The Perspective study of rubrics

PLAN OF PRESENTATION

• Repertory
• Rubric: What is it?
• Rubrics  Dispositions
• Rubrics: Attention top and bottom
• The study of five mental rubrics is presented through
  1. Meaning
  2. Disease conditions
  3. Cross-references
  4. Antonyms
  5. Verbal exchange
  6. Non-verbal exchange
  7. Chief remedies
  8. Indications of prominent remedies

REPERTORY

Repertory is the materia medica in different outline and form. A repertory has the base of MM. In the absence of materiamedica, repertory has no separate existence. However, due to its utility, repertory can have an operational entity of its own.

MM is a collection of ‘pathos’ and so is repertory. The proving and clinical verification yield innumerable symptoms. That makes our repertory extraordinarily vast; a magnificent collection of sufferings as expressed by humans.

If MM is the bread, repertory is the butter.

RUBRIC: WHAT IS IT?

First, we prepare a document by eliciting the history of the patient. It is a raw document. We link all the components together. By using analysis, evaluation and synthesis, we process the data and make a conceptual image of the totality of the patient.

We require proper headings to arrange the components under respective compartments.

WHAT IS A RUBRIC?

• A rubric is an appropriate word designated to the heading on a document.
• A rubric is an instruction or a rule that gives a direction. Hence rubric becomes an authoritarian force to reckon with.
• A rubric becomes a function.
• A rubric becomes an art too. Rather, the artistic prescribing is superbly achieved through proper selection of rubrics. I am tempted to compare the selection of a rubric by a physician to the jumping by a monkey. A monkey jumps from one branch (symptom) of the tree (the individual) in the most skillful way (does a homeopath possess the skill?). It finally finds a place of composure to eat the fruit (the selection of a right rubric).
• A rubric is a ‘symptom’ in the reportorial language. Hence, like a symptom, a rubric has many dimensions, facets, aspects, levels, stages and transitions. And being a language, one must know the meaning of the words used in the language.
• A rubric is a pathos. It should be, to assume importance. However, individualizing, unique features of the case do not necessarily represent the pathos; they represent the individual. Individual can represent himself without pathos. That makes our repertory and MM unique; however, it poses a tricky situation for a homeopath to select the remedy.
• A rubric is like a movie. There are life, story, events, characters, behavior, connections, actors, actresses, director, romance, hate, love, anxiety and all human expressions, and there are two sides-off the screen and on the screen. On the screen expressions of a person can be traced to offthe screenantecedent activities.

RUBRICS DISPOSITIONS

Dispositions are the characters (basic or acquired) that are glued to the personality. Dispositions define the personality. The behaviour of a person depends on the degree and level of dispositional characters. Dispositions dictate, the individual follows.

Dr. Samuel Hahnemann’sfollowing exposition on dispositions speaks of his wisdom (§ 211, Organon of Medicine): “This holds good to such an extent, that the state of the disposition of the patient often chiefly determines the selection of a remedy, as being decidedly a characteristic symptom which can least of all remain concealed from the accurately observing physician.”                         

Rubrics assume the characters of dispositions.

• Rubrics become inseparable from personality of an individual.
• Rubrics open up the gate to enter into the deep recesses of the mind and in the body too.
• Rubrics define the finer shades of the personality.
• Rubrics define the state in which the patient is.
• Rubrics build up the totality and give meaning to it. Qualification of quantity is the core.

RUBRICS: ATTENTION TOP AND BOTTOM

Selection of appropriate rubric(s) is a daunting challenge. A homeopathcan’t waltz in here and there; the erratic random movement of Brownian motion of the patient needs to be viewed from the vantage point of individuality. He needs a watchful eye to observe, to circumspect and to scrutinize. A homeopath has to be focus embodied. But the focus has to be mutual, to develop rapport. There is a saying, “When a pickpocket meets a saint, all he sees are the pockets.”

The ocean of distractions we all navigate! A homeopath demands several varieties of attention-sustained attention, selective attention, alerting, orienting and above all managing. Attention is beyond vigilance. It is a supple tool that embeds within countless and subtle faculties such as comprehension, memory, learning, sensing how we feel and why. If these faculties are stunted, the performance is poor. Our selection of rubrics is not exact, unfit and we get misdirected. The real sickness of the patient is different and we target something different àsimilarity becomes discordant.

A homeopath requires panoramic awareness, not of his own subjectivity but of patient’s own.

Bountiful information creates the poverty of attention. It can divert the attention of a homeopath. Context, situation and factual data gained through skillful interview coupled with the art of translating the patient’s language into the reportorial language help select the appropriate rubrics. Command over language has no alternative.

THE STUDY OF FIVE RUBRICS

1. BOASTER

Meaning

A person, who talks with excessive pride and satisfaction about one’s achievements, possessions or abilities.

The themes related are pride, possession and exaggeration; about what you have done and what you own. Here a person himself is a source of pride. A person feels satisfied in exaggerating the self. The process is of self-admiration and glorification through speech and manner. People must “admire me”.

The process can be related to hide the mediocrity by repeatedly lauding his achievements to others.

A boaster toots his own horns constantly. He craves recognition and acknowledgment and isn’t content to let his performance speak for itself.

The words related to boasting: Egotism. Superiority. Pretentious. Ostentation. Great dignity. Self-esteem. Self- assertion. Self- admiring.

Difference in boasting and lying

A ‘boast’ can be exact truth or a huge lie. A lie, obviously, is not a truth. However, boasting is more into embellishing and making the truth look even greater. Lying is just telling something that is totally wrong to start out with. A boast may end up in lying also because the truth is turned into a whopper (lie). Boasting is where you say “I’m the best at everything…I can do this and that…” It’s all about me and mine. Lying is a means to an end and is intended to deceive. A liarmay not boast, mostly he tends to avoid or divert attention, not attract it (unlike a boaster).

Disease conditions

• General paralysis of insane
• Schizophrenia
• Mania
• Personality disorder

Cross references

• Braggart
• Exhilaration, mania
• Delusion, great he is
• Haughty
• Liar
• Squandering
• Pompous
• Vanity
• Contemptuous

Antonyms

• Modesty
• Humility
• Shyness
• Bashfulness
• Timidity
• Meekness
• Altruism
• Boaster

Verbal exchange

• ‘Guess what, his mobile number is exactly the same as my salary!’
• ‘I am very brilliant. I hate living with illiterate people.’
• ‘Yeah, I am a self-made man. I lied on all my resumes and bluffed my way to the top.’
• ‘I’m one of the reputed scientists of this country.’

Non-verbal exchange

• Swagger walk
• A broad-side display
• Pointer/thumb display
• Grotesque dancing
• Touching nose while talking 
• Hands on hips to appear large
• Takes extra/more space while sitting

Swagger-walk

Each person has a distinct walking style; seldom do we identify people by their walk. Our walk is shaped on the basis of our individual body structure and emotions. These control our pace and length of stride and our posture. The manner and style of our gait telegraph information about our status, feelings and moods.

Swagger is an exaggerated arm-swinging style of walking, with the upper part of the body strutting. This is a male gesture. A man who approaches another with a swagger to greet him is displaying ‘power, strength and dominance’ (Givens, 1999).

A broad-side display

A broad-side display represents

• A slight or moderate exaggeration in the side-to-side movements of walking
• A masculine style of upper-body strutting
• A visual means of filling-up space or occupying a greater expanse of personal territory

Pointer/thumb display

Pointer display indicates the presence or location of objects or stiffening a forefinger to direct attention to people, places, or a stabbing motion of the index finger, as given in ‘anger.’ It may be for the sake of ‘emphasis’.

The thumbs denote the superiority. They are related to the strength of character, the ego and the self-esteem. Thumbs are used to display dominance, assertiveness or even aggressiveness.

Grotesque dancing

These people are extravagant, like to show off and they are flamboyant too.

Touching the nose

There are many ways of communicating with the nose. It can be tapped, thumbed, pushed, pulled,twisted, scratched, circled or wiggled and each action signals a meaningful message.

The symbolic language of the nose is related to pride. Remember, in Ramayana, Laxman, Lord Rama’s brother, chopped off the nose of Shurpanakha to insult her.

Lying

Touching the face, or putting a hand over the mouth, pulling at the ears, scratching the nose, casting eyes down or looking downward to the left, shifting in the seat, also wiping hands to get rid of sweat or fidgeting with hands.

Hand(s)-on-hips

This posture is a universal one and this is an akimbo position, in which the palms rest on the hips with the elbows flexed outward, bowed away from the body.

Hands-on-hips makes a person look bigger and more noticeable because it takes up more space. Hence this gesture is related to high self-esteem.

Space and self-image

The concept of space is related to self-esteem. There are three aspects of space.

• Expansion of space: A process based on hypertrophy of ego
• Maintaining the space: A process based on resources
• Shrinkage of space: A process based on atrophy of ego

Higher the status, larger the space.

Chief remedies for boasting

Ars., Aur., Calc., Caust., Con., Hep., Hyos., Kali-c., Lach., Lyc., Med., Merc., Pall., Plat., Puls., Sil., Staph.,Stram., Sulph.,Verat.

Boasting as seen in some remedies

Staphysagria: Haughty. Boaster. Contemptuous. Delusions – proud, presumptuous, vanity. Places too much importance on trifles. Apt to use his idealism at times to justify his dangerous activities.

Sulphur: Pride is his tendency to boast; may be subtle boasting. Forward in promoting themselves to the public; they do so with flair, without resorting to outright boasting. Foolish happiness and pride, thinks himself in possession of beautiful things.

Lycopodium: Bravado but as an attempt to cover up anxiety or internal weakness. Inflated ego. Uses pompous, flowery, expansive language to decorate himself. “Look how clever I am.” Wishes to be considered rich. Opportunistic.

Palladium: Wounded pride. Identifies lack of appreciation with the insult. Love of approbation. Seeks the good opinion of others and attaches great importance to it. Delusion, grow, larger and longer; he grew. Desires flattery.

Platina: Haughty. Looks with disdain upon everyone and everything. Squanders through ostentation. Self-exaltation. Delusion, he is a great person.

2. HATRED

Meaning

Hatred (or hate) is deep and extreme emotional dislike. It can be directed against individuals, groups, entities, objects, behaviors or ideas. Hatred is often associated with feelings of anger, disgust and a disposition towards hostility.

The tenderness or gentleness, which usually is present in love, is missing in hatred. It is more of an attitude or disposition than a temporary emotional state.

The irony of hate

• It can consume a person more than almost any other feeling.
• It can literally obsess a person and ruin his life and it goes far beyond feelings of deprivation and bothersomeness.
• Brings forcefully an illusion of self-interest.

Difference between anger and hatred

Anger has strong communication aspects and great constructive potential too, despite its dangers. Hatred is essentially a destructive emotion. Hate is a condition wherein anger has never evaporated but allowed to continue and fester. Anger is not hate but the hate requires anger to develop. Anger may be temporary but hate could be permanent.

Difference between dislike and hatred

Hate is an emotion; dislike is a feeling. Dislike carries with it the sense of aversion while hate carries with it an extreme hostility. Disliking a person is hopeful in purpose, whereas hating a person is hopeless in purpose.  There is no chance of admitting a hated man again into the heart.

Disease conditions

• Paranoid schizophrenia
• Personality disorder

Cross references

• Contrary
• Loathing
• Resentment
• Spiteful
• Malicious
• Cynical
• Misanthropy
• A/F anger, indignation, honor, scorned

Antonyms

• Affectionate
• Anxiety, others
• Benevolence
• Sympathetic

Verbal exchange

• ‘That’s disgusting’
• ‘They’re hideous, aren’t they?’
• ‘I’m devoted to my wife, but if she was ever unfaithful to me, I would kill her. I would never forgive her.’
• ‘If my husband criticizes me, I lash out at him. I hate him and wish he was dead.’

Non-verbal exchange

• Wild eyes
• Long, unflickering looks
• Peering over glasses
• Disposition to frown
• Contemptuous laughing
• Knuckle-grinder handshake
• Spitting

Chief remedies
Agar., Anac., Calc., Cham., Cic-v., Lac-c., Lach., Led., Nat-m., Nit-ac., Nux-v., Op., Raph., Sep., Stram., Sul., Tarent.

Hatred as seen in some remedies

Anacardium: Takes everything in shoddyfashion and becomes violent. Very easily offended.  “I will show you…” Absence of moral restraint. Hard-hearted. Cruel. Double: a demon and an angel. Two wills or impulses strain over the ego. Uses foul language. Propensity to curse, swear and blaspheme.

Cicuta virosa: Mistrustful; shuns people. Despises others. Violent. Over-estimation of self. Contemptuous. Suspicious. Stupid. Foolish. Hurt so deeply that regresses herself in a child-like state,shutting rest of the world.

Nitric acid:Hateful. Vindictive. Headstrong. Profane. Cursing. Using vulgar language. Quarrelsome. Ill-willed; unmoved by apologies. Discontented; with everything; with himself. Sympathetic. Sensitive to conflicts. Long continued rancour.

Raphanus: Averse to same sex, to children. Capricious. Hysterical.

Kali iodatum:Sulky, harsh with own people, hence conflicts in the family. Bad temper; abusive. Inclined to be vexed, vehement and quarrelsome. Passionate. Aversion to being touched. Cruelty. The anti-rest.

3. COWARDICE

Meaning

A person who is not brave and who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.; the state or quality of being without a backbone, hence, metaphorically, spinelessness.

Refusing to apologize to someone’s face because one isn’t brave enough is an example of cowardice.

Difference between cowardice and timid

Timid means lack of courage and easily frightened. Not specifically like avoiding danger; while a coward person always runs away from danger and he is afraid of danger. The degree of fearfulness is more in coward. I would use timid to describe someone who is shy and uneasy about starting a conversation or something new. Cowardice could be used to describe an act where a person fled and left other people in danger. Although a coward is a timid person, it goes farther than that. The word has a dishonorable connotation.

Disease conditions

• Anxiety states
• Depression
• Psychosis
• Personality disorder

Cross references

• Confidence, lack of
• Frightened, easily
• Hiding, himself
• Timidity
• Escape, desire, to
• Responsibility, aversion to

Antonyms

• Courageous
• Defiant
• Audacity
• Bravery
• Disease conditions
• Anxiety states
• Depression
• Psychosis
• Personality disorder
• Cowardice

Verbal exchange

• I can’t do this.
• I will do this later on.
• I can’t face this great responsibility
• I can’t fight. I can’t project my self-rights.
• I need your help.

Non-verbal exchange

• Flashbulb eyes
• Poor eye contact
• Stranger anxiety
• Facial flushing
• Clenched fist
• Dead-fish handshake
• Sweaty palms
• Low tone of voice
• Cowardice

Remedies

Acon., Ambr-g., Am-c., Bar-c., Bry., Calc., Calc-sil., Chin., Gels., Graph., Kali-c., Lac-c., Lyc., Op., Puls., Sil., Med., Nat-c., Nat-m., Phos., Plb., Sep., Stram.

INDICATIONS OF SOME REMEDIES

Graphites: Frightened easily. Apprehensive. Timidity, dread of new undertaking or enterprises. Indecisive. Fear of future. Anxious.

Gelsemium: Delicate. Timid. Frightful. Complaints from anticipation. The anticipation of any unusual ordeal. Fear of losing self-control. Dullness.

Calc-silicata:D’s: Diffident. Discouraged. Despairing. Depressed. Bashful timidity. Confused. Weariness. Easily frightened.

Ambra-grisea: Delicate; frail; embarrassed. Bashful. “Inhibition.” Slow grasp. Neurotic. Timidity. Apprehensive. Funky. Impressionable. Easily cowed down. Lack of ‘go’. Childish. Un-persevering. Fear of becoming crazy. Aversion to smiling faces. Introvert. Fear of failure.

Bryonia: A security and rest hunter. Many dreams, deliriums and fears stem therefrom. Always concerned with safety, security and stability. Will become ferocious if his security is jeopardized. Slow on the up-take but follow mighty projects with a phenomenal tenacity. Seeker of security but full of volition.

4. CAUTIOUS

Meaning

Careful about avoiding danger or risk and it implies the exercise of forethought usually prompted by fear of danger. A cautious person makes a pros/cons list before making any decision to identify all possible problems that could come up. He takes a decision only after great deliberation and with some lingering fear. In the extreme form, it becomes suspicion, distrust and paranoia.

Carefulness applies to precision in action. The opposite of ‘cautious’ is ‘rashness’; that of ‘carefulness’ is ‘heedless’.

Disease conditions

• Anxiety state
• Depression
• Compulsive personality disorders

Cross references

• Alert
• Carefulness
• Overburdened
• Cares, full of
• Conscientious
• Fastidious
• Delusion, neglected duty, he has
• Fear, something bad will happen

Antonyms

• Absent-minded
• Heedless
• Reckless
• Casual
• Frivolous
• Rashness
• Neglecting

Disease conditions

• Anxiety states
• Depression
• Compulsive personality disorders
• Cautious

Verbal exchange

• Mother about the son, “He is terrified to play football.” If asked, son says, “What if someone kicks the ball at me and I get injured?”
• David has a terrible fear of falling while descending the stairs. He always sticks to the grill and walks slowly.
• John doesn’t go to play with his inmates on the playground fearing that he will be injured.
• Cautious

Non-verbal exchange

• Tidy, spruce clothes
• Direct eye contact
• Hand gripping elbow gesture
• Head-nod to show attention
• Driving a car while sitting near the steering wheel

Chief remedies

Ars., Bar-c., Carc., Cup-m., Ign., Lach., Lyc., Nat-c., Nux-v., Puls., Sil.

INDICATIONS OF SOME REMEDIES

Cuprum met:Sense of losing consciousness and hence cautious. Thinks he was pursued by enemies and police and hence cautious. Outbursts of anger and hence desire to hide on account of fear. Wants to be a competitor and always number one and hence cautious.

Pulsatilla: Apprehensive. Morbid dread of the opposite sex; multiple fears. Cautious to get the support of others and to lean on. Emotional selfishness.

Lycopodium: Image-conscious and hence cautious. Cautious for his image to be projected as a great person. Perfectionist and hence cautious. Fear of mistakes, failure and business. Wants to hide his internal weakness and has to remain cautious to maintain his status. Watchful before anything unwanted happens. Conscientious about trifles. Anticipatory anxiety, cautious about his performance.

Carcinocin:Takes every issue in a serious way as if life and death. Perfectionist. Conscientious about trifles. Anticipatory anxiety. Cautious in order to prove his genuineness before others. Cautious that he doesn’t make any mistakes. Spruce. Wears neat and clean clothes. Fastidious.

Nux-vomica:Cautious in business. Anticipatory anxiety. Active, energetic, vigorous, vivacious, vibrant, ardent, zealous, rushing, tenacious. Very particular about the smallest details. Executives. Exacting. Taskmaster. Stern. Has to maintain his mundane position in society.

1. HAUGHTY

A haughty person acts superior and looks down on others. Haughty people are disdainful, overbearing, prideful, swaggering, and obnoxious. He conveys in demeanour the assumption of superiority; disdainful, supercilious.

Meanings of some words

• Pride: Unreasonable or inordinate self-esteem.
• Imperious: Domineering, overbearing
• Dictatorial: Dogmatic. Autocratic. Arbitrary. Doctrinaire
• Presumptuous: Excessively forward or bold esp. Because of excessive self-confidence, arrogance
• Conceit: A high, often exaggerated opinion of one’s own abilities, worth or personality
• Insolence:  Insulting in manner/speech

• Arrogance: Implies, taking much upon ourselves and is prideattended with insolence and contempt
• Vanity: Is accompanied by affectation and means, pride, exerted, on slight grounds
• The haughtiness of aproud man is insufferable. Pride makes us value ourselves; arrogance, despise others.Throughvanity, we covet the attention of our acquaintance. Presumption flatters us, with having a vain power.
• Pompous is a person who is showy and indulges in a lot of pomp and show.

DISEASE CONDITIONS      

• Mania
• Schizophrenia
• Personality disorder

CROSS REFERENCES

• Vanity
• Imperious
• Presumptuous
• Contradiction, intolerance
• Delusion, humility, lowness of others, while he is great
• Delusion, superiority, of
• Delusion, superhuman, is
• Dictatorial
• Overweening
• Impertinence/insolence
• Haughty: Proud and vain to the point of arrogance, scornful and self-satisfied

ANTONYMS

• Servile
• Obsequious/obedient
• Fear, authority
• Selflessness
• Undignified
• Approbation
• Respect
• Submissive/yielding
• Disease conditions
• Mania
• Schizophrenia
• Personality disorder
• Haughty

VERBAL EXCHANGE

• A wife narrates about her husband, “He is so proud that as if he knows everything in each and every field.”

• “I’m an important person in this city.”
• “I’ve done so much work in my life that very few people can compete with me.”

NON-VERBAL EXCHANGE

• Puffed chest
• Pointing index finger
• Stiff-arm handshake
• Head-clamp posture
• Head-toss, head-shake

CHIEF REMEDIES

Agar., Anac., Caust., Graph., Hyos., Lyc., Merc., Nat-m., Pall., Plat., Sep., Sil., Staph., Stram., Sulph Verat.

INDICATIONS OF SOME REMEDIES

Silicea: Image-conscious. Will not bend if determined; doesn’t succumb to pressure of others. Silica types become scientists, astro-physicists, cosmologists, astronomers, mathematicians, computer-analysts, information-technologists etc. Initially timid, hesitant, indecisive, naïve and impressionable but as they develop and mature, ever building their crystal structure, they are imbued with strength and resolve. Once established, their convictions are steadfast, invulnerable to persuasion or seduction. On matters of principles, extremely obstinate and unyielding. This leads to haughtiness.

Graphites: Coarse, rough, fastidious. Non-appreciative, non-listening and officious. Impudent. Rebellious.

Veratrum album:Ailments from mortification, chagrin, honour wounded, being scorned. “My importance is not there in my family or society or work areas.” Highly egoistic; believes in lots of formalities. ‘Boaster, rich, wishes to be considered as.’ Censorious. Contemptuous.

Agaricus: Delusion of grandeur. Bold. Vindictive. Schemes for his own aggrandizement against hostiles. Aversion to being touched. Takes offense easily. Cross, self-willed. Obstinate. Jerky in expressing his pride.

Sepia: Out of masculine protest. Greedy, miserly and egoistical. Intolerant of opposition; oversensitive and easily offended. Extremely passionate, irritable, hysterical, full of tears of self-pity; spiteful, antagonistic, fault–finding, never happy unless annoying someone esp. the dear one. Career-oriented.

CONCLUSION

An attempt has been made to study some rubrics of the mind in many dimensions. A single rubric opens up many ramifications and leads to many corollaries. In connection with non-verbal language of the patients possessing specific dispositions, the study of the rubric ‘boasting’ has been presented. The readers are requested to refer to the book on “Body language and Homeopathy’.

Bon voyage to the readers on the march of the study of rubrics!