appear in court and his body exhumed and physically laid before the court. (Apparently that wasn’t all that unusual then). With Logan in no position to defend himself, his secretary Sprot was tortured for his confession of guilt. In 1609 Logan’s bones were found guilty on the flimsiest of evidence, athough there was no real proof that he had anything to do with the conspiracy. All his lands and wealth were forfeited to the king.
 

Thus ended the Baronly of Restalrig…at least as far as the Logans were concerned. After that, apparently many Logans emigrated to American, Australia, and Canada.

A WORD ABOUT CLAN TARTANS
“Plaid” is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word plaide, which means “blanket.” “Tartan” means a woven pattern in fabric made of crisscrossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colors.
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During the middle ages up through the 1600s, tartan designs were produced by local weavers for local tastes using the dye materials of the local area. The patterns and colors were the choice of the weaver and people picked and wore those based on personal preference. Because they were using local materials for dyes, certain colors predominated in different regions of Scotland. 

It wasn’t until 1703, when Martin Martin wrote the book A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland, that tartans were identified as a possible way of distinguishing inhabitants of different regions of Scotland.

Image Source: scotsusa.com/funniest-scottish-images
​

During the Scottish Rebellion of 1745, tartan was used in the uniforms of the leading Scottish military troop, The Royal Highland Regiment, or the Black Watch. The green and dark blue patterns became strongly associated with rebellion. However, depictions of the Battle of Culloden in 1746 show the monarchy’s forces battling against the clansmen, all wearing different tartans.

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​After Scottish forces were defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the monarchy adopted the Dress Act of 1746, banning tartans (except for British military uniforms) for nearly a century.

By the time the law was repealed, tartan kilts were no longer the ordinary dress of the highlands. The tartan kilt was, however, adopted as the symbolic national dress of Scotland, which revived interest in tartans and one’s Scottish heritage. According to Wikipedia – who agrees with my tour guide in Scotland – the clan tartans date no earlier than the beginning of the 19th century. They are an invented tradition. And that's the bottom line.

JUST SAYIN'
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Some of the Logan tartans: https://clan.com/family/logan
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Sources:
http://fionamsinclair.co.uk/genealogy/HighlandClans/Logan.htm
https://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/research-your-ancestry/clans/
https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/clan-maclennan-p1475101?prodtypes=attr&loc=Scotland&cat=clanattr
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Culloden
https://www.houseofnames.com/blogs/mac-prefix
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Clearances
http://www.stravaiging.com/history/castle/lochend-castle
http://www.marariley.net/celtic/SentToKass/Scotland.htm
http://www.britannica.com/topic/Mac-surname-prefix
https://restalrigia.wordpress.com/
https://www.thereformation.info/gowrieconspiracy/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leith#:~:text=The%20medieval%20settlements%20of%20Leith%20had%20grown%20into,The%20Shore%20area%20in%20the%20late%2020th%20century.
https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LHNC-WGS/robert-logan-1st-baron-of-restairg-1345#:~:text=Robert%20Logan%201st%20Baron%20of%20Restairg.,about%201345%E2%80%93%20Ayrshire%2C%20Scotland%2C%20United%20Kingdom
https://nameenthusiast.blogspot.com/p/occupational-names.htmlhttps:/www.bing.com/search?q=Battle%20of%20Culloden%20in%201746&pc=cosp&ptag=G6C999AD7DA6ADE9E&form=CONMHP&conlogo=CT3210127
https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/record-guides/coats-arms#:~:text=Coats%20of%20Arms%20in%20Scotland%20can%20only%20belong,one%20person%20could%20use%20exactly%20the%20same%20design.
http://www.4crests.com/logan-coat-of-arms.html#:~:text=Logan%20Coat%20of%20Arms%20%2F%20Logan%20Family%20Crest.,Bruce%2C%20on%20their%20way%20to%20the%20Holy%20Land.
https://www.tribstar.com/news/lifestyles/genealogy-difference-between-family-crest-coat-of-arms/article_7a969139-7867-5560-afc1-e40cb16ad5a3.html#:~:text=Although%20some%20people%20refer%20to%20a%20%E2%80%9Cfamily%20crest%E2%80%9D,the%20shield%2C%20usually
Photos only
https://www.allseasontreeservicealberta.ca/b/how-to-tackle-the-most-common-tree-root-problemsp
https://www.planetware.com/map/scotland-clans-of-the-scottish-highlands-and-lowlands-map-sco-sco32.htm
https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/1/independent-scotland-political-map-peter-hermes-furian.jpg

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/41658365289985372/?autologin=true&lp=true
http://www.stravaiging.com/history/castle/lochend-castle

https://www.scotsusa.com/media/12-of-the-funniest-scottish-images-and-cartoons-in-one-post/

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    Author R. Ann Siracusa

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