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Don't become a victim of your own deceit
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Self-cheaters not only do less they do more incorrectly. They are those who are the high achievers at all costs. They are the champions of this competitive society. Unfortunately, they cheat their families and happiness in their quest. - photo by Joseph Cramer, MD
There are a lot of cheats in the world. This is not including professional rule breakers. The most common are those who cheat themselves.

Self-cheating is a form of self-harm. Self-deception includes the denial that small things arent important. Self-cheating is knowingly short-changing oneself. These are the folks who practice a few minutes short of their piano lesson. If left alone, they would do a little less effort, scrimp on the assignment or cut short a workout. They are not bad. They are not fudging on grades or breaking the law unless one counts the law of the harvest.

Coaches talk about giving 110 percent. These guys put out 98 percent tops. Theirs is a team of one. Their self-imposed limitations impact their confidence as much as their muscle strength.

The shortcut may not be noticeable. The study for the test is not regulated. The preparation for the presentation is not demanded. No one, at first, sees the skips. However, little by little, the shortcuts start to show. In reality, no one cares if the personal excuses are real or merely excuses. It is the self-cheat who misses out.

Many times, this self-cheating perpetuates a facade. Exercise is an easy example. People will pick up a heavier weight to show off their strength. Meanwhile, they cheat themselves of doing the exercise right with lesser tonnage but more proper form.

This example demonstrates how self-cheaters may not only do less but also do more incorrectly.

They are those who are the high achievers at all costs. They are the champions of this competitive society. Unfortunately, their quest can cheat their families and themselves of a fuller, happier life.

Show-and-tell is a mainstay of elementary education. The young kids bring in objects from home to share with their friends. It may be a pet lizard or a favorite rock. There is innocence in their eagerness to stand up in front of the class and talk about a favorite toy or some souvenir from a family vacation. It is doubtful that they would bring in the keys to their dads BMW or their moms expensive purse.

It is when we are decades beyond first grade and still insist on show-and-tell that one worries. Self-cheaters need to show everybody everything and tell anyone anything. Bragging is not necessary for the self-honest.

Self-cheating happens with our health. When we are unhealthy in our eating, we are cheating ourselves, not the doctor and certainly not the grocer. A little bit here and a little bit there is the cheaters mental way around consequences. It is cutting the corners and breaking the rules. Sadly, it is their corners and their rules.

The anxious and fearful also cheat themselves from trying. If people cant adventure beyond their front door, they are cheating themselves out of a great view. Failing to step outside of ourselves cheats us, but the loss also goes out to everyone we encounter.

We cheat ourselves when we dont try, dont make the best effort and cut short our practice. Worse, we cut short our earthly practice time when we sneak the extra soda or the additional large serving. We often even hide our excesses from others, thinking we are defrauding them. It is only we who are the victims and perpetrators of our deceit.

When we are the recipients of our own deception, we pay the price. It is like cheating at a game in which we are the only player.

We pretend no one is watching. We forget our brains eyes are wide open even when we close ours.

It's said a cheater never wins. But it's not about games or sports; it's about us.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.