Civic Virtue

`Civic` comes from a Latin word Civitas which means Civilized or Living in a society. Virtue comes from a Latin word which means Virtues which means being Moral or good. Hence Civic Virtue is the behavior of good Citizens. It includes things such as Compassion Perseverance Serving Obeying rules and laws Voting and so on.

Definitions: Civic Virtue is morality or a standard of righteous behavior in relationship to a citizens involvement in society. An individual may exhibit civic virtue by voting, volunteering, etc. Civic virtue is the cultivation of habits that of personal living that are claimed to be important for the success of the individual, the family and the community.

Some behavior and good things to be followed by good citizens are

accepting Rules : Rules are important, and who learn to obey them are good citizens. learning to work: There is time to play, but to become successful, one needs to learn to work. Fulfilling our vows : We should full fill our vows. When we say something we should do what we say. Better not to make a Vow, than make a Vow and break it. Respect for Law : We must respect Law.

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

Service learning
Definitions
1.Service learning is a form of experimental learning where learners (participants) apply Academic knowledge and critical thinking skills to address genuine community needs

2. An educational method by which participants learn and develop through active participation in service that is conducted in and meets the needs of the society It is essential to all professionals whether they are Engineers, Technicians or even Students they are supposed to know the ethical behavior to be followed. A part from this to cope with the environment they must also know fully about the service procedure, norms and conditions

Benefits of Service Learning : Identifies and researches local needs or issues. Combine academic curriculum with service. Motivates participants to make a difference in their communities Develops responsible Citizens Fosters sense of caring for others Provides Opportunities to address community needs and issues. Experience in working with diverse communities Provides first hand experience with economic, social, cultural and political factors. Greater depth of understanding by connecting course work to issues and concerns in the community Understanding how the non-profit, government or educational sectors function

Thus service learning is most import to get along with others so that not only the business and productivity are carried over smoothly, but also ethical behaviors are well maintained among individuals.

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

Co-Operation
Rendering a helping hand to carry out activities effectively and efficiently is termed as Co-Operation. In any field either at home or art worksite, the co-operation which improves the co-ordination, can only get the work successfully done. Definition: Co-operation can be defined as the association of number of persons for their benefits. It means to `help out get involved etc. cooperation means working together i.e. uniting efforts and resources to active a specific goal. According to the ethical principles cooperation has to exist in all respects between the superiors and subordinates, among the workers and between industry and customers lack of co-operation leads to lack of communication, unavoidable delays and finally may lead to collapse of the design and planning. If proper cooperation is not maintained in business or industries red-tapisan may come into rule leading to lot of frustration among the employees and finally enter loss to the society. In such a case it is not easy to establish total quality management in the system. How to be a co-operative person: LISTEN carefully to others and be sure you understand what they are saying SHARE : when you have something that others would like to have. COMPROMISE when you have a serious conflict TAKE TURNS where there is some thing that nobody wants to do, or when more than one person wants to do the same thing ENCOURAGE PEOPLE FEEL NEEDED Working together is a lot more fun that way.

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

Character
It is a well known fact that people are not born with a character, because character is learnt behavior not inherited. A good character emerges due to practice of proper behavior and discipline. Character can be defined as follows. The inherent complex of attributes that determine a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions Moral or ethical strength A description of a persons attributes traits or abilities. The combination of qualities like integrity, honesty, courage reflects the values and level of maturity of people. Hard work is also essential to build a sound character. The character of the people decides the quality of the organization

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

Respect for others

Respect is of great importance in every day life. Respect is basically defined as a regard for appreciation of the Worth or value of some one or something. Respect is, most generally a relation between a subject and an object, in which the subject responds to the object from a certain perspective in some appropriate way. Respect necessarily has an object: respect is always for, directed toward, paid to, felt about, shown for some object. While a very wide variety of things can be appropriate objects of one kind of respect or another, the subject of respect is always a person, that is, conscious relational being capable of recognizing things and having and expressing values with regard to them. As per Kants Argument one should never treat people merely as things. However they should be treated as autonomous moral agents. Capitalism and advances technology, forces us to think of people merely as things. Moreover, people are not allowed to make their own decisions and respects are not at all given to the rights of the people. It is better to adopt the following to practice respect. Be honest Keeping Promises No to cause suffering to other people Be fair Dont swear Accept differences Be polite to others Adopt patience when others make mistakes Be thoughtful of the feelings of others Show gratitude for kindness, etc to others

People deserve respect because they have the worth of rational beings inherently; they have the capacity for autonomy i.e. governing lives on the basis of moral principles and for exercise of good will i.e. careful effort to do what is right.

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

Caring
Definitions
Having or displaying warmth or affection. Feeling and exhibiting concern & Empathy for others Caring is a process & product which incorporates Supports, sharing and respect.

As a normal human being when an individual is dealing or moving with neighbors, friends, colleagues, even with their family members, they must have some interests about the welfare of the other persons at least to some extent these type of carrying is essential in the work place too. Caring for others and having interest in the situation of their grievances will definitely bring a good work atmosphere. This type of adjustment among the workers or between executives and subordinates in the work spot is also necessary for successful implementation of the work wad assigned. This type of morality of care, leads to concentration rather than impartiality and justice. The individuals with justice orientation in any dispute will be interested only on the fair thing to do and then bothering about the impact on others. But the individual with care orientation will try to identify best course of action that preserves the interest of all those people involved. The actions taken by care oriented people will have least amount of damage to the relationships among the persons

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

Courage
The Greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure. It is the courage that leads on.
The word courage has originated from the old French word courage meaning heart and spirit.

Definitions:
Courage is the tendency to face dangers and difficult jobs in rational ways and with self control It is the ability to confront fear, pain, uncertainty, danger or intimidation.

Courage is something we all admire. When asked to describe courage, most people conjure up the image of an individual running into a burning building or may be a functional hero saving the day. We use the word courage to honor the firefighters, rescue workers and police officers who ran into the two towers were on the verge of collapse. We also use the word courage to honor the individuals who blew the whistle on corporate corruption the above two cases are very different in the first case the individuals very life was in jeopardy by the physical actions being performed; in the second case the individuals risked their jobs by telling the truth with respect to the dangers confronted courage takes many forms such as: .

Physical Courage: It is the courage shown in response to threats of

life

Social courage : It the courage in response to social

dangers such as adverse criticism

Intellectual courage
conventions in response to ones`

is

the courage commitment

of

ones

Courage helps the People to take risk, face obstacles and face criticism. The courageous individuals have the following characteristics. Gets involved with new or innovative ideas Continues to run with his job or business even when there are certain disturbances Discuss with other even when there is an issue.

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

Ready to allow feed back and Courageous to hear about what others say even criticize

Steps to develop Courage:

Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the strength to be whom and what you are- despite the fear. 1. Recognize the fear: Dont make excuses and call it something else. You can not overcome or move through your fear if you dont recognize it as such 2. Gain understanding from the fear 3. Face the fear : feel the fear and do it any way. Honor your courage. Honor yourself every time you face a fear 4. Commit to courage : Persistently reprogram yourself for success and courageous actions.

The Courageous dont live for ever, but the timid dont live at all

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

Work Ethics
Ethics is a collection of values and behaviors which people feel are moral. In other words, ethics is the name we give to our values or good behavior. A positive work ethic is the collection of all the values and actions that people feel are appropriate in the work place. The work ethic is a cultural norm that advocates being presently accountable and responsible for the work that one does and is based on the belief that work has intrinsic value. No longer a technical degree is sufficient to obtain and maintain a good job; employees must also be aware of hero his/her work ethics affect coworkers, clients and ultimately the success of the business. Employers have already realized this impact and are now demanding that employees come work ready and not just trained.

Work Ethics Traits:

1. Attendance: Arrives / Leaves on time and gives advance notice of planned absence. 2. Character: Displays loyalty, honesty trust worthiness, dependability, reliability self discipline and self responsibility. 3. Team Work: Respects the right of others, respects confidentiality, is cooperative, is assertive, and demonstrates mannerly behavior. 4. Appearance: Demonstrations appropriate dress, grooming, hygiene and etiquette. 5. Attitude : Demonstrates a positive attitude; appears self confident, has realistic expectation of oneself 6. Productivity: Follows safety practices keep work area neat and clear makes up assignments punctually. 7. Organizational skills: manifests skills in prioritizing, management of time and stress and ability to deal with change. 8. Communication : Displays appropriate verbal and non verbal skills 9. Co-operation: Displays leadership skills maintain appropriate relations with supervisors and peers. 10. Respect: Deals appropriately with cultural / racial diversity and treats every one with respect. Why Work Ethics? As much as ever before it is important for workers to have good work ethics without business and industries struggle as productivity falls short of what is needed. Employees especially dislike hiring people who would choose the prop up their feet rather than find something to do.

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

How is your work Ethic? An instrument that has been developed to measure work ethics is the occupational work Ethic Inventory (OWEI). The instrument has been used in research and the electronic version provides a basis for comparing your work ethics to that of others. Researches have shown that many characteristics of work ethics can be summarized using three terms interpersonal skills, initiative and being dependable. Interpersonal Skills include the habits, attitudes, manners, appearance and behaviors we use around other people which effect how we get along with others people. Initiative: Initiative is a very important characteristic for information age workers. Direct supervision is often not a feature of the modern work place. With out initiative, procrastination and missed opportunities can become a real problem. Being Dependable: Being dependable is one of the most highly sought after traits for workers in their modern work place. This work ethics construct includes honesty, reliability and being on time. The U.S Department of Labor estimates that 80 present of workers who lose their jobs do so not because of lack of occupational skills, but because of poor work ethics. Although employers may seek employees with technical skills, they also realize the role of good work ethics in business. Surveys over the past decade overwhelmingly show employers desire to hire employees with good work ethics realizing that skills can be taught, but good work ethics are some thing important the employees must possess.

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

Empathy
Pity is feeling sorry for some one; Empathy is feeling sorry with some one. - Martin Luther king Jr. The origin of the word empathy dates back to the 1880s when German psychologist Theodore Lipps coined the term einfuhlung (in feeling) to describe the emotional appreciation of anothers feelings. Empathy is the capacity to understand another persons experience from within that persons frame of reference. Even more simply stated, empathy is the ability to Put oneself in anthers shoes. Empathy, the recognition of emotional status of others, requires that we imagine how others feel and what their needs might be. It requires letting go of self-preoccupation, it requires paying attention to people other than ourselves; it requires observation, listening and understanding. To have empathy we need self-awareness. If we understand ourselves and our emotions we will more easily be able to understand others. Definition: The Encyclopedia Britannica (1999 Edition) defines empathy as The ability to imagine oneself in anothers place and understand the others feeling, desires ideas and action. Characteristics of an Empath: Highly sensitive, compassionate and considerate Broad minded Affectionate and good listener Non violent and Non aggressive Problem solvers Thinkers Emotionally expressive Talks openly and frankly

Benefits of Empathy Empathy connects people Empathy builds trust Empathy closes the communication gap Empathy is the building block for other kinds of Pro-social behavior

Lack of Empathy lead to stubbornness, only recognize our own views as important, and taking no notice of any one elses ideas or opinions. Lack of empathy also leads to lack of respect for others and s By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

lack of restraint toward then and can result in callousness and even cruelty. Empathy, that uniquely human ability to imagine oneself in anothers position, to understand how others think and feel, to emotionally enter another Persons world and to respond with compassion is essential to healthy relationships, social unity and personal growth.

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

Valuing Time
Time is money. You can make money, you cant make time.
To utilize the available time in an optimum manner and to achieve ones personal and professional goals, Time management is very important. Time cant be managed. Time is uncontrollable. We can only manage ourselves and our use of time. Take Take Take Take Take Take time time time time time time to to to to to to work it is the price of success think it is the price of power Read it is the price of Wisdom love it is the privilege of god serve it is the purpose of life Laugh it is the music of soul.

Common Time management problems are: Procrastination Poor delegation

Procrastination: It is the Worlds No. 1 time waster. Banish it from your life. There is no time like present to do any work. Poor delegation: Delegation is not abdication. Dont spend time on work that can be done to satisfactory level, by your subordinates. Delegation improves results by making fuller use of resources and time.

Tips for Time Management.

Spend time planning and organization Set goals Prioritize Use a to do list Be flexible Consider your Biological Prime Time Practice the Art of Intelligent Neglect

Make sure you know where your time goes peter Drucker

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

LIVING PEACEFULLY
Life teaches where all else fails. But the lessons of life take a long time to come Nisargadatta. Life is like a river flowing eternally. Another characteristic feature of life is its natural, spontaneous flow. But the human being does not flow. But the human being does not flow with ones life as the mind refuses and gets stuck at the banks of the river. The refusing mind is the problem in life. The sages, starting from the ancient Buddha to the recent Nisargadatta, and Krishnamurti, advise the humanity to flow with life by accepting whatever it brings. Letting come what comes and go what goes. Observe the actual, as and when it happens. If he reasons, thinks, argues and resists he cannot see the reality of the happening and respond to it in a fitting manner. To find the reality he must be real in the smallest daily action as said by Nisargadatta). Every where we come across with aggressive encounters either verbal or physical; conflicts, violent attacks and out bursts. Many a man desires to have peaceful living, without having peace in mind man can not afford to have peace in life. What any man inwardly reflects in his outward behavior. The easy and immediate step appears to be to stop hurting oneself and others. If we want peace, we are to deserve it: Usually peace of mind is distributed by a desire for more; desire to be better than anybody. Man is not happy with what he has, so devalues what he has, gets alienated from what he is and wishes to become something which he is not. Another cause of lack of peace is imaginary fears. Memories of pain in the past make man fearful. The mind is restless with fears of repetition of the pain. Hence it wishes to escape into the imaginary future too. Sages say that peace is distributed by being a slave to your desires and fears. The mind being occupied and obsessed with them disturbs oneself and others. Watch the way of alienation: One has to attend to the disturbing factors instead of having the ideal of peace merely. Detach yourself from all the makes your mind restless. Renounce all that disturbs, its peace as said by Nisargadatta (1973) If one is afraid one is to observe the fears, verify whether they are real or imaginary, find how these fears lead to escapes, resort to identification with the groups in the name of castle, class, race, religion, region, nationality, language, culture, sect etc. We are to observe the consequences of identification with a group or groups wanting security. We are to find how we are distancing ourselves from the remaining groups By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

or humanity by clinging to that group. Alienation always causes fear and fear deepens alienation. It is a vicious circle, which can only be broken when we see its dangers.

How we live matters not what we live: Your mind is stepped in the habit of evaluation and acquisition as said by Nisargadatta (1973). We are conditioned to accumulate knowledge. So we accumulate things happening in day to day life in human relationships. The relationships are to be dynamic as the life is dynamic. The memories about the out comes of relationships disturb the dynamic nature of relationships because the facts of life are shadowed by the fancies of opinions. Words are valuable for between the word and its meaning there is a link. But words dont create facts. They either describe the facts or distort them. The fact is always non verbal. Hence the sages advice for peace you must go beyond the word. Living is lifes only purpose: All the things in the world, in the universe are happening without the efforts of man. We need not do anything for many of these phenomena. Rather we should not prevent these natural happenings with out futile efforts. Endangered environmental phenomena are the outcome of the greedy, irresponsible and selfish human efforts. Uncaring and pleasure craving man is responsible for the ills of either outer environment or the inner. All illness begins in the mind. So, we are to take care of the mind first, by tracing and eliminating all the wrong ideas and emotions. Disease is painful, even dangerous but if dealt with rightly, it heals even the mind. Nisargadatta (1973) proposes that the diseases of living are cured by the good dose of intelligent detachment. If the man is non-judgmentally participating in the flow of life; lives up to him both in ups and downfalls, ends all the occupations of the mind in the light of self-awareness, does what ever work he has to complete, keeps him available to the demand of life, does not resist what comes uninvited and lets go what goes he can be peaceful and dutiful. In other words Want what you have and care not for what you do not have. But most of the times we want people to be good towards us but we neglect being good to others. Likewise we want peace and harmony in the world but refuse to have them in ourselves. Nisargadatta directs the man, Be at peace with your inner and you will be at peace with everybody. Human relationship cannot be planned; it is too rich and varied. Just be understanding compassionately free of all self-seeking.

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

HONESTY
The word honesty comes from the Latin word honestus, honor, and both modifications of the ancient Latin word honor, which means of persons holding an honorable position, respectable. Honesty is one of the most important Virtues. Engineering profession resembles with the construction process of a structure or building; honesty being its foundation. The value of engineering services depends on honesty. Unreliable engineering judgment will be the worst. Rather it is better to be with none at all. Honesty also refers to the maintenance of truth or NOT to misuse the truth. Misuse of truth may indicate failing to communicate the truth also. Honesty has two aspects 1. 2. Truthfulness(meeting responsibilities concerning truth) Trust worthiness (meeting responsibilities concerning trust)

These two aspects of honesty are interwoven: being truthful is essential to being worthy of trust and vice-versa. Honesty normally includes the activities like not lying, not stealing, not involving in bribes or kick backs. 1. 2. Honesty in Act: It means the individual should not steal, not engage in bribes and kickbacks, not manipulating accounts. Honesty in speech: Means, not deceiving, that is not intentionally misleading others. More positively honesty in speech means being candid: willingly revealing all pertinent information. Honesty in Belief: It denotes intellectual honesty i.e., forming ones beliefs without self-deception. Honesty in Discretion: It means that an employee should not interfere with the decisions of the employer or the client. He should not interfere in the confidential matters.

3. 4.

Honesty is a fundamental virtue for those who engage in the relationships between engineers and their employers and clients. These relationships are based on trust trust that engineers will efficiently perform the services for which they are hired.

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

INTEGRITY
Integrity has originated from the Latin word Integer which means whole. Integrity is not an inherited quality. It is learned. It can be improved. Mortal integrity is the unity of character. On the basis of moral concern, and especially on the basis of honesty. The unity is consistency among our attitudes, emotions and conduct in relation to justified moral values. Integrity is being the same person to everyone who every they are. Integrity is bridge between responsibility in private and personal life. There must not be a schism between the working life and public self of the sort Charles Reich described when he wrote It is this split that some times infuriates The individual has two roles, two covers, two masks, two sets of values Neither the man at home nor man at work is the whole man; it is impossible to know, talk to, or confront the whole man, for that wholeness is precisely what does not exist. Importance of Integrity: Integrity makes possible, the virtues of self respect & pride in ones work. It precludes the attitude that one is not personally accountable for ones work. It implies a concern for achieving excellence in the technical aspect of ones work.

Maintaining integrity is some what difficult and complicated because a few jobs are designed to have a perfect mesh between personal ideals and work activities of some one. Some compromise is inescapable and even desirable. The ability to identify which compromises are reasonable and willingness to make reasonable compromises is essential to maintain integrity. - =0 - =0 - =0 -

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

SELF-CONFIDENCE
Self confidence is a factor which places a very great part in the emotional make-up of a person. Definition: Self confidence is essentially an attitude which allows us to positive and realistic perception of ourselves and our abilities. It is characterized by personal attributes such as assertiveness, optimism, enthusiasm affection, pride, independence; trust the ability to handle criticism and emotional maturity. Confidence is learned not inherited. Ones level of confidence is shown by ways such as Behavior Your Body language How you speak What you say and so on.

Characteristics of people with low self confidence: Govern their behavior based on what other people think. Stay in their comfort zone, fearing failure and so avoid taking risks. They work hard to cover-up mistakes and praying that they can fix the problem before anyone is wiser. Extolling their virtues as often and to as many peoples as possible. Dismiss compliments off handedly.

Qualities of self-confident people: Doing what they believe to be right even if others mock or criticize them for it. They are willing to take risks and go the extra mile to achieve better things. Admit their mistakes and vow to learn from them. They wait for others to congratulate them on their own accomplishments. They accept compliments graciously.

What self-confidence is NOT: 1. Egotism is not self confidence:

Some people confuse high self confidence with egotism but the two are vastly different. The ego is a pale imitation of self confidence. 2. Selfishness is not self confidence:

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

What we can expect from improving our selfconfidence?

Our feelings about ourselves Our interactions with the world Our relationships Sets the stage for positive change Eliminate the need to impress others. No longer upset when other criticizes us etc.

Factors affecting development of self-confidence.

(a) Parental Attitude: When parents provides acceptance children receive a solid foundation for good feelings about themselves. (b) Fear:

Strategies for developing self confidence:

1. Emphasize strengths: Give yourself credit for everything you try. efforts rather than emphasizing end products. 2. Applaud yourself for

Take Risks: Approach new experiences as opportunities to learn rather than occasions to win or lose. Doing so opens you up to new possibilities and increases your sense of self acceptance. 3. Self Talk: What you say to yourself is important and influences your self confidence in a positive or negative way. You should talk encouragingly to yourself. 4. Self Evaluate: Learn to evaluate yourself independently. Doing so allows you to avoid the constant sense of turmoil that comes from relaying exclusively on the opinions of others. 5. Read to Grow: The more you learn the more you will grow, the more your self confidence will improve. By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani

You cant change people, but you can change yourself.

By Mrs M.Lakshmi Rani