You’ve likely met the humblebrag before —— boasting (吹噓) in a way of a complaint, such as “I’m having such a worrying day. I got two job offers and I don’t know what to do.”

This is a typical example of humblebragging, a term coined by comedic writer Harris Wittels referring to “a specific type of boast that allows the offender to broadcast their achievements without the necessary shame and guilt that should normally accompany such claims.” In simpler terms, it’s a way to disguise a boast with some humility (谦让). Humblebragging comes in two different forms. The first is humility - based, an example being,＂can’t believe I got the highest grade in my class ”. The second type comes mixed with a bit of complaint, for example,＂I can’t believe that shopkeeper asked me for ID. I’m 25!”

People don’t like when others humblebrag because they find they are lacking in sincerity. Sincerity is a critical dimension of social evaluation, which is viewed as fundamental to people’s identity. In fact, people prize sincerity even above competence and warmth in others, according to Dr. Sezer.

If humblebragging doesn’t work, and no one likes it, why do we still do it? We all want to highlight our positive qualities without seeming proud. By speaking in a complaint or an expression of humility, we hope we’ll somehow land on the “sweet spot” of self - presentation: promoting ourselves while also conveying likability. In addition, research suggests that people may experience positive feelings while humblebragging.

Considering that we’re all likely to feel the urge to humblebrag, at least to some extent, the proper response when we hear a friend doing it may be to simply let it go——because ultimately we’re going to do it ourselves, and who really wants to be called out on it?

Why do some parents tend to hold back their disabled children from experiencing life? Even when they are grown, the parents will not allow certain things to happen. It's true that they do have a certain amount of responsibility in protecting their severely disabled adult child, but at what point do they become overly protective?

Parents want to create a safe haven, a place where they know that nothing bad will happen to their beloved child. This seems to be a respectable and notable act in caring for a person with a disability, but it can have a side effect. When protecting their child from suspected hardships, not wanting anything bad to happen to them, they very well may be preventing good things from happening to them.

In life we all make mistakes, it is how we are able to grow and strengthen our character. Parents may feel that in certain instances their child will get hurt or mistreated in some way, so they build walls in their own minds convincing themselves of the need to shelter. However, the disabled, yes even the "severely disabled" deserve to make personal mistakes as well. Even more, they have the right to succeed.

Parents should do everything and anything within their power to see their disabled children lead a somewhat "normal" life. Parents should help their children, not hold them down. This could make them think they are unworthy and that their parents do not believe in them.

Whatever it may be, let them at least try. If they want to attend college, so be it. Parents should find out all they can, and be involved in every detail. Get to know the aides, experience it with them. If they want to dare and someday marry, so be it. Don't shut them out and form bad or critical opinions about them just because you are afraid. Unite as a family and make it work.

Sleep in Different Cultures

It is apparent that there are significant differences in sleep patterns in different parts of the world, and that sleep patterns have also changed over time. Traditions, cultural values, local conditions and environments all influence sleep patterns.

One major source of these differences is the widespread use of artificial(人造的) light, which has led to changes in the sleep patterns in the industrialized world. It is thought that today we sleep several hours less than before industrialization. Artificial light has encouraged people to go to bed later and to sleep the whole night through (Monophasic Sleep), rather than the more broken up and flexible sleep patterns (Biphasic Sleep). During the long nights of the winter months, our ancestors used to break sleep up into two or more parts, separated by an hour or two of quiet restfulness.

Even within the developed world, there are still significant differences in sleep patterns. A study carried out in ten countries in 2002 showed some of these regional variations. For instance, the results of sleeping time at night from individual countries varied from 6 hours 53 minutes in Japan to 8 hours 24 minutes in Portugal. Over 42% of Brazilians took regular afternoon naps (short sleeps), compared to only 12% of Japanese people.

A daytime nap is a common habit among adults in many countries. Spain, in particular, has raised the nap almost to the level of an art form. The experience of Japan is a clear example of the way a culture change can affect sleep patterns. In the 1950s, Japan was keen to rebuild. Japanese workers were encouraged to wake early and finish late as well. The work-place nap was encouraged as a way for a worker to increase productivity, even though in fact it probably degraded the quality of night-time sleep even more. Today, sleep is perhaps more undervalued in Japan than anywhere else.

It is clear, then, that there are cultural and historical differences in our sleep patterns. Yet the one thing that stays the same across all cultures is the one truth about sleeping: We all do it!