Vlog IELTS

 No, most narcissists do not change, in fact, they just get worse with age, because narcissistic personality disorder is a deeply ingrained and pervasive pattern of behavior, and it's often resistant to change, and while some narcissists may be able to mimic empathy, or pretend to be interested in others, it's often just a facade, and beneath the surface, they're still driven by their own selfish desires, and their need for power, control, and admiration. It's also important to remember that narcissists often use manipulation, and coercion, to get what they want, and they can be incredibly charming, and charismatic, when it suits their purposes, but beneath the charm, they're often ruthless, and exploitative, and they'll stop at nothing to achieve their own ends, and to feed their own ego. As narcissists get older, they often become even more entrenched in their own narcissistic tendencies, and they may become even more isolated, and disconnected from others, as...

 Practicing the Subtle Art of Detachment Why taking a step back is as necessary as moving forward From everything that I recall about my life so far, I can say one thing with absolute certainty. I have been an extremely passionate person. Passionate about everything. Be it life in general, work, friendships, relationships. Bustling with energy, I have always liked to give my heart, my soul, my mind, and my energy completely into things that matter to me. I take the leap and I go all in like there is no middle spot. And that always seemed to work for me. I was always on the high wave, getting things done, maintaining the happiest relationships and believing with certainty that I could achieve absolutely anything. Until, I reached a day when the things that really mattered to me were at a point of collapse and I collapsed along with them. And my story is not really unique in this sense. Mental fatigue and burnout is almost like the epidemic of the century. Some of the brightest peopl...

 Prolonged Screentime May Lead to Depression Cyberbullying, social comparisons, recognition seeking, and impact on self-image spending more time on social media leads to anxiety and depression 4 or more hours of daily screen time linked to more anxiety and depression in teens, data shows. Teens getting four or more hours of screen time each day are more likely to experience anxiety and depression, according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics. In a brief shared by the agency Wednesday, data showed about half of teenagers aged 12 to 17 had 4 hour or more of daily screen time between July 2021 and December 2023. 22.8% had 3 hours of daily screen time, 17.8% had 2 hours, 6.1% had 1 hour, and only 3% had less than 1 hour. For the brief, teenagers reported their own screen time use during a typical weekday, excluding time spent doing schoolwork, the authors noted. During the same time frame, about 1 in 4 teens who reported 4 or more hours of daily screen time ...

 1 THE JOURNEY The warm California sun greeted Butch Connor as The stepped out of his he truck and onto the sands of Salmon Creck Beach. It was the first day of a long holiday weekend, and a perfect morning to grab his board and head out for a surf. Most of the other local surfers had the same idea that morning, and after 30 minutes or so, Butch decided to leave the crowd behind. He penetrated the water's surface with long, deep strokes that propelled him away from the pack and over to a stretch of beach where he could catch a few waves away from the crowd. Once Butch had paddled a good 40 yards away from the other surfers, he sat up on his board and bobbed up and down in the rolling swells while he waited for a wave that caught his fancy. A beautiful teal wave began to crest as it approached the shoreline, and as Butch lay down on his board to catch the wave, a loud splash behind him stole his attention. Butch glanced over his right shoulder and froze in horror at the sight of a 1...

 In a world increasingly driven by persuasion and manipulation, it’s easy to find ourselves at the mercy of others’ influence. In How to Avoid Being Manipulated by Nancy Noble, readers are offered a toolkit to recognize and resist manipulation in all its forms. Through sharp insights and real-world examples, Noble reveals how manipulation creeps into our relationships, workplaces, and even our own minds. This book is an empowering guide to understanding the subtle art of manipulation and learning how to protect yourself from its harmful effects.  Here are ten lessons that will help you reclaim control and maintain your autonomy in a world full of subtle persuaders. 1. Understanding Manipulation: The first lesson is all about recognizing manipulation for what it is. Noble defines manipulation as the use of deceit or influence to get someone to do something they wouldn't otherwise do. Awareness is the first step in fighting manipulation; if you can identify the signs, you’re hal...

Part 1 READING PASSAGE 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1 -13, which are based on Reading Passage 1 below. Undersea Movement A The underwater world holds many challenges. The most basic of these is movement. The density of water makes it difficult for animals to move. Forward movement is a complex interaction of underwater forces. Additionally, water itself has movement. Strong currents carry incredible power that can easily sweep creatures away. The challenges to aquatic movement result in a variety of swimming methods, used by a wide range of animals. The result is a dazzling underwater ballet. B Fish rely on their skeleton, fins, and muscles to move. The primary function of the skeleton is to aid movement of other parts. Their skull acts as a fulcrum and their vertebrae act as levers. The vertebral column consists of a series of vertebrae held together by ligaments, but not so tightly as to prevent slight sideways movement between each pair of vertebrae. The whole sp...

 THI IELTS LẦN ĐẦU TIÊN ĐẠT AIM 8.5 OVERALL NHƯ THẾ NÀO? Xin chào mọi người. Mình vừa nhận được kết quả thi IELTS ngày 31/8 tại IDP Hai Bà Trưng và thật sự rất sốc khi thấy điểm ạĐây là lần đầu mình thi mà không ngờ lại đạt kết quả ngoài mong đợi nên hôm nay chui lên review cũng như chia sẻ kinh nghiệm cho mọi người nhé hihi Speaking: Mình thi speaking vào 8h50 sáng ngày 31/8 luôn. Trộm vía là cô giám khảo siêu đáng yêu nha. Cô là người Ấn Độ hay sao í, nghe các bạn trước review là cô khá khó nên mình cũng lo, nhưng lúc thi thì cô vui vẻ, tươi cười rất nhiềuvà đặc biệt là không ngắt lời mình (có ngắt 1 lần part 2 do mình lố giờ =))))). Part 1 câu hỏi bao gồm space and stars, art, and the city you grew up in. Part 2 là “Describe a person you enjoyed talking to at a party”, cái này khá dễ so với các topic khác ^^ Part 3 cô hỏi mình khá nhiều, chủ yếu là về younger kids và differences in generations. Cách học: Speaking thì mình ôn cũng khá kỹ so với các kỹ năng còn lại. Mình chủ yếu x...

THE READING HUB A Counterintuitive Way to Cheer Up When You're Down When you most need to get happier, try giving happiness away.  Norman Rockwell painted some of the most iconic images of 20th-century America. His paintings were intended to evoke the best in people who saw them: hope, solidarity, courage, justice-but most of all, happiness. The bulk of his work captured scenes of lighthearted joy. I have seen these paintings my whole life, starting with my grandfather's beloved, dog-eared coffee-table book of Rockwell's greatest works. A printing-press operator in Longview, Washington, my grandfather was no art connoisseur. But he gave this assessment of Rockwell: "These pictures make me feel happy." And yet, Rockwell himself struggled with happiness. In 1953, he moved to a bucolic town in the Berkshires-not for its natural beauty and peace but because it happened to be the home of a psychiatric hospital where he and his wife could receive treatment for chronic d...

 Here are 10 lessons from Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear:  1. Focus on Systems, Not Goals      - Success is achieved by improving daily habits, not by fixating on end goals. Systems lead to sustainable progress.  2. Start Small to Build Momentum      - Small, incremental changes compound over time. Even a 1% improvement daily leads to significant results.  3. Habit Stacking Creates Momentum      - Link a new habit to an existing one. For example, after brushing your teeth, meditate for a minute.  4. Make Habits Obvious      - Design your environment to encourage good habits. For instance, place a book by your bedside to encourage reading.  5. Make Habits Attractive      - Pair new habits with something enjoyable to make them more appealing and easier to adopt.  6. Leverage the Power of Ide...

 Experts say that a person's personality undergoes massive transformation during the first years of marriage.  Researchers studied 169 newlywed heterosexual couples for 18 months to detect trends in their personality change after marriage. In the study, published in Developmental Psychology, the team observed five personality changes among married couples: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Commitment to marriage has a positive effect on the wives’ emotional stability, as data showed that wives became less anxious, depressed, and angry after marriage. On the other hand, husbands become more conscientious, which means they become more dependable and responsible in marriage. Yet, in the study, both partners were found to be less open as time went on. This change reflects their acceptance of the routines of marriage. In short, people fall into a pattern — one that is hard to modify or change. Ultimately, the study showed that couples genera...