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Daily Vocab Capsule 11th October 2017

Daily English Vocab

Knitting a Safety Net

Durga spent more than half her adult life battling mental illness. Driven by allegiance (loyalty or commitment) towards her children, she seemed committed to recovery, following her first breakdown. Her daughters, now married, remained unwavering in their support. She, however, felt like a burden, and experienced a sense of alienation. Disheartened by seemingly inadequate standards of responsiveness on emotional and pragmatic needs, she felt let down by her family. Determined to die, rather than live a lifebereft (deprived of or lacking (something).) of the joy of mutually valued relationships or dignity of self-reliance, she set herself alight, undaunted (not intimidated or discouraged by difficulty, danger, or disappointment.) by the finality of her decision.

One wonders if longer periods of institutional care or financial recourse could have saved her; though irreconcilable experience of social distance seemed her primary disadvantage. Earlier, even when confronted by grave adversity, she had doggedly pursued the goal of securing her children’s safety and future, and fought social systems that ostracized (exclude from a society or group.) her on multiple counts: economic class, gender, status of a widow, and indeed her mental illness. Her focus on achieving valued gains for her children gave her hope, purpose and meaning.

Today, 800,000 persons die by suicide globally and over 1,33,000 in India every year. Among 15-29 year olds, it’s the second leading cause of death. Reasons attributed range from family problems and ill health to mental illness, debt, unemployment, failure in exams and relationships.

Those who have studied the nature and manifestation of such profound distress attribute it to factors ranging from neural networks to unfulfilled expression of autonomy, affiliation, dominance, etc. We align our views to three theories. The first by psychologist Thomas Joiner, who posits (put forward as fact or as a basis for argument.) that those who experience a ‘thwarted sense of belongingness’ and ‘perceived burdensomeness’ when coupled with a ‘sense of fearlessness’ are at highest risk. The second, by Emile Durkheim, who links diminished and extensive social connections or low and high integration with society, and suicide. The third, Marsha Linehan’s attributions, which include one’s biological predisposition (inclination), trauma and deficits in emotional self-regulation.

Why the distress?

We argue that multiplicity of seemingly intractable material and existential problems results in turmoil, followed by confusion and apathy that invokes feelings of distance, unquietness and feeling trapped. Inability to grapple with (to fight with) the complexity of economic and social pressures of survival and conformity seem to result in an all-pervasive sense of hopelessness. While this hypothesis needs testing, it is evident that a breakdown in safety nets augments social vulnerabilities and builds insurmountable (too great to be overcome.) distress.

History shares with us the essentiality of social policies that support those in distress through periods of economic lows. As accentuated levels of social suffering prevailed through the Great Depression in the U.S., at the intersections of health and social domains, it was death by suicide that showed significant increase in incidence, in comparison to most other ill health conditions. States that maintained social equilibrium safeguarded essential interests of the disadvantaged through uninterrupted investments in health, education and social sectors. In this context, it may be important to note that 70% of persons who died by suicide in India lived on an annual income of Rs. 1 lakh.

The way forward

As we better understand predictors of suicide, key harm reduction theories emerge. Responsive health systems have to be pursued, unequivocally with a sense of commitment and urgency. While debt and ill health-related issues feature as disparate pieces that exacerbate distress, they come together in a vicious nexus to build despair. The injustice of relative poverty or the anguish of perpetual and intergenerational distress resulting from intractable structural barriers pose a form of uncategorised violence that result in passive resignation, and worse still, a lack of optimism and a chronic and irrefutable (impossible to deny or disprove.) state of hopelessness.

The Bhore Committee had stated that every Indian should be able to access health care “without the humiliation of proving their financial status, or the bitterness of accepting charity”. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stand true even today.

In the case of the ultra-poor living with mental health issues, targeted social interventions such as the disability allowance, an entitlement, that helps mediate struggles of deprivation, and by extension, exclusion, mandated by the Mental Health Care Act and the Rights of Persons with Disability Act, must be better streamlined, adopting an integrated single window health and social care system that will minimizecumbersome (slow or complicated and therefore inefficient.) bureaucracy.

At a societal level, widening gaps linked to power and control may have defeated values of empathy and engaged compassion. Within families and across social groups, a mutual sense of responsibility and affiliation towards each other must be reinforced, through rituals and culture, social training or self-learning. Being kinder helps save lives and even as we celebrate diversity and agency, values of interdependence have to be strengthened.

Finally, focus on personal meaning that motivates and goads one forward must be ardently pursued. Caught in the quagmire (an awkward, complex, or hazardous situation.) of everyday struggle and social forces, personal aspirations built on the foundation of dominant social norms may stealthily appropriate our authentic core, as we realign our values and positions and conform. Maybe the liberty of expression, that is considerate of heterogeneous social circumstances and yet free, will give us a fillip (something which acts as a stimulus or boost to an activity.) to discover our truth and a vital strain of hope.

Courtesy: The Hindu (General Studies)

1. Fillip (noun): Something which acts as a stimulus or boost to an activity. (प्रोत्साहन)

Synonyms: Stimulus, Boost, Encouragement, Incitement, Incentive, Impetus, Inducement, Motivation.

Antonyms: Discouragement, Deterrent.

Example: Whenever you feel de-motivated, use path of successful persons as a fillip to go ahead.

Verb forms: Fillip, Filliped, Filliped

Related words:

Fillip (verb) - प्रोत्साहित करना

2. Undaunted (adjective): (Not intimidated or discouraged by difficulty, danger, or disappointment.) (अविचलित/निडर/साहसी)

Synonyms: Unafraid, Unfaltering, Fearless, Dauntless, Intrepid, Bold, Valiant, Brave.

Antonyms: Coward, Fearful.

Example: Soldiers are always undaunted by the mission and bravely marches into battle.

Verb forms: Daunt, Daunted, Daunted.

Related words:

Daunt (verb) - Make (someone) feel intimidated or apprehensive.

Origin:  from Latin domare ‘to tame’.

3. Ostracize (verb): (Exclude from a society or group.) (बहिष्कृत करना)

Synonyms: Boycott, Exclude, Expel, Shun, Spurn

Antonyms: Accept, Befriend, Include, Welcome

Example: In some countries, having different beliefs may cause people to ostracize you and deny you access to certain places.

Verb forms: Ostracize, Ostracized, Ostracized.

4. Posit (verb): (Put forward as fact or as a basis for argument.) (किसी स्थिति में रखना)

Synonyms: Postulate, Put Forward, Propound, Predicate, Hypothesize, Assert, Set Forth.

Antonyms: Abstain.

Example: To get suggestions for company improvements, the firm’s vice-president has asked employees toposit ideas for ways to improve morale.

Verb forms: Posit, Posited, Posited.

Related words:

Origin: from Latin posit- ‘placed’

5. Allegiance (noun): (Loyalty or commitment to a superior or to a group or cause.) (निष्ठा)  

Synonyms: Loyalty, Faithfulness, Fidelity, Obedience, Adherence, Devotion.

Antonyms: Disloyalty, Disobedience, Faithlessness, Inconstancy, Treachery.

Example: We took an oath of allegiance upon entering the military.

Related words:

Allegiant (adjective) - Adhering firmly and devotedly, as to a person, a cause, or a duty (निष्ठावान)

6. Bereft (adjective): Deprived of or lacking, Sad and alone. (अभाव/के बिना)

Synonyms: Deprived, Devoid, Minus, Wanting, Without

Antonyms: Full, contented. 

Example: When her boyfriend left died, Shona felt bereft of love.

7. Insurmountable (adjective): (Too great to be overcome.) (अजेय/अलंघ्य)

Synonyms: Insuperable, Unconquerable, Invincible, Unassailable

Antonyms: Beatable, Attainable, Defeatable

Example: We should to start managing our finances better so that debts should not becomeinsurmountable.

8. Irrefutable (adjective): (Impossible to deny or disprove.) (अखंडनीय)

Synonyms: Indisputable, Undeniable, Unquestionable, Incontrovertible, Incontestable.

Antonyms: Disputable, Doubtful, Dubious, Questionable.

Example: Because the jury did not have irrefutable evidence, they could not find the defendant guilty of the crime.

Verb forms: Refute, Refuted, Refuted.

Related words:

Refute (verb) -  खंडन करना

Origin: from Latin refutare ‘repel, rebut’.

9. Cumbersome (adjective): Large or heavy and therefore difficult to carry or use / slow or complicated and therefore inefficient. (भारी/जटिल)

Synonyms: Complicated, Complex, Hefty, Weighty, Burdensome

Antonyms: Convenient, Light, Manageable

Example: The assignment was so cumbersome that Jill had to hire six temporary workers to assist her.

10. Quagmire (noun): (An awkward, complex, or hazardous situation.) (असमंजस/ कठिन परिस्थिति)

Synonyms: Muddle, Mess, Predicament, Mare's Nest, Quandary, Entanglement, Imbroglio.

Antonyms: Solution, Breakthrough.

Example: Since Jim lost all of his money gambling, he is stuck in a financial quagmire.