Facts About Use of Force in Law Enforcement

Facts About Use of Force in Law EnforcementFacts About Use of Force in Law EnforcementWithin criminal justice careers, perhaps no other area or action draws the public scrutiny, and sometimes ire, than a use of force. Law enforcement and corrections officers are necessarily authorized to employ various forms of physical control in order to carry out their jobs. The circumstances, level, and the degree to which that force is used, however, is often the subject of serious debate. Law Enforcement History and the Use of Force Though the idea of law enforcement has a long history, in truth verfallen policing as we know it is a relatively recent societal institution. The history of the professional police force is less than two centuries old. Prior to the establishment of standing law enforcement agencies, there was a great deal of public concern over granting power and authority to what they feared would become abedrngnisher occupying force, and thus there has always been a slight lev el of mistrust between society at large and those who have been sworn to serve and protect them. Though they have been granted the authority to use force when necessary, the public has long been wary of the abuse of this power. Nevertheless, in a mora rough-and-tumble era, more rough-and-tumble tactics were called for. Officers did not have as many force options available to them as they do now, and society did not have the same distaste for harsh justice as it now seems to. Changing Times, Changing Temperament As society has advanced and evolved, though, so have public attitudes toward crime and punishment, as well as law enforcement and police tactics. Over time, the public began to demand more mild and measured responses to crime as opposed to brute force. Increased Scrutiny This has been accentuated in recent history with the weitergabe of video and photographic technology, first on television and then on the Internet. From Rodney King and Marvin Anderson to Andrew Dont taze me, bro Meyer and the latest YouTube police video, law enforcement and corrections officers have been placed on notice that the public is watching what they do and how they do it. The added scrutiny has gone a long way towards keeping officers honest and to expose those who are not. In response to the increased attention, police, correctional officers and other criminology and criminal justice professionals have made advances in policies as well as technology. In addition, courts and criminal justice standards and POST commissions have introduced guidelines to aid officers in making sound decisions on when and how to use force. The Disconnect in the Discourse Despite this evolution in police tactics and technology, a disconnect still exists between what the public sees, expects and understands about law enforcement training, goals and practices and how police and corrections officers are actually trained to respond to use of control situations. The Goal of Law Enforcemen t in Uses of Control Most often, when members of the public question an officers use of force, they first question whether force was necessary in the first place. Likewise, courts tend to focus first on whether or not any force was justified at all before broaching the topic of excessive force. To look at this question properly, we must first understand the ultimate goal of officers when they apply force. Generally, the purpose is to effect an arrest and bring a potentially dangerous situation to as quick and peaceful a conclusion as possible, without injuring the officer or innocent members of the public. Obviously, the preferred outcome would be for a resisting subject to allow himself to be arrested peacefully. When that doesnt occur, though, officers must make a quick, split-second decision whether or not to employ force and just what force to employ. During that decision-making process, the well-being of the suspect is most often a secondary concern. Objective Reasonablenes s Because these decisions must be made quickly, officers may not have all of the information regarding the level of threat a subject actually poses before they feel that they must take action. In Graham vs. Connor, the U.S. Supreme Court established the objective reasonableness standard to determine whether or not force was justified. Objective reasonableness simply asks whether or not a reasonable person with the similar training, knowledge, and experience would have acted the same under similar circumstances. In making this determination, three factors are applied whether or not the subject poses an immediate threat, the severity of the alleged crime, and whether or not the subject is attempting to flee or resist arrest attempts. Implicit in the so-called Graham factors is the question of whether or not the officer was justified in exercising his arrest authority, to begin with. Most importantly, the objective reasonableness standard recognizes that officers must think fast and a ct fast. Under these circumstances, the facts available to the officer at the time she made her decision to use force are what the officer is judged by, as opposed to what may come to light after the fact. For example, if an officer shoots a subject who is threatening him and pointing a gun at him, it does not matter if it turns out later that the gun was not loaded. If the officer can articulate that at the time of the incident he believed his life or the life of someone else was in danger, then he will have been justified in his use of deadly force. Just the Facts If an officer learns after the fact that what he perceived to be a weapon was actually a toy gun, a cell phone, or even a wallet, the standard by which the action will be judged will come from what the officer knew at the time. Officers need not, and often times cannot afford to, wait for a subject to pull the trigger or try to stab them before they react. Instead, they must weigh the totality of the circumstances an d make a decision based on the facts available to them at the moment. Reasonable Choices The objective reasonableness standard also establishes that officers are not necessarily limited to the least amount of force possible. Rather, officers are called to use only that force which falls within the range of what might be considered reasonable. This is an important distinction to make because in most situations there is a range of force options available, all of which may be an appropriate response. For example, if a subject is fighting and resisting arrest, an officer may choose to use pepper spray, an electronic control device, or hands-on control techniques such as joint manipulation in order to gain compliance. Anyone of these choices may be reasonable, though the public may perceive the taser or pepper spray to be more invasive and less necessary than going hands on. An officers actions, then, are not evaluated based on what she could have done differently, but rather they ar e assessed based on what might be considered reasonable. Judging Deadly Force Situations This standard becomes especially important when looking at instances of deadly force by police officers. By and large, officers are taught at the police academy to meet deadly force with deadly force. They are trained and given the techniques and tactics to make sure they make it home at the end of their shift, and they spend extensive time training in the use of firearms. Its important to recognize that, when discussing the use of deadly force by officers, the expected result of a subjects actions dont have to be death. Instead, deadly force is described as actions that are likely to cause either death or great bodily harm, which could include permanent disfigurement without causing death. The type of weapon used is an important factor in an officers decision to use deadly force, but it is not the only factor. To a police officer, deadly force is deadly force, whether the subject is wieldin g a knife, an ax, a gun or a baseball bat. All of these have the potential to take a life or cause great bodily harm. Instead, to be justified in employing deadly force, officers must be able to articulate that the suspect had the apparent ability, opportunity and reasonably perceived intent to commit an act likely to cause death or great bodily harm. Justifiable Decisions Though important to law enforcement and correctional officers, this standard is often the source of confusion on the parte of the public when it comes to police use of force. As an example, an officer may shoot a suspect who is holding a knife. Some members of the public may disagree with the officers decision, suggesting instead that he should have used a non-lethal weapon such as a taser to disarm the subject. While a taser may have been one of many possible options available, it may not have been the most reasonable or, more likely, it may have been one of many reasonable force options and thus, given the f act that a knife is quite capable of causing death or great bodily harm, the officer is very likely justified in the use of deadly force. Officer and Subject Factors Another important consideration in evaluating an officers use of forces is the officer himself as compared to the subject in question. An officer who is 52 and 100 pounds may be justified in using greater force against a subject who is 62 250 pounds than would a taller, heavier and presumably stronger officer in similar circumstances. Uses of Force More Complicated Than First Looks Suggest All of this goes to demonstrate that uses of force by corrections and police officers are most often far more complicated than a single nachrichtensendung story or Internet video may initially make them appear. Law enforcement careers are known to be inherently dangerous jobs, and officers are often placed in situations where they are required to make instantaneous life and death decisions. While it is entirely correct and app ropriate to evaluate and scrutinize the actions of the police, especially when they employ control techniques, it is also very important to withhold judgment until all of the facts leading up to the incident are known. It is especially important to judge these decisions based only on those facts that were known or perceived by the officer at the time of the incident, as opposed to those facts that may become known after the fact. Sound Law Enforcement Requires Sound Judgement Likewise, it is important for officers to use sound judgment and due diligence when determining whether or not to employ force and exactly what force to use. The public rightly holds its law enforcement officers to a high ethical standard. It is incumbent upon officers, then, to adhere to that standard and to always act in the interest of safeguarding lives and property, while at the same time preserving and protecting the rights of the innocent.

Job Titles [2019] - Examples for Your Resume & Job Search

Job Titles 2019 - Examples for Your Resume & Job SearchJob Titles s for Your Resume & Job SearchBest Practices for Professional Job Titles on a Resume (+Examples)Have you been taking professional titles for granted?Youre not alone. A lot of job searchers pay too little attention to these small bits of content. But what if I told you that your chances of being interviewed depend on the professional titles you use, both in your resume summary and in describing your employment history?Most people think that they should automatically jot down current and past job titles that employers have given them. False.Writing targeted professional job titles is an essential step in resume writing. Let me elaborate.What is a job title?A job title is a specific designation of a post within an organization, normally associated with a job description that details the tasks and responsabilities that go with it. Source.Professional Job Titles for Resume SummariesThe first instance that requires you to w rite a professional resume title is at the very top of your resume, in your resume summary. Bear in mind that this will be the first thing that someone will look at when reading your resume. So it had better make a good first impression.List of General Job Titles Most PopularAdministrative AssistantExecutive AssistantMarketing ManagerCustomer Service RepresentativeNurse PractitionerSoftware EngineerSales ManagerData Entry ClerkOffice AssistantYour opening professional title should follow two guidelines 1) It needs to grab recruiters attention 2) It needs to include keywords for an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).The easiest way to ensure that you are giving recruiters and ATSs what they want is to match your professional title with that of the prospective job. For example, if a company is hiring a Project Manager then you can just follow their lead and use this as your title.Of course, you might feel like copying the prospective job title is boring. Some companies deliberately ask f or creative applications from candidates, which makes you feel like you need to up your game and develop something more catchy.The advice here is to not overthink the professional title. Keep in mind that you can use a few lines in your resume summary to let your personality and creativity shine through.If you decide to diverge from the job title provided by the employer, be sure to use industry-related terms that will be common to recruiters. Such language will not only be familiar to recruiters, proving you understand their needs, any ATS will also recognize these as keywords, helping you get past an initial automated screening.Common Mistakes in Resume Professional Job TitlesToo long (keep it to 4 words max.)Using jargon (use recognized industry terms)Using superlatives/adjectives (avoid words like greatest, best, etc.)

Advice for When You Meet Your Military Recruiter

Advice for When You Meet Your Military RecruiterAdvice for When You Meet Your Military RecruiterHow should you prepare for a meeting with a military recruiter? Learn about what to expect and what questions to ask. If you are unsure of which tafelgeschirr to join, you may want to visit recruiters from all of the services. Tell the recruiter up front that you are visiting all of the recruiters before you make any decision. Bringing a Friend or Relative to Your Recruiting Meeting Its a good idea to bring a parent, relative, or better yet, someone who has served in the military for your first visit. However, make sure its someone youre comfortable with hearing the answers to the personal questions your recruiter will ask during that first interview. These include, Have you ever used drugs? The recruiter asks these questions to make sure he knows your basic qualifications and whether or leid he can afford to spend valuable time with you. If you dont want your parents to hear the truth ful answer to these questions, youre probably better off going alone. Questions to Ask Your Recruiter Its a good idea to prepare a list of questions to ask, in advance.Be as specific as possible. While most recruiters will leid lie to you, remember that the recruiter lives or dies by the number of people he/she can recruit. He or she may not volunteer information which may chase away a kompetenz quota-maker. Its up to you to ask pointed, specific, no-nonsense questions, and expect direct answers. Be very suspicious of any unclear, or vague answers. Always press for specifics. If in doubt, ask the recruiter to put the information in writing, and sign it, or to show you in the regulations, guides, or pamphlets that what he/she is saying is true. If youre joining the active duty Air Force or the active duty Navy, in most cases, you dont want to ask too many questions about specific military jobs. Job selections for these branches are performed during your processing at the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS), and the recruiters have nothing (or little) to do with it. Rather, focus your questions on the general advantages of that particular service (length of basic training, leave (vacation), medical care, barracks/dormitory/housing conditions, education benefits, etc.as). If youre joining the active duty Army, active duty Marine Corps, Army or Air National Guard, or the Reserve forces (of any of the branches), the recruiter will have more input about job opportunities (more on this in the next chapter). Common Courtesy for Recruiter Meetings Treat the recruiter with the same courtesy that you would give if you were at a meeting with the hiring director for a civilian job. Recruiters are busy animals. Recruiters put more hours on-the-job than just about any person in the military. Recruiters do not get a monetary bonus for signing people up. They get their regular paycheck, whether you enlist or not. If you drop by without an appointment, dont be s urprised if your recruiter isnt there. He might be taking someone to MEPS, speaking at a high school, trying to calm jittery parents at an applicants house, or taking a few days of well-deserved leave (vacation). Show up for your appointment, and dont cancel at the last minute. If you were trying to get a job with Microsoft, you most certainly would not walk in dressed likea bum or make an appointment, just to cancel it at the last minute. Getting Down to Basics Sooner or later, youre going to have to stop shopping, and decide on which military service you want to join. You may have met a recruiter who impressed you, or you may have met a recruiter that left you cold. Its important that you not choose your military service based upon your perception of the recruiters quality. Choose your service based on your interests, not whether or not the recruiter was kind enough to buy you lunch at McDonalds. Once you make your decision, make an appointment with the recruiter for the servi ce you want to join. The first thing the recruiter is going to do is to pre-qualify you. The recruiter will ask you a bunch of questions to see if youqualify for military service. These will be questions about age, citizenship or immigration status, education level, criminal history, drug abuse history, and medical conditions. The recruiter may weigh you, and ask to see personal paperwork (birth certificate,high school diploma,social securitycard, etc.). Tell the Whole Truth to the Recruiter Its important that you be truthful with the recruiter. Its also very important that you not allow the recruiter to encourage, advise, or even hint that you lie about any of this important information. It is a felony to give false information or withhold required information on any military recruiting paperwork. Remember, there is noright to join theUnited States Military. The recruiter uses the information you give to determine whether or not you are qualified to join, based onDepartment of Defense(DOD) and individual service standards. Those standards exist for reasons. It is not up to you, or the recruiter to decide which standards are valid and which ones are not. It is much better to be disqualified for enlistment in the first place and never join then it is to lie about it, go through basic training, have the lie discovered, then get thrown out of the military (possibly with an administrative discharge that will follow you for the rest of your life). ASVAB Test In addition to the pre-qualification questions, the recruiter may ask you to take a sampleArmed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)test. It is a computerizedASVABmini-test, with representative questions in the four areas of the ASVAB which determine the overallASVAB Score(AFQT Score). These areas areWord Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension,Mathematics Knowledge, and Arithmetic Reasoning. This mini-test has a pretty good reputation for estimating whatyoureAFQT score is going to be when you take the full-blown test. Some recruiting commands have policies that will preclude scheduling the applicant for the actualASVAB unless they achieve a designatedminimum scoreon this practice ASVAB. Medical Questionnaire Of particular importance is themedical questionnaire(there are two of them- the first one is completed in the recruiters office, and the second one is completed at MEPS when you take your physical). It costs the military a lot of time and money to process the medical physical. If medical pre-screen in the recruiters office finds anything questionable, the recruiter must get permission from the medical officials at MEPS to even schedule you for a physical. Just as there is norightto join the military, neither do you have the right to have a physical. If the MEPS medical official determines (from the pre-screening questionnaire) that you are not medically qualified, they can simply refuse to allow you to take the physical. If this happens, youre pretty much dead in the wa ter, as far as enlistment is concerned, as waivers are generally not granted in such cases, nor is there any workable avenue of appeal. What if You Dont Meet the Standards? Even if you dont meet the standards, sometimes criminal history, minor drug abuse, and medical conditions can bewaived. Whether or not a condition can be waived is not up to the recruiter. Its up to superiors in his/her command (exactly how high up the chain of command depends on what the waiver is for), who make decisions based upon current law, regulations, and policy. Some things cant be waived, and the recruiter can tell you this, straight up front. There is simply no way even to guess whether or not a waiver will be approved, even if someone has gotten a waiver for the same condition in the past, or- conversely- if nobody has ever gotten a waiver for the condition in the past. Each and every waiver is evaluated individually, using several individual factors, including but not limited to Is the condition progressive?Is the condition subject to aggravation by military service?Will the condition preclude satisfactory completion of prescribed training and subsequent military duty?Will the condition constitute an undue hazard to the exam or to others, particularly under combat conditions?Is the recruit exceptionally qualified, otherwise? (ASVAB scores, etc.)How are currentrecruiting goals? How bad does that particular branch of the service need this particular applicant at this particular point-in-time? Generally, when the services are doing well in their recruiting efforts, fewer waivers are considered. During years when the services are having a tough time finding enough qualified applicants to meet their quotas, they are more generous in thewaiver approval arena. I have seen waivers approved for a specific condition, only to see a waiver disapproved for the same condition, by the same service, just a few weeks later. Remember, each of the services has their own standards and policie s when it comes to processing recruiting waivers. If you dont qualify for one service, its possible that another service would agree to process and approve a waiver. In general, theAir Forcehas the reputation for approving the fewest waivers, followed by theMarine Corps, the Navy/Coast Guard, and finally the Army. BecauseNational Guardrecruiting policies can differ greatly from state-to-state, many times, the National Guard will approve a waiver that the active duty and reserve forces wont even consider. Once the pre-qualification is done, the recruiter then knows whether or not he/she can start processing you for enlistment.

This is the city where women are obliterating the pay gap

This is the city where women are obliterating the pay gapThis is the city where women are obliterating the pay gapThere is no debating that there is a pay gap. Its a fact. A recent study found that the global gap has increased to 32%, which means that at its current pace, women have 217 years to go before they will be making as much as men. Thats a pretty long time.A 2016 survey found that women only held about21% of technical jobs, which includes hardware, software, information services and consulting, at60 of the largest U.S. companies and they hold 12% of engineering jobs.Thats why it is so refreshing to hear that in some cities - and the male-dominated field of tech - women are closing this gap, and in some cases making more. SmartAsset put together a list of the best cities in the U.S. (with at least 200,000 residents) for women working in tech jobs by looking at data for gender pay gap, income afterhousing costs, womens representation in the workforce, and percent growth in e mployment.Kansas City leads the way in closing the pay gapIt truly does pay to work in Washington, D.C., Kansas City, and Baltimore if you are a woman in tech. Now women in Washington technically took the top spot as there is a lot of opportunity for job growth there and women make up 38.5% of the tech workforce however they are stillonly paid 91% of what men in the field receive.But the ladies of Kansas City actually out-earn their male counterparts, earning 2% more than men in tech do, on average.Kansas City is the only city where the average female tech worker has earned more than the average male tech worker in all four editions of our study, AJ Smith, VP of Financial Education at SmartAsset, told Ladders.We saw women in tech earn more than their male counterparts, on average, in Detroit and Indianapolis in the 2016 and 2017 versions of this study, but Kansas City is the only place where the pay gap has consistently remained in favor of women.Baltimore is also a great place for women working in tech as there is really good job security. Between 2013 and 2016the number of tech jobs grew by 36%. Philadelphia, Albuquerque, St.Paul, Arlington, New Orleans, New York and Indianapolis filled out the rest of the Top 10.Check out how other cities fared for women in tech and check out the full report here.

What Should a Resume Include: the Ultimate Convenience!

What Should a Resume Include the Ultimate Convenience Dont make the error of answering each job posting with the identical generic resume. Any websites which give rise to your general personal brand are important, relevant, and ought to also be included at the peak of your resume. Your GPA, unless youve graduated from college within the previous couple of years. Infographic resumes are just a supplement. Type of What Should a Resume Include Writing a resume is simple enough, but it does take some time and planning. Including a little tasteful humor is also a great idea. Capturing somebodys attention and making a wonderful first impression in just is no simple feat. Consider a couple of pages if you have under 10 decades of qualified experience. Use the thorough call center job description to aid you with call center resumes. If you would like to bring a number to it, dont use your birth year. You only want to keep the peak of your resume a spot for only the main informat ion. You will have to have some simple info and a couple dates. Its also advisable to tailor your resume to demonstrate the way your work experience specifically meets the requirements of the job that youre applying for. Moreover, you may wind up in work which you cant do. Also, dont hesitate to list non-traditional work like volunteer jobs or freelance work, particularly if you havent held a normal job in a little while. For instance, if youre asking for a job as an administrative assistant, you dont will need to discuss the way your job for a babysitter helped improve your childcare skills, but you might share the way the experience helped you cultivate time management abilities and the capacity to juggle numerous tasks at the same time. Resume headlines work nicely for individuals with plenty of work experience. The positive results of your job search is completely your choice. The less relevant job wasnt described. If you need assistance finding the popular and relevant key phrases in a work description, consider developing a word cloud with some of the job listings that interest you on free sites like Wordle. Employers like to realize that you have work experience of some sort, at least. Finding meaningful work is much simpler when you understand precisely what you are interested in finding. Employers should know what youve done to add to the development of your department, team, and company to discover whether your strengths align with the demands and responsibilities of their business and the work opening, Nicolai states. Its possible for you to learn what skills kompetenz employers are seeking by reading the work description. When you submit an application for work in person, you might be requested to complete a paper application. See your objective, if you choose to include one, as a chance to demonstrate the individual who receives it that you fully understand the prerequisites of the job that youre applying for. You have to tailor your resume to each work application so that it responds to the particular needs of the job which youre applying for. A typical college application doesnt always offer a student room to highlight all their accomplishments and experience. The What Should a Resume Include Game When objectives are included, they are typically quite specific. Your focus should be on what you are able to supply to the employer. In a couple of sentences, you will want to highlight your most relevant abilities and core competencies that are unique to you as a candidate and that are related to the job which youre applying for. While resumes are normally pretty cut-and-dried documents, there are approaches to give hiring managers a better feeling of your nature and expertise without breaking a number of the standard resume guidelines, Augustine explains. Employers dont wish to see your work description, they wish to learn about the abilities and assets you utilized to attain real outcomes. They look for c andidates who are prepared for the position and are easy to train. They should be able to find strong keywords throughout your resume in order to yield the best possible results and give you the greatest chances at exposure. They want to know youre proud of your achievements and confident in your skills.

Top Writing Your Address on a Resume Tips!

Top Writing Your Address on a Resume Tips New Ideas Into Writing Your Address on a Resume Never Before Revealed If you have made the decision to include your address, there are a couple of ways you are able to go about doing it. Whenever your resume is updated on a normal basis, youre prepared to pounce when opportunity presents itself. There are a number of unique techniques to organize the info on your resume, but the fantastic old reverse chronological (where your latest experience is listed first) is still your best choice. The info in your resume should paint a photo of the kind of employee you are and show employers what youre capable of accomplishing. In many instances, a work ad will say exactly who to send your resume to. Below, you will distitelblatt some helpful tips regarding how to deal with a cover letter. For most of graduating seniors and professionals, it wont be required to incorporate a listing of coursework. If youve found a job posting on a third-party website. If you get a permanent and local address, you may want to play with columns. In the event the name is easy to get and you dont utilize it, the hirer will believe that youve rushed and havent taken the opportunity to acquire the cover letter greeting right. Finding out how to compose an address on an envelope is a simple matter to do. If you want to relocate for work, you most likely already know its ideal to leave your present address off your resume. Since you can see you are able to either place your entire address or all you have to do is place your city and state. Frequently, a physical address is one particular part of information they may include. 1 approach would be to include your present address on a single line, and the city you want to relocate to on the subsequent line. Be cautious if you apply the email address that is related to your FB page or other social networking accounts. A typo in your contact number or email address is more prevalent than yo u may think. Your name ought to be slightly larger than your contact info. It should be at the very top, and should stand out.

You can be a critic or a creator (but you have to choose one)

You can be a critic or a creator (but you have to choose one)You can be a critic or a creator (but you have to choose one)It is not the critic who counts.Theodore RooseveltRecently, a friend recently released a book with the disclaimer, If you dont like it, write your own book. I love that.We live in an age when criticism is easy. Its expected. But is it necessary?One of my favorite things on the Internet lately is aclip from the Howard Stern Showwhen a listener calls in to offer some constructive criticism.Howard politely interrupts the critique saying, not necessary.The listener is flabbergasted. Hes offended, insisting that Howard needs his feedback.The seasoned shock jock curtly replies,If I listened to feedback, Id have quit on Day 1.I used to say that feedback is always a gift, but is it always? Im not so sure anymore.NoteYou can listen to the audio of this lesson by clicking here.Lesson 5 Seek feedback, ignore criticismLess than a month ago, I issued achallenge to some friends to make and share one new thing per day for 30 days. We called it the practice in public challenge based on an idea inone of my books.The idea was thisProfessionals make things every day and then they share them.Thats how they get better - by making things.Amateurs, on the other hand, wait for their big break and hide in the shadows until someone discovers them. Incidentally, they are the ones who are quick to criticize those making things.Which one would you rather be the brave creator, or the cowering critic?The only question that countsAs part of this challenge, I ask one simple question on a daily basis What have you made today? Its an important question, one we get to ask twiceFirst, we ask this question to ourselves because before we do anything, before we attempt to lead or offer advice or criticize, we must first get in the game.Second, we can ask this of others. Everyone, in fact.You dont actually have to confront these people, though sometimes that may be necessary. But you should at least be asking this on the inside.That critic?That rude neighbor?That argumentative in-law who has an opinion about everything?What havetheymade lately?Are they doing the work? Are they braving the abyss, facing the fear of creation, and making something? Are they enduring the years it takes to bridge theTaste-Talent Gapand finally be as good as they hope?Or are they just dispensing feedback for the sake of being heard? Are they offering empty advice without having earned the right to share that advice? Are they a critic, not a creator?If so, I dare you to kindly reply, not necessary.Its not necessary to say you didnt like my book.Its not necessary to tell me what you think I should be doing differently.Its just not necessary.I have resources for that, people whose opinions I trust and value, those I know have my best interests in mind.These days, we live in an age where virtually anyone can share their opinion with anyone. And so, we tend to treat all opinions as equ al. But they are not. In fact, some opinions should matter to you very little.And when you hear someone voice one of those opinions, you can just say, not necessary.Or even better Ignore them entirely and just keep doing your work.This article first appeared on Goins, Writer.

The 5 Worst Bosses in Human History

The 5 Worst Bosses in Human HistoryThe 5 Worst Bosses in Human HistorySome bosses give their employees a really hard time. For the ones weve picked for you today, this would be a serious understatement. These horrible bosses are a pure nightmare.Theres been a lot of debate on whether its better when your boss is a friend to you, or when theyre an authority you should fear. Its only natural that the boss needs to be a little bossy but whats over the line?Constructive criticism is good and is meant to motivate the employee to do their job better, but targeted, unjustified critique only to put the employee down as much as possible can do the very opposite. Showing whos the boss here and invoking fear is a usual practice how bosses try to make their employees work harder and gain their loyalty. But this concept might not always work.Some bosses just enjoy being nasty, despotic and reproaching their employees for every little trifle. Take Gordon Ramsay for example hes a genius chef, there s no doubt about it. But were guessing theres an uncountable number of people who still wake up in the middle of the night seeing his enraged face showering them with F words and most creative insults such as Youre an idiot sandwich. Check our infographics to discover more of the worst bosses in history. We guarantee you wouldnt want to be working under these bulliesIs your boss a douchebag? Create perfect resume and change your job Check out ourUltimate Guide to a Killer ResumeShare Your Feedback or Ideas in the Comments

Dancing with fear How to move from fear to fearlessness

Dancing with fear How to move from fear to fearlessnessDancing with fear How to move from fear to fearlessnessYou will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor. - AristotleWhen fear looks you in the eye, what do you do?A fierce band of thieves was riding through the countryside, bringing harm wherever they went. As they were approaching one small town, all the villagers fled except for one man.When the bandits entered the monastery, they were surprised to landsee this man sitting in a perfect and relaxed posture.The fierce leader took out his sword and said, Dont you know who I am? Im the sort of person who could andrang you through with my sword without batting an eye?The monk responded, And I am the sort of man who could be andrang through by a sword without batting an eye.Its leid that the monk was crazy or trying to make a point. Instead of fighting reality, he understood he couldnt do much about it. The monk decided to stare back at fear.We all fear death - thats the mother of all fears.When we are afraid, we worry about what might happen in the future. We are so afraid of dying that we become afraid of living - we miss enjoying the here and now.You need to be courageous, elend brave. The path to fearlessness is elend an act of bravery - it requires confronting our fears instead of trying to defeat them.You dont need to be braveThe line between bravery and stupidity is so thin that you dont know youve crossed it until you are dead. - AnonymousFear is an essential human emotion.The warrior does not ignore or deny fear but embrace it. Fear is a powerful emotion that protects us from danger and pain cause by a threat-related stimuli. In turn, our adaptive behavior cope with danger.However, neuroscience shows that fear also has a psychological construct. Fear is anchored not only in stimuli but in our thoughts.As Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche explains, There is no object of fear separate from the subjec t who is afraid. It varies from individual to individual. And even with the same individual, it varies from time to another.Fear has a bad rap - we see it as a threat that only brave people can overcome. But fear is a signal that you need to pay attention to.Bravery is about confronting danger. Sometimes, brave people are just zustromning away - they take the leap to avoid facing their fears. Courage, on the other hand, brings us to the issue - its the ability to do something that it consciously rightens you.Courage is a noble virtue, according to Aristotle.The Greek philosopher believed that those who do not fear to be poor (i.e., they waste their money) are not courageous and those who commit suicide to escape are behaving cowardly. Courageous people, on the other hand, are both fearful and bold - they act at the right time, in the right manner, and with the right motivation.Bravery is about a split-second decision - you act without thinking or by external pressure. Courage r equires something more profound - it takes heart.Courage and bravery are similar, but are not the same. Courage involves the presence of fear, while bravery lacks it. Bravery is an inherent characteristic it manifests as second nature in those who are brave - its in their DNA. Courage, on the other hand, is a state of mind.Bravery could be a denial of fear courage is rooted in a deeper understanding of the situation - you know what you are facing. Its a result of mindfulness, like in the monk story.For Aristotle, a virtue consisted of finding an appropriate middle ground between two extremes. As such, each virtue has not one opposite but two. Courage is the mean between cowardice and rashness.The opposite of virtue is vice.Its okay and healthy to feel afraid. However, acting without acknowledging your fears (rashness) can be as harmful as running away from them (cowardice).This is fearFear is a signal about something that is about to happen.Most people try to hide from fear. They run away from it by filling their lives with events, possessions, or relationships - they believe that not seeing fear will make it go away.However, silencing that alarm could be harmful - the more we try to ignore it, the more anxious we become. Or we miss the real danger.Fear is a battle that takes place in your mind - mastering fear is about identifying and changing the conversation in your head.Everyone feels fear - your cocky co-worker, your boss, or even a Navy SEAL. The monk in the Zen parable was afraid too - he simply chose to stay calm and not let the bandit conquer his mind.Brandon Webb said Fear is no illusion. Fear is real. Convince yourself that it isnt and youre already dead.In this article, the former US Navy SEAL describes how the presence of fear can dry his mouth, constrict his blood vessels, make his palms sweat and more - everything shifts inside before an attack.This is fear, the author reflects before imminent battle action, And Im about to use it. The interior monologue plays a crucial role - its not the absence of fear but embracing it what helps Navy SEAL win in combat. It can help you win lifes battles too.Fear drives self-awareness - whats is it trying to tell you?The act of dealing with fear is the first step towards attaining fearlessness.We dont need more sufferingFearlessness is the first requisite of spirituality. Cowards can never be moral. - Mahatma GandhiMuch of our suffering is caused by fear.As Judith Lief wrote here Fear restricts our lives it imprisons us. Fear is also a tool of oppression people who are hungry for power over others know that and exploit it. We can be made to do things out of fear.Fear drives awareness of danger but can easily become a false alarm.Thats the problem when the danger is not real but mere speculation. Out of ignorance, we fear what we should not fear.We are afraid of being rejected by others because we think we are inadequate.We are afraid of speaking up - of expressing our own vo ice - because we believe we are not original enough.We are afraid of failing and give up trying and stop doing what we love.We are afraid of confronting who we really are - we avoid being still by filling the void with tasks, responsibilities, and endless thoughts.We are afraid of being happy - the more we aim for it, the less we can enjoy life. This paradox of happiness creates our biggest fear, as I wrote here.The undercurrent of fear put us in a state of panic. Anxiety is emotional anticipation - speculating about potential threats paralyzes us. We cant enjoy life.When we suffer, we feel empty - we allow our fears to take over. Theres another way to get back on track the Path of Fearlessness.Befriend your enemyTrue fearlessness is not the reduction of fear, but going beyond fear. - Chgyam TrungpaFear can be a foe or your ally - its your call.Living fearlessly is not about not being afraid, but learning to dance with fear.Fearlessness doesnt mean ignoring your problems with a who cares? mentality. Fearlessness is not about feeling invincible or turning fears into anger either.John Daido Loori said, Fearlessness is empowered by fear. You cant develop fearlessness - real compassionate fearlessness - without fear. Fearlessness is born of fear.To experience fearlessness, we need to experience fear first. Cowards dont acknowledge the reality of their fears they run away from them. We must stop seeing fear as a weakness or as an enemy - lets stare back at it.When you face your emotions, you meet the world with your heart open. Looking at fear in the eye is acknowledging our vulnerability - kindness and imperfection are essential aspects of being human.True fearlessness is not the absence of fear but befriending fear.It comes from working with the softness of the human heart, as Trungpa explains. The path of the warrior is a heroic transformation - you must confront all your challenges and fears before finding personal revelation.As you conquer the unkno wn and overcome fear, youll feel transformed. Every heros journey has an inflection point - this revelation becomes an aha moment. A part of the hero dies, so a new one is born - fear makes way for courage, ignorance turns into enlightenment, avoidance dies so that confidence can grow.1. Face your fear mindfullyWhen was the last time you sit down to look your fears in the eye? Thats what the monk did - he didnt run away from it. Sit down and relax. Take a deep breath and notice your emotions. Do you feel stress or pain?Capture your fears on a post-it. Afterward, read them out loud one by one. What is the sensation? Do you feel paralyzed, panic or wanting to fight back? Be compassionate dont judge yourself.Accept your thoughts and emotions - invite fear to a conversation.2. Understand your fearsWhat are you really afraid of? Realizing that life is out of our control is one of the hardest lessons. When the fierce leader threatened the monk out of bravery the monk was courageous an d stared back.Get back to your post-its and try to go deeper. Ask yourself What am I really afraid of? Every time you uncover a new fear, ask the question again. Get past your most apparent emotions - asking this over and over will help you understand your core fears.Dont let emotions cloud your vision - visualize your fears, but dont see life through them.3. Embrace uncertaintyWhat is fear trying to tell you? The monk understood that regret is worse than uncertainty. Thats why he stayed. Unfortunately, our brain is wired to seek for certainty - it doesnt like to wait and see. However, life is full of unknowns, surprises, chaos, impermanence - thats pretty scary for most of us.To embrace uncertainty we must develop self-awareness, creativity, and resilience - these meta-skills are essential to adapt to the unknown. They invite us to become more curious about what can happen.Fear is an alert of a threat in the present. However, many times, theres no such danger - its a creation of our imagination. Fear is a signal that you are getting closer to something you want - its the excitement that something great is about to happen to you.Dont be afraid of what you dont know - fear is a signal dont turn it into a false alarm.- - - Befriend fear. Listen to it. What is it trying to tell you?Be patient and kind to yourself. Master one fear at-a-time. Once you conquer one level, you can move to a more difficult one.Dont be afraid of feeling afraid - the path towards fearlessness is one of self-discovery. You dont need to be brave. Just breathe.Call to actionDownload my free ebook Stretch Your Mind, a compilation of exercises to grow beyond your comfort zone, one stretch at a time.Thisarticlefirst appeared on Medium.