Degradation is...
The term “degradation” is not recognized by all psychologists and psychiatrists. It is generally used to indicate noticeable deterioration in the quality of an object. Using this concept in relation to a person, one can distinguish intellectual, social, professional, spiritual degradation, as well as some other types of regression.
Degradation is a synonym for the word “deterioration.” If a person becomes worse at his job, he degrades. Loss of interest in life in general can also be called degradation. In a normal mental state, each of us should be cheerful and active. During degradation, a person feels completely different. This condition can be a symptom or complication of a number of mental illnesses. How does degradation manifest itself?
Soil degradation
Soil degradation is a set of processes that lead to changes in soil functions, quantitative and qualitative deterioration of its properties, gradual deterioration and loss of fertility.
The following most significant types of soil degradation are distinguished:
- technological (as a result of long use)
- soil erosion
- salinization
- waterlogging
- soil pollution
- desertification
The extreme degree of soil degradation is the destruction of soil cover.[5]
Signs of degradation
It is not at all difficult to understand that a person is deteriorating just by talking to him. If the situation is not completely critical, you can notice the symptoms of this process in yourself. One of the most alarming signals is a decrease in mental abilities. This is the very state when it is difficult to think and even solving simple problems requires serious effort. Slowing of thought processes and loss of the ability to think critically are also common.
What is human degradation, and how can you understand that someone you know is degrading? Memory impairment, difficulty concentrating and perceiving new material are also signs of negative changes. Loss of ability to work, decreased interest in social and personal life - such symptoms may be a manifestation of degradation. An alarming sign is also the impoverishment of the emotional sphere, a disregard for relatives and friends. With degradation, positive personality traits appear less and less often and are replaced by the development of negative ones. Even the manner of speaking changes. A degenerating person uses slang, filler words, profanity, and his vocabulary becomes significantly poorer.
The most striking signs of degradation are a noticeable deterioration in appearance; the individual ceases to take care of himself. Untidyness, neglect of basic rules of personal hygiene, and reluctance to take care of oneself are signs of a depressed moral state. Against the background of degradation, many people develop bad habits, cravings for gambling and other psychological addictions. If you find at least 1-2 of the listed signs in the object under study, it’s time to think about helping him.
Energy degradation
Movements that can be characterized by equal amounts of energy generally differ in their usefulness. Traditionally, mechanical movement is considered the most useful. If there are no friction forces, it can be used entirely as mechanical work. Electromagnetic energy is transformed almost entirely into mechanical work. At the same time, internal movement, which manifests itself as heat, is much more difficult to exploit. The fundamental feature of internal motion is that its energy cannot be used entirely in the form of work. This is the meaning of the statement, which is known in physics under the name “second law of thermodynamics.”
In nature there are always frictional forces. They turn high quality types of movement into internal ones. Thus, in mechanics, friction systematically reduces the amount of mechanical motion, converting it into internal energy. Similarly, during movements of an electromagnetic nature, the resistance of conductors and the absorption and scattering of electromagnetic waves steadily reduce the number of electromagnetic motion, turning it into internal motion. It is fundamentally impossible to carry out the reverse transformation in full.
In order to designate the process of irreversible transition of high-quality types of energy into internal energy, the term “degradation” of useful energy was coined at the beginning of the 20th century. Awareness of the qualitative difference between movements with a dissimilar physical nature requires its quantitative assessment. For this purpose, physics created a new characteristic of motion, which was called “entropy”.
Degradation in any case negatively affects human development. Not everyone has any idea what personality degradation is. In a condensed sense, this term implies the complete destruction of human capabilities. If we talk about the concept of personality degradation in more detail, it represents a loss of performance and mental balance and a comprehensive weakening of activity. The degradation of a person is the loss of his inherent qualities and abilities, which is accompanied by the loss of feelings, judgments, and talents. When a person has become more irritable or his memory has deteriorated much more and the ability to concentrate on something has disappeared, then degradation processes are evident. The interests of this individual are significantly narrowed. At the same time, such negative qualities as complacency, lack of will, and carelessness appear.
One of the most severe types of degradation is insanity, which is dementia. With him, contacts with the outside world are lost. The person expresses complete indifference to other people and maintains a carefree life.
Signs of personality degradation can be observed in most people. Moreover, such problems are characteristic not only of chronic losers, but also of fully conscious individuals. This is the danger of the withering process. This state of affairs once again confirms the vulnerability of the individual.
Causes of personality degradation
One of the most common causes of degradation in the modern world is loneliness. Interestingly, even a person surrounded by caring relatives and friends can be lonely. With a lack of productive communication and positive emotions, without like-minded people, each of us feels useless to anyone. This condition is ideal soil for degradation.
Loss of interest in life is also a cause of degradation. Severe emotional shocks, prolonged depression or significant negative changes in life can become the starting point for the onset of personality regression. No less common causes of degradation: alcoholism, drug addiction, craving for gambling and other types of addictions. Quite successful people sometimes begin to degrade; this often begins at the moment of achieving “absolute” success. It is difficult to continue development without goals and the right motivation. Symptoms of degradation are observed during age-related crises, as well as when the rhythm of life changes, for example, among young mothers on maternity leave or older people upon retirement.
Degradation - what does it mean in simple words
Degradation is a process opposite to development. The personality loses its mental balance, its characteristics.
In relation to a person, the concept is used in the context of deterioration in mental activity, performance, spirituality and other components of the human personality.
When a person begins to work worse, does not keep up with progress, or performs his duties poorly, he degrades.
In a normal state, a person should be active, efficient and cheerful. If there are any deviations from the norm, or if there is a loss of interest in life, a person feels completely different.
This may indicate personality degradation and the presence of mental disorders. Symptoms include irritability, depression, and decreased attention.
These signs are not as scary as their consequences. Severe consequences include complete apathy, dementia, and a tendency to alcohol. Alcoholism kills a person’s brain, the individual loses himself and stops communicating in society.
How to understand that a person is degrading?
Many of the symptoms listed above are noticeable even with superficial communication. If you want to be convinced of a person's degradation, just talk to him. Remember that in this condition, people have a negative attitude towards outside interventions. Showing participation and a desire to help can be perceived extremely negatively. Having noticed symptoms of degradation, you should try to rationally assess the extent of the problem. It can be helpful to create your own list of symptoms. This list will help you identify the most problematic aspects and create a quality rehabilitation plan.
Self-medication or professional help?
“Am I not degenerating?” - if you think about it, the situation is not completely hopeless. Carefully re-read the list of symptoms proposed above and identify the most obvious ones for yourself. The best and only effective cure for degradation is self-development and self-education. If you want to become better and prevent your own personality from regressing, you should constantly work on yourself. The process of degradation usually occurs with a decrease in interest in life, loss of activity and a complete loss of strength. It is for this reason that defeating degradation alone is not always easy.
Try to communicate more often with successful and active people; you can sign up for some kind of self-development training. If you think that a person is undergoing spiritual degradation, you may want to think about turning to church for help. Philosophical practices can help non-believing people gain faith in their own strengths. When it seems that it is impossible to return to a full life on your own, you should think about turning to a psychologist.
What to do if one of your loved ones deteriorates? A person in such a state may react negatively to open offers of help. Provided that the situation does not seem critical to you, you can try to help in unobtrusive ways. Try to interest the sick person in life: offer to read new books, invite them to various events and walks.
Fatty acid degradation
Fatty acid degradation is an important step in cellular respiration.
Degradation of fatty acids (in some organisms also alkanes) occurs in eukaryotes in the mitochondrial matrix. The essence of this process is as follows. In the first stage, coenzyme A is added to the fatty acid to form acyl-CoA. It is dehydrogenated with sequential transfer of reducing equivalents to ubiquinone by the respiratory ETC. In the second stage, hydration occurs at the C=C double bond, after which in the third stage the resulting hydroxyl group is oxidized. During this reaction, NAD is restored.
Finally, in the fourth stage, the resulting β-keto acid is cleaved by β-ketothiolase in the presence of coenzyme A into acetyl-CoA and new acyl-CoA, in which the carbon chain is 2 atoms shorter. The β-oxidation cycle is repeated until all the fatty acid is converted to acetyl-CoA.
See also: Degradation of hyaluronic acid
Your mind needs training!
The degradation of society is observed today in many countries. You can change the situation by starting with your own life. Try to think and move more - after all, this is the best prevention of degradation. Try to get rid of meaningless entertainment. Limit your time watching TV series, reading the yellow press and other dubious literature. Remember that your mind, like your muscles, needs constant training. Try solving logic problems, regularly solve crosswords and puzzles.
Why are people degrading, because education is more accessible today than ever before? With 24/7 access to encyclopedic knowledge, many of us are truly uninterested in learning. But it is precisely the acquisition of new information and the process of memorizing it that is an excellent exercise for the mind. Try to read more and consciously remember what you read. When reading fiction, it is useful to think about the plot, evaluate the personalities of the characters and try to predict events or come up with alternative endings. Such simple intellectual training brings incredible benefits!
Movement is life!
If you don’t want to learn from personal example what human degradation is, try to always be active. Regular walks, sports - all this will make your life shine with new colors. Remember, perhaps you have long wanted to try some unusual type of fitness or take up dancing? Don't deny yourself this pleasure! People who are easy-going are especially positive and cheerful. Train yourself to agree to all interesting spontaneous invitations. Try to spend more time in nature, in city parks, and also visit cultural and entertainment places.
Degradation is a synonym for the words regression and deterioration. In order to prevent it, it is necessary to constantly develop. Go to the theater or cinema, exhibitions and other events. Discover new genres and art directions.
Taking care of yourself and others
It is difficult to be happy and satisfied with your own life if you are not used to loving yourself. Take care of yourself regularly and delight yourself with pleasant little things. The degradation of society in the modern world is clearly manifested in the untidiness of people and their disregard for themselves and others. If you don't like spending time on complex cosmetic procedures, don't force yourself. But observing basic rules of personal hygiene should become your habit. Monitor your own mood and condition. Try to optimally distribute mental and physical stress, avoiding overexertion. Positive emotions and a sense of self-worth come from caring for others. You can do charity work, take care of an old neighbor or a friend who is in a difficult life situation.
The secret to a happy life is the right motivation
Why do we live? This question has worried humanity since time immemorial. Don't try to answer it for everyone, but try to find meaning in your own life. Set goals for yourself and make plans. It is advisable that your aspirations be varied and diverse. It is unreasonable to desire only material success, expressed in the acquisition of some valuable things. Strive to acquire new knowledge and skills and achieve professional heights.
It is also useful to make plans for each day. This will help you organize yourself. You will never know what human degradation is if you look forward to another interesting day.
Etymology of the word
The word degradation is borrowed from the Polish language (degradacja - from the Latin degradatio “demotion, gradual decline”) - a derivative of degradare “to go down”, in turn formed using the prefix de “down” from gradior “to step” [1]
A number of dictionaries erroneously show that the word degradation is borrowed from the French language. In fact, this word was borrowed from the Polish language in the Petrine era in the meaning of “demotion, deprivation of ranks.” A new meaning of this word “decline” took shape in the Russian language under the influence of French and other Western European languages in the 20th century.
In the 20th century, not a new word appeared, but a semantic neologism - instead of the original meaning of “demote,” the word began to be used in a new sense - decline, gradual deterioration, loss of valuable properties and qualities in different areas (degradation of society, degradation of culture, degradation of art, soil degradation etc.).[2]
