Awareness is the state or ability to perceive, comprehend, or recognize something. It is a fundamental aspect of consciousness that allows individuals to be conscious of their surroundings, emotions, thoughts and sensations.
Awareness can refer to a broad range of experiences, from being aware of one's immediate environment to being aware of more abstract concepts such as one's beliefs and values. it can be achieved through various means such as introspection, mindfulness, meditation, and sensory perception.
In general, awareness is considered a crucial aspect of personal growth and development, as it allows individuals to gain insight into their own thoughts, feelings and behaviors, which can lead to greater self-awareness, empathy and understanding of others."
Imagine that you're walking down the street, and you're so focused on your phone that you don't notice anything happening around you. You might not see a beautiful sunset, a friend waving at you, or even a car coming your way. In that situation, you could say that you lack awareness because you're not paying attention to what's happening in the world around you.
Awareness is all about being conscious and alert to the things happening in your surroundings, both inside and outside of yourself. It means being mindful and observant of what's going on, whether it's the people, objects, sounds, or even your own thoughts and feelings.
Being aware can help you in many ways. For example, it can make you more perceptive, so you notice details and understand things better. It can also help you make better decisions because you have a clearer understanding of the situation. Additionally, being aware of your own emotions and thoughts can help you manage them better and understand yourself more deeply.
Practicing awareness involves paying attention to the present moment without judgment. It means being fully engaged with what you're doing and the people around you. So, next time you're walking down the street, put your phone away, look up, and try to notice the world around you. That's one way to start cultivating awareness!
Here is an exercise for the whole class: list of 10 images to put in an order
Start with the page of which you, or your group think it reflects the idea 'Awareness' in the best way, and then down to the page with the least meaning
page 1 - Aylan Kurdi
Syrian boy washed up on Turkish shores slide 04-01
page 2 - Zong
the slaveship, from which many slaves were thrown overboard for insurance money slide 04-02
page 3 - Mount Rushmore
sculpture of 4 American presidents on sacred Indian grounds slide 04-03
page 4 - Rime of the Ancient Mariner,
an epic poem slide 04-04
page 5 - J'adore, parfum de Dior
with Charlize THERON, famous actress and role model slide 04-05
page 6 - Artificial Intelligence
the immediate effects will cause a rapid changing world slide 04-06
page 7 - Ethnographic postcards
I am aware that with postcards you can deny, cheat, hurt other people or make an absolute fool of yourself
slide 04-07a India's rising generation
slide 04-07b, slide 04-07b detail Innocents abroad
slide 04-07c, slide 04-07d, slide 04-07e, slide 04-07f types Arabes
slide 04-07k Chinese barber
slide 04-07l Zeppelin and boatplane over Fernando de Noronha, South Atlantic
slide 04-07m Napoleon in exile at Saint Helena
slide 04-07n Mickaninnies' laundry, Alaska
slide 04-07o A day at the beach in Ostend, Belgium
slide 04-07p Sainte Barbe
slide 04-07q the effect of throwing a handful of cowrie shells (at the time regarded as money) in a crowd.
page 8 - Theodore de Bry
etching of the conquest of the Americas slide 11-02, slide 11-02detail
page 9 - Egyptian antiquarian police
(and the fascination with arms) #04-09, slide 04-09a,
page 10 - Coca Cola's new advertising campagne
with 'the Cry' painting by Edward Munch slide 04-10