Ibn Sina, often known as Avicenna (980–1037 CE), a well-known polymath, separated two lambs by placing them in cages. Each lamb was the same age, weighed the same amount, and was fed the same amount of diet. There was no disparity in any aspect. On the other hand, he placed a wolf in the third cage. One of the lambs was the only one who could see the wolf, while the other lamb could not. After a few months, the lamb that had seen the wolf was irritable, restless, not maturing properly, and losing weight. This lamb, next to the wolf’s cage, died after a few months. Even though the wolf did nothing to the lamb next to it, the constant state of anxiety and stress that the lamb lived in caused it to die prematurely. On the other hand, the other lamb, which did not see the wolf, was at peace and matured normally and gained a good amount of weight. The results of this cruel experiment by lbn-i Sina demonstrate the importance of one’s state of mind to one’s overall health, both positively and negatively.
Even if we are unaware of the slow-paced harm that is being inflicted on our minds and the effects of fear, anxiety, tension, and negativity are always devastating our bodies. Fear, anxiety, stress and negativity do nothing but harm — even if we don’t realise the damage it is doing to us internally. Mental health is one of the biggest concerns worldwide as well as in Finland. Surveys, research reports and evidence are proving that mental health problems in Finland are more common among people from immigrant backgrounds, most likely from refugee backgrounds. Officials and experts became concerned when they discovered that mental illness was a taboo issue among most refugees from third-world countries. It does not stop here, when it comes to the mental health of women from it becomes a more restricted issue.
Regarding the current season of Finnish elections, politicians’ comments about immigrants and refugees, and the spread of harmful content on social media. A few friends from immigrant backgrounds shared their concerns and worries with the author of these lines. Many others are constantly exposed to stressful situations, such as in the newspapers advertisements, debates on television, social media posts, and video clips. These things causing a particular group of people to lead a monotonous existence, afar from life. Much like a lamb, which is kept close to the wolf in the third cage.
Anxiety and stress are potentially fatal to people if they are not managed properly. The physical body has no way of telling the difference between reality and fiction. It simply reacts to your mental vibes. Imagine a scarecrow as a human armed with a rifle. You begin to tremble. People tend to panic when they equate a rope to a snake. At least, until you were convinced that it was a scarecrow or a rope. Distractions from within can be even more harmful than those from without. For instance, negative self – talk can have devastating effects on one’s psyche.
Ibn Sina’s observation of the lamb in the cage next to the wolf concentrated only on the mental effects of constant fear. We know that animals have fixed intelligence and fixed instincts. If the lamb watching the wolf had thought it was also confined in the cage and helpless like him, then?
The lamb would have recognized that the distinctions between our innate impulses, inclinations, and set instincts at the time were not relevant. The unfortunate truth is that neither one of us is in a position to take any action to improve our circumstances, nor can cause any harm. Could these kinds of thoughts have better effects on lamb’s health? We can find an answer by examining Jesus’ famous saying: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Jesus himself was the one who benefited the most from hearing these remarks. The most significant advantage for Jesus was a mental and psychological one he gained from expressing these positive words. If Jesus had loudly said, “It was I who taught you, who cured you, who opened your eyes, despite of this even my disciples turned their backs on me, and people my own nation tormenting me.” Uttering such negative and depressing words could deepen his grief and cause him to experience even more anguish.So we conclude that positive self-talk has beneficial effects.
The lamb’s emotional anguish and bodily degradation, in my opinion, stem from the fact that he spotted the wolf but failed to notice the wolf’s cage.
Similarly, people who are targets and victims of negative attitudes and prejudices see a dreadful wolf close by. But often don’t see him in a cage of mental imprisonment. Those who engage in acts of hatred, such as spreading negativity or making nasty racial slurs, often experience much greater psychological anguish than their victims. Just figure out that the person who is yelling at you and assaulting you. Oh, the mental suffering he will endure. If you can understand the tormentor’s mental agony, you will feel sorry for him instead of suffering from depression. Seeing your abusers in the third cage will relieve some of your stress and make you feel better. Remember that for the wolf in the third cage, his racial distinction, fierce nature, and superiority in strength cannot help him in any way. If the lamb, in its cage, is helpless, the wolf is also not in its desirable place.
When it comes to worry, tension, and other negative emotions, everyone can relate. Even world leaders, supermodels, billionaires, and the wealthy and the destitute all feel the effects of stress in their own unique ways. But we differ in our reactions. And our responses are founded on the experiences, perspectives, and information that we have individually obtained from our respective home settings, social lives, and national customs. So it is necessary for us to educate and inform one another about how to deal with anxiety, stress, and other difficulties related to mental health by sharing our knowledge, observations, and experiences. Don’t bother trying to hide. Instead, you should get in touch with qualified experts as soon as you can, describe your circumstance to them in great depth, and then implement the advice they give you.
