From & To Sathish #7 - Page 39

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250124-how-to-carry-more-than-your-own-bodyweight?utm_medium=email&utm_source=pocket_hits&utm_campaign=POCKET_HITS-EN-DAILY-SPONSORED&FINANCEBUZZ-2025_01_27=&sponsored=0&position=6&category=fascinating_stories&scheduled_corpus_item_id=b5f6f62f-9f4e-46e5-a648-908fc667009e&url=https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250124-how-to-carry-more-than-your-own-bodyweight

Springy poles and forehead straps: How to carry more than your own bodyweight

https://www.popsci.com/science/why-dont-i-remember-my-dreams/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=pocket_hits&utm_campaign=POCKET_HITS-EN-DAILY-SPONSORED&FINANCEBUZZ-2025_01_27=&sponsored=0&position=7&category=fascinating_stories&scheduled_corpus_item_id=2221f986-7325-48aa-9bb3-b1a1dea7d294&url=https://www.popsci.com/science/why-dont-i-remember-my-dreams/

Why don’t you remember all your dreams?

Whether you recall them or not, you likely dream nightly.

By Lauren Leffer

Some mornings, waking up might feel like interrupting a vivid alternate universe. You open your eyes to reality, but the dream you were having still lingers clearly in your memory, complete with characters and plot points. Other days, waking up may be more akin to emerging from a black void with nothing to report.

Even if you rarely recall details of your dreams, chances are you’re still having them. Research indicates that nearly everyone dreams regularly–even those who claim they never do. “If you bring those same people into the sleep laboratory and wake them up during an active stage of sleep and ask what they were thinking, they will remember something,” says Erin Wamsley, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Furman University, where she studies sleep and dreaming. “In sleep lab conditions, where everyone is forced to immediately reflect on dreams, most people remember at least one dream in a night,” she tells Popular Science. (The one exception seems to be people who lose the ability to dream, as a result of brain damage or disease in specific regions, and this comes with other profound effects.)

Dreaming is a relative constant, it’s just memory that varies. There is no single answer for why, and lots about dreaming remains unresolved. But science can offer hints for why dreams can be so hard to hold onto.

First, dream memory is generally short lived. Sleep studies show it’s rare to remember a dream if you don’t awake during or immediately after it, and then stop to consider what you experienced, says Wamsley. We recall our dreams best when we pay attention to them while conscious, she explains, otherwise they fade away. That’s potentially because of differences in neurotransmitter activity that occur when we’re conked out. Waking during the night is associated with better dream memory, and it’s actually quite normal to stir for a few seconds at a time and shift positions, Wamsley says. Be warned though, past a certain threshold, frequent waking translates into lower quality sleep. “Poor sleep is often associated with high dream recall…Having a few arousals is normal and healthy. Having a really large number is often part of a sleep disorder.”

On its own, waking up is important for dream memory. However, when and how you wake up also matters. Sleep phase, timing, and alarms all play a role.

Sleep occurs in four distinct stages: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and then three types of non-REM (NREM) sleep which repeat in a cycle throughout the night. NREM 1 sleep is the lightest stage and the first you fall into from waking–it only lasts a few minutes at a time. Then, during stage 2 NREM sleep, your brain waves slow and electrical activity comes in short bursts. Nearly half of adult sleep time is spent here, and from this stage your brain can transition to either NREM 3 or REM sleep. In phase 3 NREM sleep, also known as deep sleep, your brain waves slow even further and stay more consistent. This type of sleep occurs relatively early in the night, is critical for high quality rest, and makes up about a quarter of our sleeping time. Finally, in REM sleep, neural activity resembles the waking brain. Your eyes move rapidly beneath your lids (hence the name), and you spend about a quarter of the night in this phase.

You may have heard that REM sleep is when dreams happen. And it’s true that many of our most vivid, most story-like, and longest dreams tend to occur during this phase, says Wamsley. However, she notes that dreaming can occur in every stage of sleep, and people do sometimes report intense, narrative dreams when woken from non-REM stages. Yet the odds of remembering such detailed dreams are highest waking up from REM, she says. “There is about an 80% chance of remembering a dream waking up from rapid eye movement sleep and about a 50% chance waking up from other sleep stages.”

Another factor is the time of night. The closer you are in your routine to waking up for the day, the more active your brain state becomes. For many people, morning dreams can be especially vivid and memorable, says Wamsley. “We experience a greater amount of brain activity and lighter and more active sleep because our internal biological rhythm gives us this activation cue to become alert.”

But a common wake-up method can counteract that trend. If you wake up to an alarm each morning you’re going to be less likely to remember a dream, says Jing Zhang, a cognitive neuroscience researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where she studies sleep and memory. In part, that’s because alarms can stir us from deep sleep, when dream recall is lower, as opposed to allowing us to naturally come out of a lighter sleep phase, agrees Wamsley. Plus, Zhang explains that alarms can spike cortisol levels, jarring someone out of sleep and drawing their attention immediately to the demands of the day, as opposed to letting them wake more slowly and mull over any dreams.

If you’re trying to get a better grasp on your dreams, forgoing the alarm for a few days can be a simple way to up your recall. Practicing waking up and asking yourself what you just dreamed is another strategy. “Just like any memory task, if you practice it, you can get better at it,” Zhang tells Popular Science.

Other variables influencing dream memory are less easily controlled. The relative content and intensity of our dreams is a big part of why some dreams prove much more memorable than others. Emotional memories in waking life are more likely to be remembered for longer, and so are emotional dreams, says Zhang. Personality may also play a role, she notes. Across studies researchers have found that higher levels of openness–as classified on the Big Five personality test–is correlated with increased dream recall. Finally, variation in brain structure and function seems to predispose certain people to more readily remember dreams than others.

Studying dreams is difficult as there’s no definitive test or scan to show if someone is dreaming in real-time, says Zhang. Instead, scientists have to rely on peoples’ own recall. Despite the challenge, research has begun to show that dreams and memory are intertwined. Whether or not you remember a dream can actually impact your recall and emotional state in waking life, according to research from both Zhang and Wamsley.

Sleeping after a learning task, and dreaming about that task is linked to improvement in subsequent task performance and memory, according to a 2010 study led by Wamsley and a 2012 follow-up. Further, participants remembered negative images from an emotional picture task better after a night of sleep, if they reported recalling a dream, according to a 2024 study led by Zhang. The same study also found that emotional state correlated with dream content (positive dreams from the night before were linked with more positive mood the next day), and those that remembered their dreams became less emotionally responsive to neutral stimuli during follow-up tasks.

Taken altogether, Zhang interprets these findings to mean that dreaming could play a role in helping the brain to consolidate and prioritize memories. Perhaps, by rehashing aspects of our waking lives, dreams help us sort through and decide what is most important to keep and what we can let fade. “I think it can be very valuable for people to pay attention to their dreams—not necessarily to overanalyze their meaning, but to understand how dreaming is a sign your brain is doing important emotional and cognitive work,” Zhang says. “By being aware of their dreams, people might notice patterns or emotions that reflect what their mind is working on, which can be helpful for self-reflection.”

Though don’t let that trick you into over-interpreting the dreams your mind metes out. The Freudian idea that dreams align by any common code, which can be used to analyze your subconscious is “bullshit,” says Wamsley. “There’s no evidence that dreams harbor a secret meaning below the surface level, especially not one that you need a professional to tell you about,” she adds. “The person who is having the dream is the person best-positioned to say what it means. There’s no hidden manual.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtHHNxqdSVU

1927 - If I Could (1988)

If I could paint

I'd paint a portrait of you

The sunlight in your eyes a masterpiece of truth

And a single tear like a silent prayer

That's shining so much brighter than a diamond ever dared

If I could do anything at all, I'd do it for you

If I could write

I'd write a book for you

A tale of hidden treasures with an I. O. You

And a million words wouldn't say a thing

That won't be said in three words

Where love's the central theme

If I could do anything at all, I'd do it for you

Chorus

Darling can't you see

What you mean to me

Anything that I can do I'll do it for you

And darling don't you know

Just how far I'd go

Anything that I can do, I'd do it for you

Sometimes I feel so second-rate

Seems loving you was my greatest mistake

I know I'm insecure

And love don't keep score

But I wish I could give you more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4AELS0aicE

Eagles - I Can't Tell You Why (Official Video)

Look at us, baby, up all night

Tearing our love apart

Aren't we the same two people

Who lived through years in the dark?

Every time I try to walk away

Something makes me turn around and stay

And I can't tell you why

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfUkiUi1DyI

Love Will Keep Us Alive (1999 Remaster)

I was standing

All alone against the world outside

You were searching

For a place to hide

Lost and lonely

Now you've given me the will to survive

When we're hungry

Love will keep us alive

Don't you worry

Sometimes you've just gotta let it ride

The world is changing

Right before your eyes

Now I've found you

There's no more emptiness inside

When we're hungry

Love will keep us alive

I would die for you

Climb the highest mountain

Baby, there's nothing I wouldn't do

Now I've found you

There's no more emptiness inside

When we're hungry

Love will keep us alive

https://psyche.co/ideas/is-being-single-a-happier-experience-for-women-or-men?utm_source=Psyche+Magazine&utm_campaign=8816c7a4ae-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2025_05_30&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-8e23a7006c-838120577

Is being single a happier experience for women or men?

by Elaine Hoan and Geoff MacDonald, psychology researchers

More people than ever are going solo. We identified a gender difference that hints at the ingredients needed to enjoy it

‘You’ll be single for the rest of your life’ is the sort of foreboding comment that has long been directed at single people. But increasingly, they seem to be asking themselves whether ending up single is a threat or a promise. Data show that, in some places, singles comprise around 40 per cent or more of the adult population, and research suggests that a good portion of these people are intentionally choosing singlehood over relationships.

Who is particularly likely to feel that singlehood works well for them? There is reason to think it would depend partly on gender. Historically, women have faced strict expectations when it comes to romantic relationships. In many cultures, women’s perceived worth has depended on their desire and ability to marry, while men’s worth has been based more on their ability to succeed financially. Women who hesitate to marry have traditionally been thought of as odd or selfish, the common assumption being that they will get with the programme and become dutiful wives and mothers. Single women continue to be subject to cultural stereotypes such as the lonely cat lady or the miserable spinster, someone who is shunned because of her inability – or, even worse, her unwillingness – to marry.

Attacks on single women are also institutional. For example, a governmental body in China created the term ‘leftover women’, and single women in China are explicitly blamed in the news for China’s failing birth rates. But the rising tide of singlehood seems to be emboldening people to notice and question this kind of denigration. A recent and relatively radical example in South Korea is the 4B movement, which marks single women taking a stance against relationships, marriage and sex with men.

Beyond all the insults and the pushback lie some empirical questions: how are single women actually faring, and how do their experiences compare with those of single men?

Researchers have started to dig into this, but the small body of work that had been conducted until recently did not provide a clear consensus on whether men or women are happier in singlehood. In our research lab, we strive to understand who is more or less happy in singlehood, and why, by asking single people questions about how happy they are in different parts of their lives – for example, how much they like being single, or what their sex life is like. Previously, researchers have found that samples of single men and women were no different in terms of their satisfaction with their lives or their singlehood. Yet some other research has suggested that single women might be happier with their lives and their singlehood. Most of this research did not ask about how much people wanted a romantic partner, leaving untested assumptions about what single women and men want in their lives.

In a recent study, we surveyed nearly 6,000 singles – one of the largest and most diverse groups yet examined on the topic of gender and singlehood. Here, we define singles as those who are not currently in a romantic relationship. The singles were from different countries around the world, including the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Poland; ranged in age from 18 to 75; and were required to have been single for at least six months. We asked them to report their gender, and got them to answer a few well-researched and validated questions about happiness.

What we found was that, on average, single women were happier than single men. Among our respondents, 32 per cent of single women (but only 20 per cent of men) scored in the highest range of satisfaction with their singlehood. Compared with single men, single women tended to say they were happier with their lives overall, happier about being single, happier with their sex lives, and – in a sign that singlehood was working better for women – that they were less interested in having a romantic partner.

We also wondered if women being happier than men was unique to singles. Whereas single women were more content with their single status than single men were, we found that partnered women and men whom we surveyed were equally happy in their relationships. Overall, women – both single and partnered – reported higher general happiness levels than men did.

It’s worth noting that consistent with past research, both men and women in relationships were happier than their single counterparts, on average. But it seems that, despite the negative historical pressures and stereotypes surrounding women’s singlehood, single women seem to be doing quite well after all.

One potential reason why single women might tend to experience a happier singlehood has to do with their social support system, including their friends and family. It’s well established that strong social ties are an important factor in happiness, and they even seem to be one protective factor against an early death. Single people are no exception to the reality that social connections are a valuable part of a full life; singles often report that their relationships with friends, family, neighbours and acquaintances are important to their happiness.

Heterosexual men tend to rely more exclusively on wives or girlfriends for emotional and social support

But the likelihood that one finds and keeps these connections is related to gender. Studies have shown that women not only tend to have larger social networks than men, but that single women are happier with their social ties than single men are. Many young men don’t seem to be well set up for long-term social success, reporting difficulties in expressing emotions with their friends.

Although the support of a social circle is valuable for everyone, it may be particularly important for those who don’t have that ‘go-to’ person that many people have in a romantic partner. And this is particularly where men might find themselves feeling stranded. Research suggests that men tend to spend time with each other through activities, while women more often engage in intimate conversations during their quality time with friends. Women may also be more inclined than men to actively maintain their connections, such as by keeping up with people through social media. Tendencies like these could mean that single women are more likely to deepen their existing bonds and create more ‘go-to’ sources of support, compared with single men. Heterosexual men in particular tend to rely more exclusively on wives or girlfriends for emotional and social support, whereas women are more likely to have a proverbial village to turn to. For many single women, this could be a critical difference.

Women having a better time in singlehood might also reflect that, for many of them, being single seems preferable to the alternative. One perspective advanced by sexuality researchers proposes that women in heterosexual relationships are often expected to take on most of the household work and management in a way that leaves them feeling more like ‘mothers’ than lovers to their romantic partners. Add to this that women’s sexual pleasure often comes second (at best), and you can start to see why some women feel like relationships are a net loss.

The bargain might have seemed more worthwhile to some of these women in a time when men dominated the workplace, so that a relationship was the most viable path to having money in the bank. But as women have continued to make strides in the workplace and many societies have gradually moved toward greater pay equity, more women may be choosing ‘no deal’ when it comes to having a spouse. It could be that many of the single women we surveyed see singlehood as a space where there is less work, less hassle and more room for a life that addresses their needs.

Our aim in investigating gender as part of the story of singlehood is ultimately to understand what the ‘ingredients’ are in building a happy singlehood. Of course, our research findings might not apply to everyone across every context. They may or may not resonate with your experience, if you are single, and it’s possible that our results would change if we focused on different cultures.

One thing that might be universal is that singlehood doesn’t have to mean being disconnected. In his book Happy Singlehood (2019), the sociologist Elyakim Kislev describes the many ways in which singles can live fulfilling lives, such as through their strong, non-romantic social bonds. Singles who take advantage of the time and freedom to connect with a broad range of people – family, friends and others – are the ones who tell us they are enjoying singlehood the most.

If our data are telling us that this happy story applies more to women than men, on average, what can single men take away from it? In light of the growing concern about male loneliness, perhaps men can learn from women’s approach to singlehood. While social norms around masculinity might encourage them to focus more of their time and energy on pursuing financial success and climbing the career ladder, men, and particularly single men, may need to make sure they are directing enough attention towards building and maintaining social connections and taking care of themselves. This might include things like initiating more coffee chats or other hangouts to catch up with friends, or speaking with a therapist to work on their mental health. For single men who want to partner up eventually, a stronger social circle might have the benefit of making them more attractive to potential partners. But more importantly, it might bring men greater joy in singlehood as well.

https://psyche.co/ideas/african-proverbs-provide-the-blueprint-for-a-meaningful-life

African proverbs provide the blueprint for a meaningful life

by Richard Appiah, positive psychologist

Incorporating ancient African wisdom into wellbeing interventions could push positive psychology beyond its Western roots

It was a warm afternoon in August in Boston – a wedding filled with vibrant Ghanaian and African fashion: dazzling kente, flowing lace and golden beads catching the light. As the ceremony concluded, two elders, one from each family, offered words of advice to the newlyweds. Each spoke for five minutes, weaving reflections on partnership, resilience and shared growth. But it was their closing proverbs that struck me most – so effortlessly profound, yet deeply instructive. ‘One hand washes the other, and together, they wash the face,’ one said, a poignant reminder that mutual support strengthens both individuals and the relationship. The second elder concluded with: ‘When you gather firewood, you invite others to light their fire,’ underscoring the idea that generosity and shared success cultivate deeper relationships.

Long before psychology measured wellbeing, cultures worldwide embedded its principles into daily life. Confucian ideals stress gratitude and duty, aligning with research on positive relationships. Native Hawaiian Aloha Spirit fosters kindness, much like modern studies on prosocial behaviour show its benefits. Indigenous Australian Dadirri encourages deep listening, paralleling mindfulness practices. Old Norse philosophy values perseverance – what psychologists now call grit. The Māori concept of whanaungatanga emphasises interconnectedness, echoing research on social support. Islamic teachings on gratitude align with studies linking appreciation to happiness. Zen Buddhism’s focus on presence mirrors findings on mindfulness. Across cultures, resilience, kindness and meaning have been woven into traditions for centuries.

These global ideals find particular resonance in Ghanaian culture, where proverbs and Adinkra symbols serve as vessels of ancestral knowledge, each one carrying layered meanings about resilience, purpose, kindness and character, woven into cloth, echoed in speech and honoured in everyday community life.

My interest in African proverbs is deeply rooted in my upbringing in a small Ghanaian town, where wisdom wasn’t found in textbooks, but in the voices of elders. My grandfather, an unassuming church elder and community mediator, rarely gave advice or resolved conflict without invoking a proverb. Whether calming tensions between feuding neighbours or offering a sermon on a quiet Sunday, he always reached for one. And there was always one – perfectly timed, profoundly apt. I began to notice this wasn’t just his gift; it was cultural. In weddings, funerals, markets and disputes, proverbs were deployed with grace and gravitas – to heal, to teach, to persuade. They distilled complexity into clarity.

Now, as a clinical psychologist and research implementation scientist, I see these proverbs differently: not just as cultural artefacts, but as accessible tools for communicating psychological truths. I am also a positive psychologist – trained not only to understand what goes wrong in the human psyche, but also what makes life worth living. Whereas clinical psychology often focuses on diagnosing and treating mental illness, positive psychology is concerned with cultivating wellbeing, meaning and human strengths. It’s this strength-based, future-facing lens that has drawn me to African proverbs – rich with the very values that positive psychology seeks to understand and amplify, but framed in language that communities already live by.

Consider this Akan proverb from Ghana: ‘Prayetia etwi adwareye no, na ɛno nso ho efiri’ (‘As a short broom is used to clean the bathroom, it also gets cleaned’). Commonly cited in Ghanaian pedagogical and sociocultural scholarship, this proverb reflects the Akan ethic of positive reciprocity, reminding us that, in helping others, we too are supported and renewed. Beyond its practical imagery lies a profound truth – helping others benefits the helper just as much as the recipient. Research affirms this principle, referred to by psychologists as the reciprocity effect. Studies show that acts of kindness enhance wellbeing and strengthen relationships. For instance, in one study, participants who performed five acts of kindness in a single day experienced significantly greater increases in happiness than those who spread the acts over a week. Similarly, other research found that prosocial behaviour not only boosts the recipient’s mood but also enhances the giver’s sense of connectedness and emotional wellbeing.

‘The truth may be bitter, but it lasts longer than a lie,’ says a West African proverb

‘When you rise, remember those who helped you climb,’ says another Akan proverb from Ghana. It is easy to believe in the illusion of self-sufficiency, to think that our successes are entirely self-made. But no one achieves greatness alone. The mentors who shared wisdom, the family who provided support, the friends who lifted us in moments of doubt – our triumphs are built on the sacrifices and encouragement of others. Research on gratitude confirms that acknowledging the role of others in our success not only strengthens relationships but also fosters long-term happiness. Simple acts, like expressing appreciation to a mentor or writing a note of thanks, reinforce our social bonds and make us more fulfilled. A recent study found that people who engaged in brief, daily gratitude reflections experienced greater emotional wellbeing and increased connectedness. The findings underscore that recognising the contributions of others isn’t just polite, it’s a powerful psychological practice that deepens fulfilment and strengthens the very relationships that help us thrive.

In any community, integrity remains the foundation of trust. ‘The truth may be bitter, but it lasts longer than a lie,’ says a West African proverb, rooted in Yoruba and Akan traditions, often invoked in both moral instruction and conflict resolution to underscore the enduring power and relational value of honesty. Research in positive psychology affirms the many benefits of truthfulness. One study found that individuals who scored higher on measures of honesty also reported greater self-control and life satisfaction.

Finally, consider the principle that meaning gives life depth. ‘Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it,’ says a Ghanaian proverb widely attributed to the Akan people and the Mandinka of West Africa, though its imagery and message resonate across many African cultures where the baobab is revered as a symbol of knowledge and endurance. This proverb reminds us that purpose is a shared pursuit; that wisdom, like the mighty baobab, thrives through collective insight and cannot be monopolised by any one person​. The psychologist Martin Seligman’s research affirms that a sense of meaning is a crucial component of wellbeing, shaping a life of lasting significance. Recent studies have extended this, showing that people who pursue meaning through community, service or shared goals report greater life satisfaction and resilience than those who seek it solely through personal achievement. This reinforces what the proverb captures so vividly: that purpose is not a solitary quest, but something built, and sustained, together.

Far from being relics of the past, African proverbs are blueprints for a meaningful life – they function as natural positive psychology interventions fostering emotional resilience and promoting social harmony. This raises a question I find both urgent and exciting: what can African proverbs gain from positive psychology, and vice versa? After all, African proverbs and positive psychology each offer distinct, but equally powerful contributions to our understanding of wellbeing.

Proverbs distil generations of lived experience into compact, memorable truths. They’re culturally grounded, emotionally resonant, and have long served as vehicles for teaching resilience, responsibility and hope. But they’re rarely tested, structured or measured in systematic ways. That’s where positive psychology comes in. It offers the empirical tools to evaluate what works, for whom and why. For example, it allows us to assess whether a proverb-based message on gratitude measurably boosts emotional wellbeing, or whether one on perseverance strengthens coping skills after loss.

And the benefit flows both ways. Positive psychology, still largely shaped by Western norms and individualistic values, risks overlooking the communal, relational and spiritual dimensions of flourishing that proverbs consistently highlight. A proverb-based positive psychology intervention might, for instance, use a saying like ‘When the roots of a tree begin to decay, it spreads death to the branches’ (Yoruba) to anchor a group discussion on self-care and interdependence, drawing out reflections on how one’s own wellbeing affects others. Positive psychology provides the scaffolding; proverbs bring the soul.

Incorporating proverbs into therapy and coaching could strengthen trust and improve engagement

The mutual enrichment between African proverbs and positive psychology opens the door to more inclusive and effective approaches to mental health, ones that reflect the cultural values and everyday realities of people in Africa and across the Global South. While positive psychology offers empirical tools and structured interventions, its one-size-fits-all interventions often overlook cultural nuances. Proverbs bring cultural depth, lived resonance and moral imagination. Together, they could allow mental health strategies to speak not only to the mind, but to the heart and memory of communities. This fusion of science and tradition does not dilute either; it amplifies both.

Research suggests that people engage more deeply with interventions that align with their cultural beliefs. At a practical level, incorporating proverbs into therapy and coaching interventions could strengthen trust and improve engagement. Rather than imposing external therapeutic models, proverb-based positive psychology interventions validate Indigenous ways of knowing, creating interventions that feel authentic and culturally congruent.

Researchers in Ghana are now exploring how positive psychology can work in tandem with Indigenous wisdom – not to replace it, but to structure and strengthen it. Imagine a group-based intervention focused on emotional resilience. At the start of the session, participants reflect on life challenges, guided by a familiar proverb: ‘However long the night, the dawn will break.’ The facilitator weaves this into a lesson on reframing negative thoughts. At the end, the same proverb is echoed back, not just as a closing line, but as a practical tool for coping, reinterpreted through cognitive behavioural strategies.

Later that week, participants receive an SMS reminder: ‘Remember, however long the night…’ – linking a familiar proverb to the intervention’s key takeaway. In this way, the proverb becomes more than wise counsel; it becomes a living intervention tool, woven into the fabric of learning and daily life. Positive psychology offers the method; proverbs offer the voice. Together, they bring science and tradition into conversation, creating interventions that are not only evidence-based, but culturally grounded and emotionally resonant.

A farmer tending his crops, a mother comforting her child, a leader making a difficult decision – all turn to proverbs for guidance. Yet, despite their rich psychological value, they remain largely absent from mainstream (positive) psychology. I have proposed the CAPPI framework (Customisation and Application of Proverbs in Positive Interventions) as a structured way to integrate proverbs into positive psychology and mental health interventions. CAPPI can help researchers and practitioners to identify culturally relevant proverbs, align them with scientific psychological principles, and design interventions that enhance emotional regulation, strengthen social bonds and cultivate resilience. Unlike one-size-fits-all models, CAPPI ensures that wellbeing strategies resonate deeply with local values. The framework bridges Indigenous wisdom with scientific research, paving the way for globally adaptable and culturally intelligent interventions that honour the richness of diverse healing traditions.

This work has a broader vision: to push psychology beyond its Western roots and towards a globally inclusive future. Imagine if psychology wasn’t just studied in labs but lived in everyday conversations and cultural wisdom. Science should not only validate Indigenous wisdom but actively incorporate it into interventions and mental health frameworks. If psychology is to serve the world, it must reflect the full diversity of human experience.

Anton Chekhov writes in one of his stories :

At the bus stop, an old man and a young pregnant woman were waiting together.

The man kept staring at the woman’s round belly, intrigued. Then he gently dared to ask :

How far along are you ?

The young woman seemed elsewhere, lost in thought. Worry was written on her tired face. At first, she didn’t answer. Then, after a few seconds of silence, she murmured :

I’m at twenty-three weeks...

Is this your first child ? he asked.

Yes, she replied, her voice barely audible.

Don’t be afraid, he added. Everything will be all right, you’ll see.

She placed a hand on her belly, looked straight ahead, her eyes shining, fighting back tears.

— I hope so… she replied.

The old man continued:

Sometimes we let ourselves be overwhelmed by worries that, in truth, don’t deserve it...

Maybe…, she whispered sadly.

He looked at her more closely, with more compassion.

You seem to be going through a hard time. Your husband… is he not with you ?

He left me four months ago.

Why ?!

It’s complicated…

And your loved ones? Your family, friends ? No one to support you ?

She took a deep breath.

I live alone with my father… He’s ill.

A long silence. Then the old man asked :

Is he still the pillar you once knew as a child ?

Tears rolled down the young woman’s cheeks.

Yes ..… Even now.

Even in his condition? What’s wrong with him ?

He no longer remembers who I am ..…

She spoke those words just as the bus arrived.

She stood up, took a few steps… Then changed her mind, came back to the old man, gently took his hand, and said tenderly :

*Let’s go, Dad*

https://youtu.be/e74e5JB8RkI?si=T2G6rNrGLC0Peu14 Baakiyalakshmi promo 2nd to 6th june