Snakes are an incredibly resilient species of reptile, having adapted to the environments of all but one of the continents. The legless, reptilian creatures have long been the focus of many conflicted feelings in humanity. Western culture sees the snake as the representation of the devil, and therefore as representation of evil. The ancient Egyptians believed that the snake was a symbol of immortality and one particular species, the cobra, was revered as the guardian of the gods. Regardless of what view is taken, snakes are almost universally seen as venomous creatures, whose bite can bring everything from inflammation to excruciating death. Not all snakes are poisonous and not all snakes are prone to biting when threatened. However, there are still some common procedures to dealing with snake bites.

Firstly, it is often a good idea to try and identify what sort of snake did the biting. Most snakebites are made by snakes that are venomous. The venom can have a variety of effects on a person, with some capable only of causing nausea and vomiting in a human, while others can take a person down in a matter of minutes without proper treatment. Identifying the snake, or at least the general species of it, can potentially save the victim’s life. There is anti-venom for most of the venomous snakes in a given area, but it can take some time to determine which snake did the biting. This is because the anti-venom of a cobra or coral snake is not going to have much effect in preventing damage caused by a rattlesnake or copperhead. If the snake cannot be identified, then it is best to describe it in as much detail as possible once help arrives.

The next step to perform while waiting for help to arrive is to remove any restrictive clothing and tie a tight bands near the bitten area. These bands should ideally be placed a few inches above and below the bite area and serve to slow the spread of the poison by cutting off as much of the blood flow from the poisoned area as possible. However, a danger to this step is the possibility of tying the binds too tightly, which could lead to negative side effects later on.

Snake venom can be very destructive, with some of the more potent ones notably that of the black mamba or certain species of viper being capable of neural damage even in limited areas. It is critical that as much of the venom be removed from the wound as possible, to minimize the potential damage. There are commercially available kits for this sort of procedure and they are designed to be use regardless of the type of snake that did the biting. Suction of the poison can also be performed by mouth, but the person doing so should be careful not to ingest any of the poison himself.

Whenever possible, the snake should be caught, either for identification or for testing. In areas where there are multiple species of venomous snakes, identifying the specific type of snake venom involved can save time in finding the appropriate anti-venom. In the event that the anti-venom for the species is not readily available, poison control personnel can also attempt to extract the snake’s own venom and synthesize a batch of anti-venom directly from it. This may take time to perform, but there are usually drugs available that slow down but cannot stop the progression of the poisoning.

While entirely fictional, the enigmatic concept knowns as The Force is based on some very real principles. In the movie, Star Wars, the Force is often spoken of by members of a religious order called the Jedi. The warrior-priests of the Jedi Order served as the main proponents of what they believed to be the core concepts of The Force.

The concept and the order are fictional, but the principles by which the Jedi lived their lives are excellent guides to living one’s life, especially amidst all the chaos of the modern world. For as long as the Dark Side of The Force is equated not to evil but to negative influences in one’s life, the principles of the Jedi Code can easily be used to form a personal philosophy for living a good life, complete with a healthy mental attitude. Below you’ll find the core principles of the Jedi philosophy, and some ideas on how they can be adapted to the trials and tribulations of modern life.

There is no emotion; there is peace.

Being able to control one’s emotions was critical to a Jedi, as their tasks often required that they remain as objective as possible. Fear and anxiety can have negative effects on one’s decision-making, which in turn can wreak havoc on one’s life. By taking control of one’s stress and anxiety, separating it from the tasks that need to be done, you can effectively find better solutions to your problems than you would have if you let your anxiety affect your analysis of the situation. This concept does not advise denying one’s emotions, since doing so can result in more anxiety disorders and psychological issues than it solves. It merely says that people should let logic and analysis guide their decisions, not their feelings.

There is no ignorance; there is knowledge.

The Jedi Order espoused the determined pursuit of knowledge. To support the quest for enlightenment, they built a grand library that contained volumes of information on various topics and disciplines that were necessary to educate and train a Jedi. They also shared that knowledge, to better enlighten the same people they were attempting to protect. Many problems with anxiety and phobias can be alleviated if people just took the time to understand things. A little knowledge can help someone overcome the fear and anxiety that one encounters when exposed to a totally alien culture. In some cases, anxiety disorders can also be overcome simply by equipping one’s mind with sufficient knowledge about the source of the anxiety, thus allowing a person to better understand and face the problem.

There is no passion; there is serenity.

Similar to the first principle, the Jedi believed that being too passionate about something was dangerous, as it could cloud one’s judgment and objectivity. For people in their position, objectivity was critical in nearly all situations. The same can be said of pretty much anyone in the modern world. Emotions and passion can cloud our ability to make good decisions, as well as have an adverse effect on our ability to recognize our mistakes and correct them to avert further damage. Being calm amidst the face of an impossible bureaucracy can go a long way to keeping one’s state of mental health stable and far away from going postal. As long as you don’t let your stress and anxiety build up by dwelling on the negative,then your mind is serene and you can then make better decisions and take a clearer look at what is going on in one’s life.

There is no death, there is only The Force.

The Jedi believed that when someone dies, they become one with The Force. This allowed them to see death not as a negative event, but merely a transition that one was inevitably going to get past. Adapting this to modern life, negative events can be portrayed as the death the philosophy mentions, with The Force acting as a metaphor for life itself. In other words, it is basically stating that, regardless of all the negative events in one’s life, regardless of all the fear and anxiety, the nausea induced by corporate and familial duties, there is still life itself. To use one metaphor to explain another, if something bad comes your way, take some time out to stop and smell the roses. Your entire life will not be dictated by one car crash or an unfair termination. Life goes on and moves on, and so should you.

Taking all of the above principles into account, it is difficult to see how they could fail to lead to a better state of mind, even amidst the chaos of modern life. That is, if they are followed like a personal philosophy and not taken as mere guidelines. Besides, if one espouses the opposite of the above principles, one is liable to burn out rather quickly.