LifeLine — Gain confidence

Social conditioning, lack of self confidence and some imaginary fears seem to be the cause of friction in your personal life. To be able to handle complicated situations and diverse pulls is one of the hallmarks of maturity, and like any other skill you can acquire it by practice.

Think of the various reasons which your parents might advance as arguments against your marriage. Do they arise only from a particular mindset or are there any cogent reasons? Do you have the conviction to defend your choice or would you rather not ruffle any feathers?

Economic independence and an enhanced social position would be a forceful multiplier! Identify a resourceful person who has influence with your family and at an appropriate time seek his help. A good meditator can sometimes convey the news’ in a way which increases the chances of acceptance.There are times when our convictions are put to test and it is important to measure up in our eyes. Wisdom demands that we not only anticipate such situations but constantly prepare ourselves to face them. Mental rehearsals, clarity of thought, the will to carry out your convictions in the face of opposition and ground work, all combined together propel us towards success.

Examine yourself

Q I am a BSc final student and interested in joining the Indian Army as an officer. However, both my testes are not parallel and one hangs lower than the other. Can I still join the Army?

— Sumeet.

Q I am 17 years old and preparing for my engineering entrance exams. I am a good student but what worries me is that I may not be able to pass the Medical. The problem is that one of my testicles is bigger than the other. What should I do?

— Vinayak, Sholapur.

As the normal anatomy is unknown to most young, the testes and scrotum — with their placing movements and rugae — are a great source of anxiety. Receiving incorrect information from friends and peers, and embarrassment to talk about this subject creates further complications.

For proper spermatogenesis the testes needs a considerably cooler environment. This is achieved by placing them outside the pelvis in a scrotal bag, which can vary its position depending upon the temperature. Now if both the testes were placed neck to neck, ie parallel, the likelihood of them being injured and crushed between the owner’s thighs would be much higher. By placing them at varying heights the chances of trauma are reduced. So this does not mean disqualification in any way.

The two sides of the body (the left and the right) are asymmetrical. The same goes for the testes. A little variation in the size of the testes is normal. But any gross variation can be abnormal and requires an expert surgical opinion. Many abnormalities like hydrale, varicocele, hernias, epididymitis and testicular tumours can give rise to gross enlargement. That’s why it is important for every young man to know and carry out testicular self examination.