(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) The restored wood flooring at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City in 2023 A new book explores how people who have left the pews are finding meaning without religion Americans are leaving organized religion in staggering numbers. In the newly released book “Done: How to Flourish After Leaving Religion,” Hope College psychology professor Daryl Van Tongeren offers ways to navigate the “grief pain and longing” that often accompany such transitions and then points to new paths to find meaning His book goes beyond anecdotes and memoir to offer insights based on his research — focusing on the social motivation for meaning and its connection to virtue and morality — as director of the Frost Center for Data and Research at Hope College Van Tongeren is working on another book with his wife a clinical social worker who specializes in working with people undergoing religious changes Their forthcoming book is meant to help counselors and therapists who may lack a religious background themselves to understand how important religion is to many people and why leaving it is often so disruptive to their lives Religion News Service talked to Daryl Van Tongeren about why people are leaving religion and what they’re turning to next to find fulfillment This interview has been edited for length and clarity In “Done,” you talk about four chief reasons people walk away from faith. You call them the “four horsemen of religion’s apocalypse.” What are they? The second is religious trauma, as when somebody experiences religious abuse or trauma at the hands of religious institutions or religious leaders, whether it’s firsthand, they witness it happening to someone they know or it takes place at an institutional level. Thirdly, people experience what they see as a simplistic view of suffering. People encounter personal adversity or suffering, and they say that they can’t make sense of that adversity or suffering in light of what they’ve been taught about God or their theological beliefs. Are you finding that people are leaving other American faith communities in the same numbers? Is there a process to leaving religion? If so, what does it look like? The process starts with what a lot of people call deconstruction, people doubting what they believe and struggling with what they think. It’s like everything is up for criticism and interrogation. During this period of deconstruction, people break down all or many of their beliefs. Then there’s a process in which they revise their beliefs. Some people still land within religion. Those people reconstruct. They’re still firmly within the religious tradition or a religious tradition. They may still identify as a person of faith, but their faith looks very different. In the book you talk about the concept of “religious residue” and the strong, sometimes unconscious pull religion can have, even on people who believe they have left it behind. Can you say more about that? The way that people think, feel and behave continues to resemble the way that they thought, felt and behaved when they were religious, even after they no longer identify as religious. We see this in lots of different areas including in their attitudes toward God or their attitudes toward other religious individuals and religion in general. We see this in, you know, the frequency with which they engage in religious practices. Is this good? Is this bad? I think of it as descriptive. So how do people learn to flourish after leaving religion? We have some evidence that life loses a bit of meaning after leaving religion. Religious folks report the highest amount of meaning, and religious “dones” are equal to religious “nones.” There’s a real felt cost to leaving. It’s a slow process, but with time and intention, people may experience existential growth and flourishing. For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support 801-237-2900 or email subscribe@sltrib.com sltrib.com © 1996-2025 The Salt Lake Tribune Editor's Note: This story was published in June 2020 HOLLAND — Did you know Holland once had a Wooden Shoe Factory when Chester Van Tongeren opened the Dutch Novelty Shop on the corner of River Avenue and Sixth Street — then Fourth Street — in downtown Holland The establishment eventually took on the title of Holland’s Wooden Shoe Factory “I grew up with so many stories,” said Dave Gier So many famous people — such as Rocky Marciano Red Skelton and Johnny Weissmuller — came to visit They all autographed wooden shoes that we had on display Van Tongeren built an additional factory on Chicago Drive and M-21 the two brought machinery from the Netherlands to make wooden shoes 'Probers Poking Through Ruins of Wooden Shoe'An excerpt from The Holland Evening Sentinel which completely destroyed the Wooden Shoe Factory on M-21 Christmas Eve The fire raced through the rambling one-story building shortly after 6:15 p.m the entire structure was engulfed in flames in which new equipment had been installed last week Rietberg was driving by the building and he and his wife saw smoke rolling across the highway but no flames He rolled down the window of his car and heard glass breaking inside the building He raced to the nearest home and turned in the first alarm Fire Marshal Andrew Westenbroek said he could see the factory from his home and flames were leaping into the air when he received the alarm Fire trucks from all three township departments answered the alarm but were unable to do anything but keep nearby buildings from catching fire from the sparks and leaping flames The factory couldn’t be saved; but the wooden shoe machinery was spared Van Tongeren opened a new factory on US-31 and 16th Street — where the Economy Inn Wooden Shoe Antique Mall and Restaurant and Wooden Shoe Motel are located today the factory portion was operated by Van Tongeren and the Wooden Shoe Restaurant and Wooden Shoe Motel were owned by other families selling Dutch novelties in addition to wooden shoes An excerpt from an article published in the Holland Evening Sentinel For a better understanding of the Tulip Time but more so a fact — for the wooden shoe is one of the unique features of the annual festival A trip to Holland is not complete without a stop at one of Holland’s two wooden shoe factories to watch the actual operation of the making of the famed “klompen.” The shoes are manufactured at two locations in Holland The main building is located on the US-31 bypass at 16th Street while the other building is situated at the corner of River Avenue and Fourth Street Both places are easily accessible and have plenty of parking areas shoes are now shipped to every one of the 48 states The business has remained a family venture and is owned by Van Tongeren and his son The three decades between 1960 and 1990 were perhaps the most popular for The Wooden Shoe Factory there was a fun park next to the factory called Wooden Shoeland,” Gier said “There were all kinds of exhibits and we even had Dutch dancing Delftware and lots of other Dutch souvenirs We even had a country store that sold cheese You’d put a quarter into a turnstile and it would swing open and you’d walk in leaving Gier’s mother and uncle to run the factory Gier was largely running the business himself the family sold the northernmost portion of the property to the Blue Mill Inn — where the Economy Inn stands today An additional building was dedicated to the production of wooden bowls The year-round success of this business eventually encouraged Gier to shut down the Wooden Shoe Factory in 1999 We’d have close to 300 buses the week of the festival; and we didn’t even get as many as Windmill Island or the Dutch Village There were more things to see and they were more scattered across the country Because the bowl mill was doing so well and the factory was so seasonal I decided to close the Wooden Shoe Factory.” But even though an antique shop is housed where the factory once was my grandparents and some of their friends were really important in helping Tulip Time grow,” Gier said “They’d make all of these souvenirs and travel to New York City during the big parades They’d throw souvenirs out into the crowds and tell everyone to come visit Holland — Cassandra Lybrink is the local editor of The Holland Sentinel Contact her at clybrink@hollandsentinel.com Help us continue to bring “the science of a meaningful life” to you and to millions around the globe Daryl R. Van Tongeren, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology and director of the Frost Center for Social Science Research at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and the author of Done: How to Flourish After Leaving Religion (American Psychological Association Books www.darylvantongeren.com X: @drvantongeren Instagram: @darylvantongeren Studies are investigating the process of leaving religion and what a flourishing life after religion looks like acknowledging you might have limits can cause existential distress but there are steps we can take to cultivate more humility Parents can model and help children practice admitting what they don't know and owning mistakes The Greater Good Science Center studies the psychology Find out the answers to these questions and more with Psychology Today Psychology Today Blog: Meaning Making From virtues and morality to motivation for meaning is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Hope College in Experimental Social Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2011 He was named a 2016 Association for Psychological Science (APS) Rising Star he was named a Fellow of the Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) and a Fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) He has 150 scientific publications on meaning in life and his work has been supported by numerous external grants Psychology Today © 2025 Sussex Publishers Conagra Brands to Sell Chef Boyardee for $600M An antique display case by Jaap Sinke and Ferry van Tongeren part of the Dutch duo’s current exhibition The composition is inspired by the bird paintings of Melchior d'Hondecoeter backed by a tailormade piece of Portuguese red marble two different species of tragopans and a couple of scarlet ibis The pair stress that none of the animals were killed for their work Sinke and van Tongeren 'try to imagine a frame around all of the works' composition is invariably aided by light and here Harry Triggs and Andrew Molyneux of TM Lighting have cast dramatic chiaroscuro across each piece Pictured left: a black swan protecting an ostrich chick inspired by the swan painting by Jan Asselijn at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Right: Jaap Sinke (standing) and Ferry van Tongeren A Spotted Eagle Owl sits on a sculpted structure decorated with small brass birds and red coral Sinke & van Tongeren’s Unknown Poses taxidermy photographs Pictured left: Unknown Pose by Great White Pelican escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox Family owned and operated for over 85 years Claiming and living God’s promise of everlasting life Warren Ray VanTongeren’s earthly life ended on Friday He was a devoted husband to Marian (Dice) VanTongeren for 67 years and living will be lovingly remembered by Marian and their five children He was a grandfather to sixteen and “Grandpa Great” to fifteen He mourned the loss of three grandchildren who were born deceased Warren was the second of six children born to William and Rhea VanTongeren and is survived by a brother In his earlier years Warren was a social activist who with passionate voice and work cared deeply for those who struggled to flourish and who faced injustice he first worked in Nigeria assisting the country with establishing an educational system following their independence He then taught for several years at a local high school before spending the majority of his career teaching and developing curriculum in the state correctional facility Post retirement years allowed time for enjoyment of many interests including travel He and Marian also worked in two famine relief programs in Zambia and Tanzania Over the past few years due to medical complications Warren struggled to find words and daily life became increasingly difficult The family is grateful to the many caregivers at American House-Jenison and Visiting Angels for their loving care of our father during these times There will be a private family memorial service at a later date Warren was a passionate supporter of Bread for the World If you choose to make a donation in his memory Designer’s Choice Grand Vase Arrangement 616.724.1800 | Contact Us | Careers | Customer Reviews | Delivery/Refund Policy | © 2025 MKD Funeral Homes Upon completing your online flower order, our florist will immediately receive the details of your purchase. Our florist will then prepare your arrangement(s) with care and make the delivery to the location you provided during the ordering process. If you experience any problems with the product you ordered, please contact our business office by email at admin@mkdfuneralhome.com Ayvens Group has appointed Maartje van Tongeren (pictured) as Managing Director of ALD Automotive/LeasePlan in Austria The appointment is effective from 1 May.  Dutch-born Ms Van Tongeren (43), who has an MBA from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, started her career at ING Group in 2004, held various procurement positions at Staples, Achmea and other well-known companies, and in 2015 joined LeasePlan Netherlands as Procurement Director.  she has been part of the local management team as Director Service Delivery (first for LeasePlan with responsibility for the service and operations departments and for the present company’s approximately 200,000 managed cars.  “I’m looking forward to this exciting new role we will successfully complete the integration of ALD Automotive and LeasePlan” “With Maartje van Tongeren as MD in Austria, we have gained an experienced leader. I’m convinced she is the perfect person to realise the integration and lead the combined company into a successful future”, says Martin Kessler, Group Regional Director DACH at Ayvens.  ALD Automotive/LeasePlan in Austria will become Ayvens Austria WIKIFLEET is a free collaborative encyclopaedia providing knowledge about car fleet management all over the world Wikifleet The Global Fleet MARKETPLACE is the ONE guide to find fleet & mobility providers worldwide Marketplace répertoires et magazines dans notre e-shop e-shop Voulez-vous attirer l'attention des gestinnaires internationaux de flotte et de mobilité Contactez-nous et devenez notre partenaire! Contactez-nous The artists detail their ascendancy in “Our First Book,” joined by collectors, gallerists and fashion designers (plumage reigns in taxidermy’s Wunderkammer world). Lannoo will release the 304-page gilt-edge book in late September. The artists don’t go as far as the Victorians’ Walter Potter, a Brit famed for cigar-smoking squirrels and a guinea pig cricket match. But their aim is the same: to drag resplendent nature indoors to hyperbolize and civilize its beauty. “We don’t strive to copy nature faithfully, because nature is too modest in our view,” the pair writes in their book. Indeed, a kind of hubris has forever permeated taxidermy’s ancient tradition that can seem biblical in its desire for dominion. Sinke and Van Tongeren stress that their work is “ethical taxidermy.” They rescue creatures from the trash — a salvation from a sad death that eternally beatifies bird and beast. Hollywood Inc. World & Nation Books Television Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Don’t Miss a Single Sparkling Moment! Sign up for The Court Jeweller Newsletter The Court Jeweller Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World 07.12.2023 by // Leave a Comment the Queen of the Belgians headed to the nation’s oldest city for a special coronation procession—but one that involves a statue located in Limburg in the country’s Flemish region was the Roman capital of the Civitas Tungrorum district and parts of the Roman city wall still exist today The city is also home to the Basilica of Our Lady of Tongeren The impressive cathedral was built in the 13th century but archaeological excavations on the site have shown that a building existed in the same location as early as the 4th century Belgian artisans carved a magnificent statue of the Virgin Mary and Jesus out of walnut Pope Leo XIII granted permission to have the statue crowned The coronation of the statue took place the following year and a grand religious procession was held in Tongeren to mark the occasion now known as “Kroningsfeesten,” have been repeated every seven years since Queen Mathilde has attended Kroningsfeesten four times since her 1999 royal wedding She attended with King Phillipe (when they were still Duke and Duchess of Brabant) in 2002 and 2009 both King Philippe and Princess Elisabeth joined Queen Mathilde as she watched the procession She wore a floral dress from Natan with burgundy accessories for this year’s celebrations She accessorized with an interesting pair of earrings and several familiar bracelets Here’s a closer look at the earrings which have distinctive opaque heart-shaped pendants The earrings also feature red gemstones with gold accents Mathilde stacked two gold bracelets—a bangle tipped with red gemstones and a chain bracelet with gemstones and medal pendants—on her left wrist She finished off the look with her gold wedding ring and her diamond and blue gemstone ring on her left Categories // Belgium Enter your name and email address below to subscribe to our weekly newsletter Sign up for my new subscriber-supported community, Hidden Gems, delivered directly to you each Saturday! Copyright © 2025 THE COURT JEWELLER LLC Volume 12 - 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.641747 The global COVID-19 pandemic has created a crisis of suffering We conceptualize suffering as a deeply existential issue that fundamentally changes people indelible ways and for which there are no easy solutions To better understand its effects and how people can flourish in the midst of this crisis we formally introduce and elaborate on an Existential Positive Psychology Model of Suffering (EPPMS) and apply that to the COVID-19 global pandemic Our model has three core propositions: (a) suffering reveals existential concerns (b) existential anxiety impairs one's ability to find meaning and (c) cultivating meaning is the primary way to address suffering and allay existential anxiety eventually leading to flourishing (and potentially growth) We apply this model to the COVID-19 pandemic The global COVID-19 pandemic has created a crisis of suffering. As of this writing (January, 2021), the virus has infected more than 100 million people worldwide, claiming the lives of more than 2 million, and disrupting the lives of people in nearly every country on the planet (Johns, 2021) Schools have been shifted to remote learning Daily routines have been significantly altered We do not think it is an understatement to say that this pandemic will leave an indelible mark on this generation of humanity how to do people cope with suffering on this scale—suffering that has revealed core existential fears and altered their lives in profound ways we propose a new theoretical approach to suffering and apply this to the COVID-19 pandemic we define suffering as an existential issue We then explicate the core tenets of our new model and highlight how it can explain responses to the global pandemic we develop the clinical implications of our model and we discuss avenues for advancing research in this domain we discuss unanswered questions and suggestions for future inquiry We advance that work by introducing a model that applies existential-positive psychology to the experience of human suffering For a richer and more complete explication of our ideas we encourage readers to start with that resource we formally introduce this model and its three core propositions and more fully explicate a similar existential positive psychology approach toward suffering in the midst of a global pandemic The EPPMS views suffering as an existential issue. As we originally proposed (Van Tongeren and Showalter Van Tongeren, 2020) suffering is (a) cognitively threatening (i.e. it violates deeply held assumptions about the world) it alters people in fundamental or profound ways) These features of suffering—its cognitive threat and consequentialism—often reveal existential concerns that have the potential to generate considerable anxiety cultural worldviews answer existential questions and suffering undermines these safety-providing frameworks resulting from contemplating existential realities as they must confront their core existential fears head-on Our second proposition is that because suffering elicits existential anxiety, this directly impairs one's sense of meaning. Meaning is comprised of coherence, significance, and purpose and is generally defined as the subjective felt experience that's one life makes sense, is valuable, and is oriented toward something larger [see George and Park (2016) and Martela and Steger (2016)] Because suffering often feels senseless (challenging coherence) can cause people to question whether or not they matter (threatening significance) and might reveal the absurdity of life (undermining purpose) suffering cuts across all dimensions of meaning The relationship between meaning and existential concerns (and comfort) is well-documented These efforts should mollify existential angst This highlights how the psychological efforts implicated after threats are designed to defend against existential anxiety and provide comfort the proclivity to defend meaning is rather automatic This compensatory reaffirmation process is also supported by research on adversity and trauma. Park's (2010) meaning making model postulates that stress or adversity often creates a discrepancy between the way people expect the world to be (i.e. global meaning) and their assessment or evaluation of a particular event (i.e. The degree of this discrepancy is directly related to the amount of distress someone experiences This distress results in an impaired sense of meaning in life Concordant with experimental existential approaches the basic premise of all of these perspectives is that existential threats reduce meaning and motivate efforts to restore meaning Recent empirical work has confirmed this proposition. Across three studies, Edwards and Van Tongeren (2020) found that participants assigned to recall a time of suffering reported poorer mental health and well-being precisely because such suffering impeded their ability to find meaning in life and existential anxiety challenges people's ability to find meaning in life which has cascading negative effects on mental health and well-being restoring meaning in these domains should reduce suffering by directly addressing existential concerns and mitigating suffering and metabolizing one's existential frailty is key to experiencing a paradigmatic shift in one's understanding of the world that can lead to growth Doing so helps people regain a sense of coherence To the extent that people can restore a sense of significance and regain a feeling that they matter to other people in their life their feelings of suffering should be allayed Whether working with a professional or attempting to find a sense of identity on their own people can build meaning through a coherent narrative grants them with a sense of purpose in life By building meaning across all domains should lead people to a fuller The centerpiece of our EPPMS is that meaning is a primary pathway toward wholeness, health, and flourishing in the midst of suffering. Although suffering makes it difficult to find meaning, which leads to numerous mental health effects [see Edwards and Van Tongeren (2020)], building sustainable meaning is paradoxically a salve for suffering (Van Tongeren and Showalter Van Tongeren, 2020) By focusing on the development of restoring and rebuilding meaning in the midst of suffering people can begin to experience the potential for growth and flourishing We also acknowledge that although our presentation of the propositions implies a certain linearity of progression these constructs are likely reciprocally related and mutually reinforcing there are likely numerous moderators—such as content of one's worldview beliefs and the style with which one holds such beliefs and socioeconomic factors—that may alter one's experience of suffering and flourishing We encourage future research to address such nuances to advance research in this area (see Discussion) The EPPMS asserts that the acceptance and engagement of existential realities is precisely what is necessary for people to metabolize experiences of suffering in ways that can (but do not necessarily) lead to transformative expressions of the good life We draw from three relevant areas of empirical research that all share a common feature of meaning—transcending oneself improving the lives of others) as three chief candidates for ways that building meaning that addresses existential concerns can lead toward flourishing First, relationships are a centerpiece of meaning (Klinger, 1977). Building meaning through developing healthy relationships can not only help overcome the existential anxiety of concerns, such as isolation and death (Florian et al., 2002), but it can move people toward states of flourishing and wholeness (VanderWeele, 2017). Relationships are often a core contributor to well-being (Dush and Amato, 2005) and so by cultivating meaning via social interactions people are simultaneously attending to their existential concerns and building a flourishing life of well-being and belonging they address the stress of existential concerns and transcend themselves to live richer and more flourishing lives providing additional evidence for the transformative nature of prosociality we see overlap between processes aimed at addressing existential concerns and building a flourishing life many people have struggled with having many of their normal routines and structures disrupted and the anxiety that comes from having to make difficult decisions about how to navigate life amid conflicting (or confusing) information about the virus the realization of existential freedom has been troubling; decisions about whether to travel and how to conduct life and work amid vast uncertainty has been fatiguing and overwhelming for many Many have felt conflicted and unsure of how to navigate an unpredictable world where their decisions have significant consequences for themselves and the lives of others This massive shift in daily life has also cause many people to wrestle with their identity For those who defined themselves (at least in part) through their work losing a job could have felt threatening both economically and existentially; those who took pride in their sociability may have felt as though a part of themselves is withering by not being around others; and the hobbies that might have helped define one's self-concept (e.g. being an athlete) may no longer be available (e.g. races were canceled or turned into individual virtual events) Some may have asked themselves who they are now when previously they would have defined themselves largely by their activities a widespread reminder of human frailty is on full display in the midst of this pandemic We have yet to see the downstream effects of lost meaning on mental health and social functioning we suspect that building meaning will help those suffering in the midst of this pandemic fare better in the long term The EPPMS lies at the intersection of theory and practice It is an empirical model with considerable research support and it is also a clinically relevant model that can practitioners engage with their clients who are suffering To advance the principles of the EPPMS in work with clients we pay special attention to integrating the theoretical assertions of the EPPMS in clinical work We highlight the flexibility of the EPPMS and how it applies to work with clients who are suffering from a wide range of concerns Rather than pathologize suffering as an inherently problematic result of a client's cognitive or affective processing a terminal illness is likely to raise existential concerns and cause suffering or emotional realignment can deny the reality that one is going to die the EPPMS is focused on two primary clinical goals: existential acceptance and cultivating meaning the first clinical strategy is to help clients to move toward acceptance—of their suffering and of the existential realities their suffering reveal this work can help clients gain a sense of personal autonomy wherein they gain some control regarding strategies to use to buffer this anxiety a clinician might help a client realize that feelings of persistent groundlessness and the weight of freedom may lead to anxiety and decision fatigue Some initial psychoeducation can reframe their experience as a common feature of being human and having to make certain decisions in an uncertain and chaotic world perhaps a client is reporting feeling hopeless and depressed because they feel as though they have lost their sense of self being disconnected from things that gave them purpose Someone who identified as a traveler or athlete may struggle when travel is restricted and events are canceled Working to help clients identify that such anxiety is a result of concerns surrounding identity can impel clinical work toward accepting this new reality As long as the client ignores or denies the reality of their suffering they will be unable to move forward toward flourishing clients struggling with identity-related concerns might work toward crafting a new narrative in light of their current reality (e.g. exploring their current town or state; finding new ways to exercise or compete) lasting therapeutic work on existential issues is not possible until people begin to acknowledge and accept their suffering as an existential reality But what might building meaning look like across the five concerns Finding an authentic set of beliefs that better reflects their suffering can enhance meaning they begin to find meaning through feeling significant and as though they matter each of which may contribute to a sense that life is meaningful and part of the therapeutic work is to help clients understand how they make meaning so that they can bring it into their conscious awareness and derive lives of purpose that permeate their daily experiences our model makes several novel contributions we make suffering as an existential issue as a centerpiece of our model experiences of suffering give rise to existential anxiety that erodes meaning and impairs psychological functioning The emphasis on how suffering is existential and the importance of addressing the underlying existential concerns when clients report distress provides a different vantage point for engaging with suffering We see this novel entry to research and practice as valuable we contend that building meaning is the key to flourishing when experiencing suffering as evidenced from individuals living with chronic conditions or terminal diagnoses people may experience considerable flourishing while suffering Suffering does not need to be eliminated in order for people to thrive; rather cultivating meaning amid such circumstances improves one's well-being This assertion stands in stark contrast to many other existing approaches Third, we depart from other positive psychology approaches that tend to focus more on happiness or hedonic well-being. Such subjectively positive affective states may feel elusive amid suffering, whereas meaning can be cultivated in stress and hardship (Baumeister et al., 2013) conceptualized as eudemonic well-being marked by coherence This inclusion of both the “light” and “dark” side of human nature as well as the realization that positive psychology could benefit from expansion to considering a broader set of psychological states we see more work to do to catalyze work in this area We have proposed a new model of and existential positive psychology of suffering and have provided research support and clinical implications of this model we see several fruitful areas for future research inquiry using a range of methodological assessments (e.g. biomarkers) to provide additional evidence for the validity of our proposed model Elsewhere, we have offered a fuller account for an existential-positive psychology approach to suffering [see Van Tongeren and Showalter Van Tongeren (2020)] We encourage a broader shift in how clinicians view therapy the predominance of the medical model and pressures from insurance companies impel clinicians to “fix” clients and “reduce symptoms,” often through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques CBT is not effective when there is no cognitive distortion; a terminally ill client whose cognitions include “I am going to die” is not thinking irrationally The pressure clients and clinicians feel under the medical model to “restore” clients back to baseline functioning creates undo suffering and ignores the tenable reality that suffering changes how people perceive the world around them It is a faulty premise that someone who has experienced suffering would not be changed by the suffering in and of itself looking at suffering from an existential positive psychology perspective where the reality informs how one might live with their remaining time moves from an “irrationality” perspective to a strengths-based perspective where they desire to build meaning and experience flourishing This could help inform practice and give clinicians the tools to help work with clients who are experiencing increasingly difficult times This likely also requires that clinicians engage in their own existential work to examine and understand how their clients' suffering has affected their own existential worldviews We argue that helping clinicians build existential resilience might also be able to reduce burnout A fundamental assumption of most existential approaches is that encountering these realities can lead to considerable anxiety. However, shifting toward a perspective more strongly informed by positive psychology, we suspect that humans should be able to develop existential resilience, or the ability to encounter existential concerns are truths and not threats, facts and not fears (Van Tongeren and Showalter Van Tongeren, 2020) We suspect that more work should be dedicated toward developing this construct and then developing interventions focused around existential resilience and persistent questions about what it means to be human Doing so should be helpful to provide a durable buffer against the existential anxiety engendered by considering life's deepest realities We presented the EPPMS, which is an approach to suffering based on the intersection of existential and positive psychology, with the primary goal of alleviating suffering through the cultivation of meaning. Drawing from empirical research and clinical practice (Van Tongeren and Showalter Van Tongeren, 2020) we see this framework as a useful theoretical and clinical model for those who are experiencing indelible and profound struggles that raise fundamental questions about what it means to be human The application of this model to collective suffering demonstrates its utility and generalizability We hope that future research will continue to advance work in this exciting area of inquiry and practice The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/supplementary material further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author/s DV and SS developed the model and wrote the manuscript Both authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest 1. ^We acknowledge that there are multiple reasons why people may ignore scientific advice including disbelief of or mistrust of science we suspect that the need to belong accounts for some of the motivation Subliminal exposure to death-related stimuli increases defense of the cultural worldview CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Terror management and self-awareness: evidence that mortality salience provokes avoidance of the self-focused state The need to belong: desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation Some key differences between a happy life and a meaningful life CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Google Scholar Preliminary psychometric properties of the acceptance and action questionnaire–ii: a revised measure of psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance and peace to quality of life: a report from the American Cancer Society's study of cancer survivors-II (SCS-II) Social exclusion and the desire to reconnect CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Consequences of relationship status and quality for subjective well-being CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Meaning mediates the association between suffering and well-being CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar The anxiety-buffering function of close relationships: evidence that relationship commitment acts as a terror management mechanism The multidimensional existential meaning scale: a tripartite approach to measuring meaning in life CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Psychological defense in anticipation of anxiety: eliminating the potential for anxiety eliminates the effect of mortality salience on worldview defense “The causes and consequences of a need for self-esteem: a terror management theory,” in Public Self and Private Self (New York CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar A theoretical and empirical review of the death-thought accessibility concept in terror management research The meaning maintenance model: on the coherence of social motivations CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Engaging in personally meaningful activities is associated with meaning salience and psychological well-being A meta-analysis of the link between prosociality and well-being Contribution of cultural worldview to generic counseling and development CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar When choice is demotivating: can one desire too much of a good thing 995–1006 doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.79.6.995 Google Scholar Johns, H. 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Accepted: 09 February 2021; Published: 10 March 2021 Copyright © 2021 Van Tongeren and Showalter Van Tongeren. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Daryl R. Van Tongeren, dmFudG9uZ2VyZW5AaG9wZS5lZHU= Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish GRAND RAPIDS — Ferris Coffee & Nut Co. a family-owned and Grand Rapids-based coffee and nut roasting business has completed a succession plan that passes leadership to the next generation Mark Van Tongeren takes over as president from his father “I’m in a unique position where I get to continue my father’s legacy and get to build upon Ferris for the foreseeable future,” Mark Van Tongeren told MiBiz Ferris executives in 2019 announced the succession plan the first in the company’s nearly 100-year history to pass down to a younger generation within the family As Mark Van Tongeren takes over as president — who worked closely in a human resources role at Ferris — will leave to pursue other opportunities John Van Tongeren will remain involved in the business as Ferris’ executive chairperson “The time presented itself this year,” Mark Van Tongeren said “We attempted to do this over the past couple of years and the clarity just wasn’t there.”  Ferris Coffee & Nut is among the minority of family-owned businesses historically with a clear succession plan, according to recent surveys and studies. A 2021 PricewaterhouseCoopers survey found that just 34 percent of family businesses nationally have a “robust documented and communicated succession plan in place.” “You have to have a set of agreed upon and followed rules for how decisions are made and how disagreements happen,” Van Tongeren said “Prioritizing the family relationships first and making sure those are strong is key to a successful family business.” Van Tongeren credited his father for setting Ferris Coffee & Nut up for success The company’s aspirations moving forward include maintaining a positive cash flow and preserving long-standing relationships with manufacturers in West Michigan We need to take care of our customers,” Van Tongeren said Van Tongeren plans to grow the coffee shop consumer packaged goods and wholesale sides of the business regionally and nationally we are laser focused on continuing to build on our on-premise business with our food service distributors cafe and restaurant partners,” Van Tongeren said and we are all considerably focused on the health of our team.” Growing up and watching his father run Ferris is a continued source of inspiration for Van Tongeren “Work ethic was instilled in our house at a pretty young age,” he said “Seeing the amount of effort that it takes to run a business has certainly been something that I’ve always appreciated from him.” Ferris will celebrate its centennial in 2024 “We could not be more excited about the centennial birthday for Ferris,” Van Tongeren said “It’s a unique situation because our company A lot of our team members are young and hungry and excited for what the future holds.” Staying current is easy with Crain's Grand Rapids Business news delivered straight to your inbox Click below to see everything we have to offer A young Australian woman allegedly tried to traffic almost $3.8 million worth of methamphetamine in her suitcase on a flight from San Francisco back to Brisbane Don't miss out on the headlines from National Followed categories will be added to My News A young Australian woman suspected of being a drug mule is facing a decade behind bars in the US if found guilty after she allegedly tried to traffic almost $3.8 million worth of methamphetamine hidden in her suitcase The massive stash was allegedly discovered in Yasmin Van Tongeren’s bag which she checked in at San Francisco International Airport on February 11 for a flight to Brisbane San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said police would allege the 25-year-old had travelled to Los Angeles to collect the 21kg drug shipment at the request of a friend who offered to pay her up to $15,000 “She said that she was there visiting another friend and she was then after the week returning home to fly to Brisbane would you take this there,” Mr Wagstaffe said referring to the suitcase allegedly filled with methamphetamine “She initially said she didn’t know what was in it Our information is based purely on what she had to say She said it was to be a payment upon her return to Australia of $10,000 to $15,000.” The suitcase also contained clothes which appeared to be stained with coffee in what investigators believed was an attempt to mask the scent of the drugs While the local authorities had received a tip about a potential drug courier passing through the airport Mr Wagstaffe said the decision to check Ms Van Tongeren’s bag was random She just had the bad luck that they happened to take a look at her suitcase,” he said The 25-year-old had not been on the radar of local law enforcement before He said she told investigators that her trip was “basically a vacation” Ms Van Tongeren has been charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute She pleaded not guilty at an initial court hearing earlier this month She is on remand at the Maple Street Correctional Center located between San Francisco and San Jose she faces at least eight years in a state prison with up to three more years potentially added on as a result of the volume of drugs she was allegedly trafficking “The weight is a big thing,” Mr Wagstaffe said The wholesale price of a kilogram of methamphetamine in Australia ranges between $115,000 and $180,000 according to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission meaning the 21kg stash allegedly hidden in Ms Van Tongeren’s suitcase could have been worth up to $3.8m on the street Mr Wagstaffe said she could have faced an even steeper penalty had federal authorities decided to prosecute the case instead “Maybe they think she’s just what we call a mule and not worthy of the heavier sanctions,” he said “They can obtain much longer sentences than we can He said authorities were yet to identify the person who allegedly gave the drug-filled suitcase to the young Australian Originally published as Australian woman facing 10 years in US jail over drug mule charges A Fisher Price toy advertised as suitable for babies and toddlers has been recalled over fears a part could become detached and cause injury or death by choking Australia’s sharemarket has snapped a seven day win streak on the back of a major bank and oil deal Herman Van Tongeren started making cigars in a factory on E he had a retail store at 12 E. Eighth St and a factory upstairs at 58-60 E. Eighth St — which produced hundreds of thousands of cigars More: Holland’s Wooden Shoe Factory provided more than six decades of family fun bought a souvenir business from a man named DeWeerdt who sold wooden shoes to the Kresge and Woolworth stores in Holland Oldemulders worked for Limbert Furniture Company and made the shoes in his garage at 372 W More History: Holland's first mayor excelled at management More History: The ambitions and troubles of Jan Rabbers More History: The story of Holland's first residents Chester Van Tongeren’s purchase was timely made a presentation at the Woman’s Literary Club called “Civic Beauty.” She suggested Holland adopt the tulip and set aside a day for a festival She concluded her presentation with a poem entitled “Come Down to Holland in Tulip Time.” That same year the Holland Furnace Company gave Van Tongeren an order for 1,400 pairs of wooden shoes Mayor Ernest Brooks convinced Holland City Council to purchase 100,000 tulip bulbs plant them in city parks and sell them to residents for a penny a piece more tourists arrived and started stopping at Van Tongeren’s Dutch Novelty Shop Van Tongeren moved the Shop to 139-141 S. River Ave. (north of Sixth Street) — then a wooden structure. By 1933 Esther Perry was training the Dutch Villagers Oldemulders joined Van Tongeren at what they called the Wooden Shoe Factory They hired a young man named Ralph VanderVeen — whom Oldemulders knew from Sixteenth Christian Reformed Church — to be his sander.  Through a large plate glass window tourists could watch Oldemulders carve individual wooden shoes Tulip Time continued to grow in popularity who was newly married and building his home at 195 W Oldemulders decided to open a small production shop at the corner of Ottawa Avenue and 22nd Street the Wooden Shoe Factory made wooden boxes for the military Subscribe: Learn more about our latest subscription offers! Given the economic uncertainty caused by rationing and the war Oldemulders and Van Tongeren got back together That renewed partnership benefitted Oldemulders because he didn’t like managing people and it benefitted Van Tongeren because he needed a carver who could attract tourists to his souvenir shop been promoted to maintenance man and machine operator Tulip Time got a boost from the Holland Furnace Company which began inviting movie stars and celebrities to Holland to schmooze with its salespeople and promote Tulip Time The Wooden Shoe Factory took advantage of the situation making shoes for the likes of Dorothy Lamour Ralph’s sons — Hank and Ken — helped out by mowing Harold’s lawn on Elm Street Chester bought land on the east side of the proposed new U.S.-31 bypass on the former site of the city’s airport he built a new home for the Wooden Shoe Factory he also opened a warehouse at 95 S. River Harold joined the VanFaasen Novelty Company at 85 S. River and Delwyn — Chester’s other son — became manager at the Wooden Shoe Factory and Restaurant We’ll pick up more of the story next week — Steve VanderVeen is a resident of Holland. You can reach him and see his stories at start-upacademeinc.com. fire destroyed the Wooden Shoe Factory and Wooden Shoe Restaurant newly relocated along the U.S.-31 bypass at 16th Street owner Chester Van Tongeren rebuilt the factory and a country store which sold baked goods tourists could get a tour and see Fred Oldemulders and another wooden shoe carver More History: The history of The Wooden Shoe Factory Ralph VanderVeen worked as general maintenance person and machine operator Van Tongeren complemented the factory by leasing adjacent lots to other businesses: The Wooden Shoe Motel Delwyn co-managed the restaurant and tavern with his mother-in-law Chester Van Tongeren’s grandchildren also participated The grandchildren would dress up in Dutch costumes and stand in front of the factory Also on the property was the Wooden Shoe Driving Range and Miniature Golf Course Those were built and operated by Ralph’s son Dave was also picking up golf balls from the driving range and working at the miniature golf course later vacated when Hank joined his brothers Chester Van Tongeren formed a business relationship with the Fuller Bowl Mill in 1964 Founded by Louis Fuller in North Muskegon in 1906 the mill had created a unique process for efficiently making multiple bowls from single logs of wood Ralph VanderVeen left the factory to become a production line manager at Heinz But the souvenir and tourist business was gradually changing Dave remembers how busy the factory continued to be up to 110 busloads of people might visit the factory on a single day often adding to more than 300 buses throughout the festival he would raise three large tents with 24 checkout lanes he moved some of the mill’s machinery to the factory the mill is operated by Dave’s son — Chester Van Tongeren’s great-grandson — Kory Gier The mill is the largest wooden bowl producer in the United States the mill encourages visitors to take tours to see how logs are cut Customers can purchase bowls from the mill Some of those bowls have been made for celebrities: including Mackenzie Scott They've been seen on “The Newsroom” and in the New York Times’ "Holiday Gift Guide." But the mill’s products are marketed differently than those of the Wooden Shoe Factory: 80 percent of the mill’s products are sold through 350 retail stores across the country Farm House Pottery and many private labels Information for these stories came from Robert Swierenga’s "Holland Michigan," Donald Van Reken’s "The Holland Furnace Company," The Holland Sentinel Archives an oral history of Fred Oldemulders in Hope College's Digital Commons and Tulip Time — as well as Dave Gier my father Ken VanderVeen and Paul Kuiper who as a teenager picked up golf balls at the Wooden Shoe Driving Range and worked at the Minit Mart — Steve VanderVeen is a resident of Holland. You can reach him and see his stories at start-upacademeinc.com. Stay up-to-date with exclusive events and content View all partners “I’m in favor of progress; it’s change I don’t like.” This quote pithily underscores the human tendency to desire growth while also harboring strong resistance to the hard work that comes with it I can certainly resonate with this sentiment I was raised in a conservative evangelical home Like many who grew up in a similar environment I learned a set of religious beliefs that framed how I understood myself and the world around me I was taught that God is loving and powerful and God’s faithful followers are protected I was taught that the world is fair and that God is good The world seemed simple and predictable – and most of all These beliefs were shattered when my brother unexpectedly passed away when I was 27 years old His death at 34 with three young children shocked our family and community some of my deepest assumptions were challenged who was a kind and loving father and husband This deep loss started a period where I questioned all of my beliefs in light of the evidence of my own experiences I was able to revise my worldview in a way that felt authentic It took more sleepless nights than I care to recall but I was able to revise some of my core beliefs and it seems critically important for our cultural moment when it’s more common to defend your position than change your mind Intellectual humility is a particular kind of humility that has to do with beliefs This is not only about religious beliefs; it can show up in political views areas of knowledge or expertise or any other strong convictions It has both internal- and external-facing dimensions Within yourself, intellectual humility involves awareness and ownership of the limitations and biases in what you know and how you know it. It requires a willingness to revise your views in light of strong evidence Interpersonally, it means keeping your ego in check so you can present your ideas in a modest and respectful manner It calls for presenting your beliefs in ways that are not defensive and admitting when you’re wrong It involves showing that you care more about learning and preserving relationships than about being “right” or demonstrating intellectual superiority is being the right size in any given situation: not too big (which is arrogance) but also not too small (which is self-deprecation) I can embrace the expertise that I’ve earned over the years But when visiting the opera house with more cultured friends rather than confidently assert my highly uninformed opinion Four main aspects of intellectual humility include being: have cognitive biases and flaws that limit how much you know intellectual humility might look like taking genuine interest in learning about your relative’s beliefs during a conversation at a family get-together rather than waiting for them to finish so you can prove them wrong by sharing your – superior – opinion It could look like considering the merits of an alternative viewpoint on a hot-button political issue and why respectable intelligent people might disagree with you When you approach these challenging discussions with curiosity and humility they become opportunities to learn and grow Though I’ve been studying humility for years, I’ve not yet mastered it personally. It’s hard to swim against cultural norms that reward being right and punish mistakes but psychological science has documented numerous benefits Relationships improve when people are intellectually humble. Research has found that intellectual humility is associated with greater tolerance toward people with whom you disagree which can help repair and maintain relationships Finally, humility helps facilitate personal growth. Being intellectually humble allows you to have a more accurate view of yourself When you can admit and take ownership of your limitations, you can seek help in areas where you have room to grow, and you’re more responsive to information When you limit yourself to only doing things the way you’ve always done them you miss out on countless opportunities for growth expansion and novelty – things that strike you with awe fill you with wonder and make life worth living Humility can unlock authenticity and personal development People can have misconceptions about intellectual humility Intellectual humility isn’t lacking conviction; you can believe something strongly until your mind is changed and you believe something else You should have a high bar for what evidence you require to change your mind It also doesn’t mean being self-deprecating or always agreeing with others Researchers are working hard to validate reliable ways to cultivate intellectual humility. I’m part of a team that is overseeing a set of projects designed to test different interventions to develop intellectual humility Some scholars are examining different ways to engage in discussions and some are exploring the role of enhancing listening and still others are looking at whether different kinds of feedback and exposure to diverse social networks might boost intellectual humility Prior work in this area suggests that humility can be cultivated so we’re excited to see what emerges as the most promising avenues from this new endeavor There was one other thing that religion taught me that was slightly askew I was told that too much learning could be ruinous; after all you wouldn’t want to learn so much that you might lose your faith what I learned through loss may have salvaged a version of my faith that I can genuinely endorse and feels authentic to my experiences The sooner we can open our minds and stop resisting change the sooner we’ll find the freedom offered by humility The pandemic has painfully reminded us of the vulnerability of the global economy to shocks we saw dramatic shortages in the global availability of personal protective equipment and other medical supplies This was due primarily to surging demand and in some cases exacerbated by trade restricting measures Since the production of these products relies on modern ways of sourcing materials (dividing tasks and managing risks in global value chains) these events raised questions about the relative gains and risks from deepening and expanding international specialisation in global value chains Global value chains organise the cross-border design creating much of what we purchase and consume every day – from food and medicines to smartphones and cars Some policymakers and analysts now wonder whether more localised production of key goods would provide greater security against disruptions that can lead to shortages in supply and uncertainty for consumers and businesses (Javorcik 2020 While the discussion about the pros and cons of global value chains intensifies and some countries are already discussing (or putting in place) incentives for firms to re-locate their supply chain activities there is little empirical analysis quantifying costs and benefits associated with different policy options few studies to date attempt to quantify the purported trade-off between efficiency and security (resilience) of supply within global value chains Two recent studies quantify the economic impacts of supply and demand shocks due to Covid-19 (2020) estimate the part of the real GDP reduction which is due to transmission through global supply chains They show that the contraction of GDP would have been worse with re-nationalised global value chains quantify the transmission of price shocks through global value chains But neither of these studies considers the balance of costs and benefits of GVCs in the face of economic shocks recent simulations with the OECD METRO model (a  multi-country multi-sector computable general equilibrium trade model) compare two stylised versions of the global economy The ‘interconnected economies’ regime captures production fragmentation in global value chains much as we see it today while also taking into account the changes already resulting from the Covid-19 crisis (OECD 2020b) These include reductions in supply and productivity of labour reductions in demand for certain goods and services and a rise in trade costs related to new customs procedures for goods as well as restrictions on temporary movement of people in services In the ‘localised – turning inward – regime’ and businesses and consumers rely less on foreign suppliers This illustrative counterfactual world is constructed through a global rise in import tariffs to 25% This is combined with imagined national value-added subsidies equivalent to 1% of GDP on labour and capital directed to domestic non-services sectors (to mimic rescue subsidies that favour local production) firms are more constrained in switching between different sources of products they use making international supply chains more rigid Such assumptions create strong incentives to increase domestic production and rely less on international trade and are meant to illustrate a range of potential implications of policies that aim at creating more localisation These two baseline future trade regimes are exposed to a ‘supply chain shock’ similar to the disruption Covid-19 caused to global supply chains (where the cost of trading to and from one region increases) and logistics increased the cost of exporting and importing to a similar extent The model analysis of shock propagation explores how the interconnected economies and the localised regimes compare in terms of the propagation of The ‘supply chain shock’ is simulated with a 10% increase in the costs of bilateral exports and imports between a given region and all other countries Because a shock that decreases trade costs by 10% (a big drop in oil prices for instance) would have effects of the same magnitude but in the opposite direction both the downside and upside stability in the two regimes can be explored Current debates over future trade regimes often focus on a purported trade-off between efficiency and security of supply This model simulation study allows us to evaluate the two simulated regimes for both It found that a localised regime (where economies are less interconnected) has significantly lower levels of economic activity and lower incomes A shift to the localised regime is estimated to decrease global real GDP by more than 5% relative to the post-Covid-19 baseline Reductions in economic activity are significant across all regions and countries Increased localisation would thus add further GDP losses to the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic even with the support and protection offered to domestic producers under a localised regime not all stages of production can be undertaken in the home country and trade in intermediate inputs and raw materials continues to play an important role in domestic production less international diversification of sourcing and sales means that most domestic markets are required to shoulder more of the adjustments to absorb shocks This translates into larger price swings and large changes of production ultimately leading to greater variability of incomes the more localised regime delivers neither greater efficiency nor greater security of supply (Figure 1) Recent analysis on the global value chain of face masks during the Covid-19 outbreak (OECD 2020c) offers a concrete illustration It shows that producing face masks requires a multitude of inputs along the value chain from non-woven fabric made with polypropylene to specialised machinery for ultra-sonic welding While the production itself does not require high-tech inputs localising the production of just this one good would require high capital investments which would need to be supported during periods when demand shrinks and localised production is not competitive With current technologies it would therefore be excessively costly for every country to develop production capacity that matches crisis-induced surges in demand and which encompasses the whole value chain from raw materials through distribution for a whole catalogue of essential goods to match any potential crisis shocks result in lower levels and lower stability of real GDP Note: All changes in variables are relative to the level of the interconnected regime base scenario which is set to equal 100 Blue dots show the base in the given regime relative to the interconnected base and whiskers show average deviations for negative and positive trade cost shocks.Source: OECD (2020b) based on OECD METRO database and simulations More localisation also means more reliance on fewer sources of (and often more expensive) inputs when a disruption occurs somewhere in the supply chain it is harder and more costly to find ready substitutes giving rise to greater risk of insecurity in supply This is also the case for sectors that are often seen as strategic Work on trade interdependencies in Covid-19-related goods (OECD 2020d) further supports these findings demonstrating that no single country produces efficiently all the goods it needs to fight the pandemic while the US and Germany tend to specialise in the production of medical devices China and Malaysia are most specialised in producing protective garments While the argument about global value chains is often posited as one of efficiency versus security OECD research illustrates that greater localisation may fail to achieve either The localisation of production is costly for the most developed countries and virtually impossible for the less developed a localised regime provides less protection from the impact of shocks and cost-efficient solution to the challenges posed by shortages in some key equipment during demand surges may involve the combination of strategic stocks; upstream agreements with companies for rapid conversion of assembly lines during crises and supportive international trade measures The current health crisis has highlighted the interconnectedness of countries and economies and the best option that we have is to meet these challenges together “Global value chains and the transmission of price shocks” “Global supply chains will not be the same in the post-COVID-19 world” R and S Evenett (eds) COVID-19 and Trade Policy: Why Turning Inward Won’t Work Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development risks and global value chains: insights from the OECD METRO model” “The face mask global value chain in the COVID-19 outbreak: Evidence and policy lessons” “Trade interdependencies in Covid-19 goods” Van Tongeren America unveiled a line of classifier systems that collect and separate dry particles by size range using only ambient air and gravity the Van Tongeren air classifier systems eliminate the use of water allowing the material to be kept dry upstream and downstream while replacing wet processing with an environmentally responsible dry processing approach that conserves water The needs for wastewater management and drying equipment for moisture removal are eliminated while worker safety is improved efficiency is streamlined and product quality is consistently assured The classifier systems are ideal for manufactured sand aggregate and other minerals and materials used in a 24/7 operation Van Tongeren’s classifier line is comprised of three different models using three different classification methods all custom designed and engineered based on the application to meet specific production goals and end product specifications The gravitational classifier operates without moving parts for low maintenance and separates fines less than 150 mesh to 150 µm from more coarse material the gravitational-inertial classifier separates fines from 300 µm to 36 µm and the centrifugal classifier separates fines from 100 µm to 15 µm The classifiers may also be used in series to split feed multiple products at different cut points and often include a cyclone or bag house dust collector to meet air pollution control requirements Haver & Boecker Niagara Pulse Impact Test Ensures Efficient Operation Eagle Materials: Agg revenue down to end 2021 How Cemex fared in the first quarter of 2025 Martin Marietta ‘off to a strong start’ to 2025 Vulcan Materials delivers ‘strong’ first-quarter performance Pit & Quarry is the leading aggregates industry magazine and the equipment and technology media source for the crushed stone Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker HOLLAND — Hope College Professor Daryl Van Tongeren was recently elected as a fellow of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology Van Tongeren is the third member of the Hope psychology faculty to be elected a fellow following the selections of Mary Inman and David Myers in previous years Van Tongeren is an associate professor of psychology at Hope and began teaching at the college in 2012 His research focuses on social motivation for meaning and its relation to virtues and morality Fellows are elected to the Society of Experimental Social Psychology by the organization’s membership committee The society is a scientific organization with more than 1,000 members around the world It publishes a quarterly journal with other professional associations and holds annual meetings each fall Van Tongeren was elected a fellow by the Midwestern Psychological Association and the International Society for Science and Religion in 2019 He was named a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science in 2016 Van Tongeren recently co-authored the book “The Courage to Suffer: A New Clinical Framework for Life’s Greatest Crises,” which was published in March He has also published more than 150 journal articles and academic book chapters and has received multiple grants for his research from the John Templeton Foundation as well as from the college Belgium’s oldest town founded in the first century AD is also home to a vast and fascinating flea market I wake on Sunday morning in Tongeren like a kid on Christmas morning and happily also hosts the biggest weekly antiques market in the Benelux region Wandering out of Hotel Eburon – a modern design showcase fashioned from an old convent – the first thing I see is a woman in traditional Flemish costume helping attract browsers to the vintage farmhouse paraphernalia she has spread out around her cafes offer coffee and pastries – plus morning beer (hey this is Belgium) – to shoppers pausing from treasure hunting What began as an impromptu flea market in the 1970s now draws up to 350 sellers every Sunday from across Belgium and the Netherlands and they fill Tongeren’s old centre – from tiny cobbled alleys to the sports hall I snap up a distinctive 1960s German vase for €10 from one of the stalls lining the old town walls on Moerenstraat their fusion of medieval flint and Roman brickwork a fine backdrop to the timeless bustle of trade I can’t resist some 19th-century candle trimmers which look like a tiny geometric sculpture around 30 antique shops throw open their doors too my efforts to buy a fantastic 1920s photo of a crowd surveying a giant pig (you had to see it) fail as the shop owner says it’s destined for the town archives I cheer myself up on a nearby street by splashing €20 on a careworn vintage autoharp whose rust-tinged beauty perfectly embodies the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi After Sunday lunch at the canalside Infirmerie brasserie, I dive into the adjacent begijnhof – a Unesco-listed former community of unmarried or widowed women (Beguines) the Museum Beghina delves into the lives of these proto-feminist pathfinders while its cosy basement bar challenges visitors to guess the unusual key ingredient in a glass of beguine beer I just enjoy its delicious herbal notes – and promise the bartender I won’t reveal the secret The Infirmerie restaurant, by the 17th-century begijnhof community.My taste buds get another Flemish workout that evening at Cafe Au Phare on the Grote Markt where a giant bronze of Celtic warrior Ambiorix gazes towards the towering 15th-century Basilica Its special beer-pairing menu (book via Facebook) features Flemish classics such as tomato stuffed with succulent grey shrimp which goes well with a rare vintage gueuze A five-mile cab ride away – fit folk can hire a bike for a euro at Tongeren station – is Alden Biesen castle A vast 16th-century red-brick moat-ringed edifice it is flanked by walking trails through orchards of cherry Van Tongeren America unveiled a mobile version of its dry particle classification system that separates materials on site without requiring water the mobile classification system sets the entire processing plant within a standard truck base to permit convenient movement among multiple sites and to make small or remote locations viable where constructing an entire plant would be cost-prohibitive – or where water is not readily available The mobile classifying system integrates Van Tongeren’s gravitational-inertial classifier system for particle separation and recovery With its multi-cell cyclone system for safely managing exhaust gas at such high particle efficiency ancillary baghouse dust collectors and precipitators may be eliminated The pneumatic air classifier separates particles at any cut point and consistently runs unattended in 24/7 operation with no moving parts for dependable service and virtually zero maintenance Custom conveyors and other accessories can be added as needed Van Tongeren America releases classifier systems Sturtevant Whirlwind Mobile Air Classifier Refurbished air classifier continues to produce sand I had the opportunity to ask Eugene Heideman who served the Reformed Church in America in a variety of roles for a half century “What is the most important quality that a disciple of Jesus needs to demonstrate in our day and time?” He did a little bit of pondering on the question and then answered in a quite firm manner “Humility; a follower of Jesus most needs humility!”   it is not surprising that two books have just been published this year in 2022 on the theme and virtue of humility.  Richard Foster the celebrated author of a modern spiritual classic Celebration of Discipline Learning Humility:  A Year of Searching for a Vanishing Virtue.  Foster’s book is in the spiritual discipline and theological stream of other fine books that Foster has authored.  A second book on humility which is a bit longer—290 pages–is by Daryl Van Tongeren entitled Humble:  Free Yourself from the Traps of a Narcissistic World.  Van Tongeren is Associate Professor of Psychology at Hope College.  His book uses extensive psychological research to argue that humility is not a weakness but rather “it is time to rethink humility as your greatest strength.”  Van Tongeren’s book is not specifically religious and readers from a wide range of religious traditions would certainly find the book helpful.   Since I have been trained and served as a parish pastor I must honestly acknowledge that I gravitated to the book on humility more directly tied to the Christian tradition by Richard Foster more than I resonated with Daryl Van Tongeren’s psychological based approach to humility.  Rather than needing a great deal of psychological research and data to convince me that I need to further develop the character of humility I found myself reading the book by Psychology Professor Van Tongeren “Just give me Jesus!”  But I need humility recognizing that the biblical-theological and devotional way of understanding life is not all the world that God has made.  Psychology may have significant insights into how I am constructed and what that means for relationships and our impact on the world.  As Van Tongeren points out in his book “confirmation bias,” or the desire to see ourselves in a positive light often is a hindrance to the development of humility.  Give me psychology too for was not Jesus a master psychologist as well Richard Foster organizes his book on humility by not only rooting the virtue in Christian spiritual soil such as the life of Christ and Christian classics and all other virtues are derivatives of humility.  We might say that as love is the primary Christian virtue in Lakota spirituality humility is the foundation of all other virtues Why does Foster make use of Lakota spirituality?  For one Foster and his wife live in the American West and have engagement with the suffering of native Americans.  Foster particularly believes that we need to enter the history and journey of the Lakota people so that those of us in the majority culture of America can learn humility from our history of mistreatment and exploitation of native Americans.  And the inclusion of Lakota spirituality requires humility to learn and receive from a religious spirituality that is different from our own there is a moving description of the Battle at Wounded Knee told through the eyes of Black Elk.  According to General Nelson Miles Wounded Knee was “the most abominable criminal military blunder and a horrible massacre of women and children.”  Foster reflects in his diary writing at night “For Black Elk the tragedy of Wounded Knee meant the end of a culture and a way of life.  This evening in my feeble efforts to recount this enormous crucible of grief my heart is saddened beyond the telling.”  And I too had tears reading this account But the spirituality of the Lakota people in the book is more insightful and uplifting than sad and tragic.  One example in a chapter devoted to Lakota spirituality entitled “The Moon when the Ducks come Back,” which is late March to April in the Lakota calendar (which I like as a description for the coming of spring) Foster shares the third Lakota virtue of the year “Wawoohola,” “respect.”  A Lakota virtue is respect for all things—plants all creation.  “Our Lakota ancestors would ceremonially hunt their bison which would provide clothing shelter and food for the people.  Every part was used and their spirit was honored by placing their skull facing east to meet the rising sun in unison with the rhythm of life (pg 39).” not only exploring humility within the life of Jesus Christ and other well-known Christian classical writers such as Augustine but the author also introduces us to an anonymous author who wrote the theologian in me wondered:  How are the biblical texts and the Christian classics which are quite extensive related to Lakota spirituality?  As a pastor familiar with the theology of Karl Barth I have been trained that the coming of Jesus is the end of all religion and we should be aware and discern idolatry in other religions or spiritualities Foster tackles this issue head on with the concern about religious syncretism which is alone worth the cost of the book.  Quoting I John 1:5-9 has been at work in all peoples and cultures whether they know him or not.  Foster draws on Romans 2:14-16 and “the law written on the conscience.”  Time does not permit me to sketch out his full argument but these words are helpful for this review: “So in every culture and people group we look for those areas that are “consonant” with the gospel of Jesus.  These we rejoice in and accept as marks of the Spirit.  Those areas in the culture that are “dissonant” with the gospel of Jesus Foster’s book is not a complete biblical-theological exploration of humility and it leans toward spiritual reflection and meditation in a devotional framework.  If you are looking for something more exhaustive and solely related to the Christian tradition this book might not meet your hopes and wishes.  However Christian pastors and people steeped in the Christian tradition may need to expand their understanding of humility by delving into other religious traditions.  Not answered or supplied in the book is what other religious traditions beyond the Lakota tradition can lead us into a fuller awareness of humility Van Tongeren as a young psychological researcher and teacher brings a lifetime of psychological research to the subject of humility in his book Humble: Free Yourself from the Traps of a Narcissistic World.  In his doctoral work in Psychology Van Tongeren discovered that the subject of humility has not been researched because it is difficult to get honest responses and feedback.  Our human tendency to have a ‘fragile sense of self’ leads to overestimating our capabilities which makes it difficult to measure accurately.  But in a culture with an epidemic of narcissism apply it to his own life and to the life of his students convinced from the research that humility can transform our lives Van Tongeren keeps the psychological research studies that undergird the chapters in the book to a minimum and places the extensive research in the footnotes in the back of the book.  Occasionally he brings the research into the main body of the book.  For example he draws on a study by Jennifer Crock and Lora Park that highlights the considerable toll a relentless pursuit of self-esteem may exact on us when we pursue positive self-views above all else.  Yes there is a place for positive views of the self but the research indicates that when we pursue this above all else we do not get feedback that gives us an honest assessment of ourselves.  The result is that we tend to try to meet the high standards of our culture or place our worth in the hands of other people which results in forfeiting control of our own life.  Van Tongeren’s conclusion is that humility unlocks a life of freedom.  “We are unshackled from the narrow cultural expectations of what it means to be successful Van Tongeren introduces us to the benefits of humility with the following chapters:  Awareness and acceptance and ambition and achievement.  Then in part two the author helps us to cultivate humility through seeking feedback and developing greater self-regulation.  Part three is about how humility can help us change our lives by bridging cultural divides and flourishing in community.  He concludes the book with a moving affirmation about humility in relation to existential meaning which can complement any theologian’s description of the human despair of our times:  “We all need existential humility in which we can revel in our smallness in the scope of the universe realize that there are deep and enduring questions about life that we will never solve and still find peace in the unknowing—to rest in the comfort of knowing that we all share a similar An authentic humility provides us with deep and lasting security (pg 249).” Sounds a bit like the first question and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism to me Sometimes with the extensive psychological studies tucked into the footnotes in the back of the book “preachy,” or resorting to sage advice.  I would have liked him to bring a few more of the results of psychological research into the body of the chapters.  Helpful to the reader were Van Tongeren’s stories complementing the psychological research.  He tells the story of a student of color on the Hope College campus who visited him at his office.  She was concerned about security on the campus and it took humility to listen to her concerns and support a plan to implement her ideas   A humorous story was his desire to learn how to swim as an adult.  His work on the virtue of humility helped him to persevere beyond the initial shaming of a swimming instructor.  And a precious and helpful story that made the author approachable to the reader was when he asked his wife how much humility do I have?”  Of course which is not good for someone writing a book on humility.  I will not dare to ask my wife that question until I have spent a year with the book developing the virtue of humility Both Foster and Van Tongeren have a similar definition of humility.  It is not a worm theology in which we put ourselves down Foster states that humility comes from the Latin word humus “from the earth,” or “grounded.”  “Humility is seeing yourself as you really are Humility is when we are brought down to earth.”  Or as the Apostle Paul put it “Don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought to think.”  Van Tongeren from a psychological research point of view states that humility is and an orientation toward other people.  Put more simply and going beyond yourself.”  And for Foster he encourages us “to keep going in humility so that a deep settleness in spirit and a keen concern for the bruised and broken of our society can take root in our hearts.”  And for Van Tongeren “Humility liberates from a wholly narcissistic self committed to humility is precisely what the world needs right now.” We need the forgotten virtue of humility in our lives.  I need more humility in my own life and plan to use both books for devotions “for Jesus humbled himself taking the form of a servant.”  And the world needs humility from all of us in the community of the Reformed Journal.  I would commend both books so especially in an age of narcissism we can be formed as humble disciples of Jesus Please follow our commenting standards Please make checks out to Reformed Journal and mailed to: The requested URL was not found on this server Lucy Benezet Minns has been crowned European points race champion after a brilliant title race in Germany by the Irish rider She claimed the European crown from Jenna van Tongeren of the Netherlands and Chantal Pegolo of Italy Ireland’s Benezet Minns ran out the very clear winner by a margin of 24 points over van Tongeren also beating bronze medalist Pegolo by 46 points Benezet Minns was the only rider in the field to gain three laps – thus securing 60 points for those efforts to the 4th place she took in the junior women’s TT at the World Road Championships last season also won the TT and road race crowns at last month’s National Road Championships in Limerick I rode really hard because I knew I needed to make the race hard in order to get a a good result,” Benezet Minns said of her European title win “The race split up earlier than I was hoping but I think I did a good job of managing my effort and staying in the wheels and then hitting people when they were tired The Irish rider added she had not done much track racing at a high level until this season and she was delighted to be able to win a European title I have had a lot of support over the last few years with my track So I’m just really grateful that I can pull off this jersey (win) as a way of thanking everyone who has helped me over the years.” We’re determined to make stickybottle.com much better for your enjoyment So become a ‘Stickybottle Supporter’ now from just €5 per month We’ve grown our audience significantly in recent years but the advertising market has become harder and harder each year In order to survive and grow – and create much better content – we need to develop an income from our readers By signing up to become a ‘Stickybottle Supporter’ you’ll be helping to secure independent coverage of Irish cycling for years to come Every cent collected from readers will be used to directly fund content Sign Up Volume 9 - 2018 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02243 This article is part of the Research TopicThe Art and Science of Heroism and Heroic LeadershipView all 12 articles Two experiments examined how exposure to superhero images influences both prosociality and meaning in life In Experiment 1 (N = 246) exposed individuals to scenes with superhero images or neutral images Individuals primed with superhero images reported greater helping intentions relative to the control group were associated with increased meaning in life (indirect effect only; no direct effect) individuals exposed to a superhero poster helped an experimenter in a tedious task more than those exposed to a bicycle poster though no differences were found for meaning in life These results suggest that subtle activation of superhero stimuli increases prosocial intentions and behavior “Unconsciously we all have a standard by which we measure other men and if we examine closely we find that this standard is a very simple one Our heroes are men who do things which we recognize we are always privately wanting to be like somebody else Heroes play important roles at the intrapersonal heroes are inspirational moral exemplars that demonstrate extraordinary courage and live profoundly meaningful lives heroes have been extolled and worshipped (e.g. and they occupy a valuable place in many societies Heroes typically are paragons of prosociality often going to great lengths to help others even when doing so endangers themselves or comes at a high cost But do their prosocial examples influence prosocial actions we explored whether the subtle activation of heroic images increases prosocial intentions and behaviors and whether those prosocial inclinations helped enhance one’s perception of meaning in life heroes are often extolled as morally virtuous individuals who live it is possible that the prosocial nature of heroes is precisely what makes their lives so meaningful Their sacrifice and prioritization of the needs of others gives their existence meaning we sought to focus on how heroes affect prosociality and perceptions of meaning in life represent an ideal (prosocial) motivational standard for individuals individuals can protect their self-esteem and preserve self-evaluation by recalling that such individuals are not real; thus they pose little psychological threat and are instead inspirational motivating them to emulate their noble actions Looked at differently, heroes represent part of an individual’s ideal self, at least in some domains (Sullivan and Venter, 2005, 2010). When the representation of this is abstract and embodied in a fictional superhero, individuals may be motivated toward achieving this ideal self. Accordingly, abstract heroes should be particularly motivational (Tesser, 1988) and should prompt individuals to aspire toward their characteristics We focused on how a reminder of superheroes may elicit greater prosocial intentions and behaviors may provide individuals with a sense of meaning in life Given that superheroes are ubiquitous in societies today (e.g. comic book superhero movies have earned billions per year recently and related television shows have proliferated) this investigation is timely and pertinent superheroes embody aspirational lives that are fictional and unattainable; accordingly superheroes likely serve a motivational feature as they are exemplars of prosocial and meaningful lives Our central prediction was that priming abstract superhero images should result in increased prosocial behavior should be associated with greater meaning in life Hypothesis 1: Exposure to superhero images will increase prosocial behavior Hypothesis 2: Exposure to superhero images will increase meaning in life Hypothesis 3: The effect of exposure to superhero images on meaning in life will occur via increased prosocial behavior (i.e. increased prosocial behavior will mediate the influence of exposure to superhero images on meaning in life) Previous research has identified numerous methodological challenges with studying heroes, and researchers have suggested that experimental methodology is necessary to advance research in this domain (Franco et al., 2016) we designed two experiments to test our central hypothesis participants were exposed to superhero-related versus neutral images then completed assessments of behavioral intentions to help and reported their meaning in life participants completed tasks in a laboratory room that had a picture of a superhero versus a neutral image and they subsequently were asked to help the experimenters with a task then completed an assessment of meaning in life In all experiments, we report all conditions and all measures, as well as whether or not any participants were excluded from the analysis. For all studies, we sought to obtain enough participants to detect a medium effect with an alpha of 0.05 (Cohen, 1992) This translated to 64 participants per condition (N = 128) for Experiment 1 we sought at least 120 participants and continued collecting data until the conclusion of the academic semester The studies were carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the Belmont Report and the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative guidelines The protocol was approved by the Human Subjects Review Board at Hope College All subjects gave electronic (Study 1) or written (Study 2) informed consent prior to participation Participants were 246 community members (110 females 136 males) recruited from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk who completed the study for financial compensation Data from four participants were excluded because they skipped the priming induction Participants read and agreed to a consent form informing them that their participation was voluntary and that they could quit at any time without penalty We randomly assigned participants to the superhero condition (n = 123) or neutral condition (n = 119) participants viewed four everyday household scenes: two desks Participants were instructed to find four specific objects in each picture and write one word describing each object once they found it They were instructed to spend no more than 30 s on each scene Though each scene contained enough objects to make the task engaging each object could be easily found in the 30 s timeframe the pictures were edited so that one of the target objects in each scene contained an easily recognizable superhero logo or image (e.g. The scenes otherwise were identical to the control condition (which did not have any superhero images) Participants next completed a self-reported altruism scale (SRAS; Rushton et al., 1981; α = 0.90), and a self-reported virtues scale (Berry et al., 2005; α = 0.93) We assessed helping intentions whereby participants read six scenarios and indicated their likelihood to help on a 100-point scale (0 = definitely would not help to 100 = definitely would help) The scenarios involved helping a stranded motorist shoveling an elderly neighbor’s snowy driveway and helping a lost stranger with directions The six items were averaged for composite helping intentions score (α = 0.74) Meaning in life was assessed using the widely used Meaning in Life Questionnaire (Steger et al., 2006) which is a 10-item self-report measure assessing the presence of meaning (5 items; α = 0.93) and search for meaning (α = 0.96) we assessed participants’ knowledge of and interest in superheroes via three items: “How would you rate your knowledge of popular superheroes?” (assessed on a 4-point scale) “How much time do you spend watching/reading/playing superhero-related entertainment?” (assessed on a 7-point scale) and “How interested are you generally in superheroes?” (assessed on a 7-point scale) These items were averaged to calculate a mean interest in superheroes (a = 0.76; M = 3.04 Participants were also asked to name three of the superheroes used in the study Nearly every participant named all three superheroes correctly and every participant correctly identified at least one of the three participants indicated what they thought the nature of the study was about (no participants guessed correctly) and were fully debriefed we examined the effect of the superhero priming condition on helping intentions To ensure that our results were not simply an artifact of how familiar participants were with the priming stimuli or generally interested in superheroes we statistically controlled for prior knowledge of superhero characters participants primed with the superhero images (M = 65.27 SE = 1.69) reported significantly higher helping intentions than those primed with the neutral images (M = 60.45 (This effect was marginal when not controlling for superhero knowledge Data were analyzed using PROCESS (Hayes, 2012) to test an indirect effects model (i.e. Hypothesis 3) from the priming condition to meaning in life via helping intentions across 5,000 bootstrapping iterations there was a significant indirect effect from priming condition to meaning in life through helping intentions (completely standardized estimate = 0.03 This suggests that priming individuals with abstract superhero images is associated with increased behavioral intentions to help is associated with greater meaning in life We also examined whether the effect on helping intentions was moderated by trait level differences in prosociality The effect on condition on helping intentions was not moderated by self-reported virtuousness [F(1,223) = 0.25 p = 0.615] or self-reported altruism [F(1,224) = 0.69 the prime appears to similarly influence people of varying levels of dispositional prosociality the prime did not directly affect self-reported virtuousness [F(1,227) = 1.29 those in the superhero prime condition self-reported greater altruism (M = 3.74 SD = 0.66) than those in the neutral condition (M = 3.55 which is consistent with the findings regarding self-reported helping intentions Even relatively superficial exposure to symbols of heroes increases perceptions of helpfulness and meaning in life The results of Experiment 1 demonstrated that implicit priming of superhero images was associated with increased self-reported helping intentions It also revealed a significant positive correlation between helping intentions and meaning in life suggesting that those participants that reported higher helping intentions also reported significantly higher meaning in life These results confirm our hypothesis that an abstract superhero prime would increase prosocial behavior in participants and therefore increase their meaning in life The priming of heroic symbols had an indirect effect on meaning in life through helping intention (though the direct effect from heroic symbols to meaning in life was not significant) Heroic symbols appear to enhance participants’ reporting of greater helping intentions and meaning in life One possible drawback of Experiment 1 was its reliance on self-reported helping intentions We sought to address this limitation in Experiment 2 by examining actual helping behavior Experiment 2 also used a different (and arguably more ecologically valid) prime of heroic symbols Participants were 123 students (84 females 3 did not report) enrolled in introductory psychology courses at a small participants were ushered into a small laboratory room with a small poster of Superman (superhero priming condition; n = 62) or a bicycle (neutral condition; n = 61) affixed to the wall with a note indicating that this poster was for a different “media images” study run by a different faculty member in the department Superman was selected because he is a very well-known superhero in American culture The neutral condition room included a poster of a bicycle–which was similar in color and size to the Superman poster–affixed to the wall Participants completed a paper packet with the materials used in Experiment 1 To make the poster image cognitively salient participants were first prompted to write a brief description of their surroundings and how it made them feel which included the same two measures of dispositional prosociality from Experiment 1 (SRAS: α = 0.63; virtues scale: α = 0.83) it was completed by participants in less than 10 min) and participants signed up for a 30-min research time-slot leaving them 20 additional min to potentially help (and avoid the possibility that they did not help because they did not have time) participants were told that they had completed the study they could participate in a 20-min pilot study (for no additional credit) that was still “in development.” They also were told that their assistance would be extremely helpful to the researchers they were directed into another room to complete a boring task of rating up to 60 geometric shapes (e.g. “how geometrically soothing is the image?”) The experimenter informed them that they could stop at any time After rating each shape on several dimensions participants read a screen that thanked them for helping and asked if they would like to continue helping by rating the next shape All participants were stopped after a maximum of 15 min if they were still working on the task Upon cessation or when they were stopped by the experimenter participants completed the MLQ measure of meaning in life (α = 0.89) A subtle superhero prime increased the likelihood of helping in Experiment 2 We examined whether the priming condition affected actual helping behavior and self-reported meaning in life. Providing support for Hypothesis 1, participants primed with the superhero poster were significantly more likely to help (91.80%) than those primed with the neutral poster (75.80%), χ2 = 5.78, p = 0.016 (see Figure 1)1 there was no effect of priming condition on meaning in life the effect on condition on helping behavior was not moderated by self-reported virtuousness [F(1,119) = 0.03 p = 0.877] or self-reported altruism [F(1,119) = 0.03 the prime appears to work similarly for people of varying levels of dispositional prosociality The subtle prime did not affect self-reported virtuousness [F(1,121) = 1.69 The results of Experiment 2 demonstrated that subtle priming of superhero images was associated with increased helping behavior confirming our hypothesis and conceptually replicating Experiment 1 Those primed with a Superman poster were significantly more likely to help than those primed with a bicycle but did not influence the amount of helping that initial decision point is the most critical and future research should investigate more closely how heroes and images of heroes might influence different aspects of prosocial behaviors these results confirmed the hypothesis that even a subtle superhero priming would increase prosocial behavior in participants The motivational nature of superheroes appears to increase helping behavior Exposure to heroes can confer both intrapersonal and interpersonal benefits Two experiments examined the variation in the effect of heroes on prosocial intentions and behaviors Experiment 1 demonstrated that subtle priming of superheroes increases prosocial intentions: after viewing images with superhero symbols embedded into them participants reported greater likelihood to help in hypothetical situations in which people were in need These helping intentions were associated with meaning in life Experiment 2 demonstrated that subtly priming a superhero (i.e. Superman) via an image led to increased behavioral helping contrary to predictions and the results of Experiment 1 the priming of a heroic image did not influence meaning in life it suggests that heroes may serve an important cultural purpose of motivating coalitional behavioral that strengthens the prosociality of a society we advocate for extending this research into related heroes arenas rather than assuming that these findings necessarily apply across various dimensions of heroes donating to charity or helping an individual in need) before measuring meaning in life Perhaps helping behavior that rescues or saves is more strongly associated with meaning in life Future work could explore this possibility The experiments here also measured only short-term effects on helping behavior Future work should examine how heroes affect individuals’ behavior long-term would chronic activation of heroes via reading a biography or frequently using a mug with a hero’s image on it elicit a relatively enduring increase in prosociality it may be beneficial to also examine how recalling heroic historical figures (e.g. we do not know much about the exact mechanism by which these priming effects work; future work could determine which schemas were activated by measuring the cognitive accessibility of related words or concepts (e.g. these effects were not moderated by dispositional levels of self-rated prosociality though these assessments came after the prime and not before it in order to avoid inadvertently activating virtue-related schemas Future work could examine these constructs before the priming induction Heroes loom large as exemplars of morality They often embody virtues that we wish to express in our lives Our findings suggest that heroic images–even relatively subtle images of superheroes–may increase one’s intentions to help and actual helping behavior As superheroes become an increasing large and accessible part of the symbolic cultural narrative their role in inspiring virtuous and meaningful lives may become more robust DVT oversaw the running of the experiments and conducted the data analyses This work was supported by a grant from The John Templeton Foundation (#44040) We thank Kelsey Cox for her assistance with data collection Google Scholar and perceived injustice in crime victims and their supporters Google Scholar CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar On boredom and perceptions of heroes: a meaning-regulation approach to heroism CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar “The perception-behavior expressway: automatic effects of social perception on social behavior,” in Advances in Experimental Social Psychology Google Scholar Seeing one thing and doing another: contrast effects in automatic behavior CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar “Heroism and the pursuit of meaning,” in Handbook of Heroism and Heroic Leadership Beyond baron and kenny: statistical mediation analysis in the new millennium CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Hayes, A. 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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) *Correspondence: Daryl R. Van Tongeren, dmFudG9uZ2VyZW5AaG9wZS5lZHU= The fragment found in a field near the town of Kortessem in Flanders is clearly part of a Roman dodecahedron Archaeologists are now investigating the site where the metal detectorist found the dodecahedron fragment; it may have been the site of a Roman villa A complete Roman dodecahedron found near the ancient Roman walls of the town of Tongeren in Belgium in 1939 A fragment of a mysterious artifact known as a Roman dodecahedron has been found in Belgium A metal detectorist in Belgium has unearthed a fragment of a mysterious bronze artifact known as a Roman dodecahedron that is thought to be more than 1,600 years old.  More than a hundred of the puzzling objects — hollow 12-sided geometric shells of cast metal about the size of baseballs with large holes in each face and studs at each corner — have been discovered in Northern Europe over the past 200 years But no one knows why or how they were used "There have been several hypotheses for it — some kind of a calendar, an instrument for land measurement, a scepter, etcetera — but none of them is satisfying," Guido Creemers a curator at the Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren "We rather think it has something to do with non-official activities like sorcery Creemers and his colleagues at the Gallo-Roman Museum were given the fragment by its finder and identified it in December It consists of only one corner of the object with a single corner stud but it is unmistakably part of a dodecahedron that originally measured just over 2 inches (5 centimeters) across Metal detectorist and amateur archaeologist Patrick Schuermans had found the fragment months earlier in a plowed field near the small town of Kortessem Related: Sacred chickens, witches and animal entrails: 7 unusual ancient Roman superstitions Creemers said the Gallo-Roman Museum already displays a complete ancient bronze dodecahedron found in 1939 just outside Tongeren's Roman city walls and the new fragment will go on display next to it in February Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox The first Roman dodecahedron to be discovered in modern times was found in England in the 18th century and roughly 120 have been found since then in Great Britain It's not possible to date the metal itself but some dodecahedrons were found buried in layers of earth that date them to between the first and fifth centuries A.D The mystery doesn't end there; archaeologists cannot explain the geometric artifact's function and no written record of the dodecahedrons has ever been found.  It's possible they were used in secret for magical purposes, such as divination (telling the future), which was popular in Roman times but forbidden under Christianity, the religion of the later Roman Empire and punishments were severe," he explained "That is possibly why we do not find any written sources."  A recent suggestion is that dodecahedrons were knitting patterns for Roman gloves But most archaeologists think the objects were probably used in magical rituals The dodecahedrons have no markings indicating how they were used as might be expected for measuring instruments and they all have different weights and sizes ranging from 1.5 to 4.5 inches (4 to 11 centimeters) across Related: The 5 craziest ways emperors gained the throne in ancient Rome Creemers said the dodecahedron fragment found near Kortessem could shed more light on these mysterious metal objects Many other Roman dodecahedrons were first recognized for what they were in private or museum collections so their archaeological context is unknown —Why did the Roman Empire split in two? —7 Roman inventions: Incredible feats of ancient technology —Ancient sanctuary used by Roman soldiers nearly 2,000 years ago found in the Netherlands But the location of the Kortessem fragment is well documented he said; and subsequent archaeological investigations have revealed mural fragments at the site indicating that it may have been a Roman villa The location will now be monitored for further finds. "Thanks to the correct working method of the metal detectorist, archaeologists know for the first time the exact location of a Roman dodecahedron in Flanders," the statement said. "That opens the door for further research." Live Science ContributorTom Metcalfe is a freelance journalist and regular Live Science contributor who is based in London in the United Kingdom Pompeii quiz: How much do you know about the Roman town destroyed by Mount Vesuvius Mini ice age was final death blow to Roman Empire May's full 'Flower Moon' will be a micromoon The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for industrial production and goods trade have varied across specific goods and Frank van Tongeren write that the unprecedented heterogeneity of changes in trade flows across products sources and destinations signifies high uncertainty and adjustment costs and requires additional incentives to adopt new — or to intensify existing — risk mitigation strategies The year 2020 was marked by some of the largest reductions in trade and output volumes since WWII The declines in both world industrial production and goods trade in the first half of 2020 were of similar depth to those at the trough of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) they materialised and disappeared more quickly marking more of a V- shaped recovery in 2020 trade and production impacts across specific goods services and trade partners were highly varied Initial pandemic-era expectations for a double-digit decline in world merchandise trade in 2020 did not materialise Global trade turned out to recover from the shock at an extraordinarily fast pace from around mid-2020 Source: OECD calculations based on data from CPB However, the trade collapse did not hit all products to the same extent and the rising tide did not lift all parts of the global trade system equally. Trade impacts across specific goods, services and trade partners show a highly diverse picture. In our new OECD paper (Arriola, Kowalski, van Tongeren, 2021) we unravel some of the detailed changes in the product composition and geography of trade that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 trade in services declined more and recovered at a slower pace than goods trade trade in travel and tourism services slumped dramatically the value of exports of services in OECD countries declined in 2020 by 16.7% twice as much as the value of goods exports This was one factor underpinning the relatively large adjustments in output relative to those in trade as services account for a larger share of the economy than their weight in international trade Trade in several types of goods and services plummeted The product structure of merchandise trade changed significantly: trade in several products nosedived (e.g. while trade in some other products increased (e.g. protective equipment and pharmaceutical products and ‘home nesting’ products such as domestic appliances and electronics) Our analysis shows that the variation in trade impacts across the different product categories in 2020 was not only larger than during the GFC but also larger than in any other year in the past two decades Trade growth in 2021: new impetus or clearing the backlog? While it is still unknown which of the changes seen in 2020 will only be short-lived, some seem to suggest longer-term shifts or seem likely to result in long-term adjustments. Above all, the unprecedented heterogeneity of changes in trade flows across products, sources and destinations signifies high uncertainty and adjustment costs, and implies additional incentives for consumers, firms, and governments to adopt new — or to intensify existing — risk mitigation strategies. Christine Arriola is Trade Policy Analyst at OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate. Przemyslaw Kowalski is Senior Trade Policy Analyst at OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate. Frank van Tongeren is Senior Counsellor and Head of SMART Data and Modelling at OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate. A 15-month-old child from the Limburg municipality of Borgloon died after he choked on a peanut. The little boy ate the peanut while he was with his grandparents at a café. The tragedy happened last weekend. The little boy was taken to hospital in Liège, where he later died. Tragedy struck during a day out in the town of Tongeren (Limburg Province). The toddler and his grandparents stopped for a drink on the terrace of a café in the town. It was there that the boy choked on a peanut. He showed signs of suffocation and the emergency service were called. The toddler was taken to the Citadel Hospital in Liège (around 20km from Tongeren) where he died later on Sunday.   ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishGENERALFlanders places Shamrock Technologies under increased surveillance over PFAS emissions15 February 2024 Flanders has placed Shamrock Technologies under increased surveillance after the company's site in Tongeren was found to be emitting PFAS early last year Shamrock Technologies develops speciality natural and synthetic wax additives The company operates on three continents and sells to more than 100 countries The Flemish Environmental Inspectorate visited the site in Tongeren for the first time in 2022 to carry out air emission measurements The measurements showed the presence of several PFAS substances PFAS is the umbrella term for thousands of "forever chemicals" or virtually non-biodegradable synthetic substances Flanders was rocked by an environmental scandal when during construction work on the Antwerp ring road large amounts of PFAS contamination were discovered around Zwijndrecht caused by a plant belonging to the chemical company 3M The activity causing PFAS emissions at the Shamrock Technologies site in Tongeren was stopped in January last year and transferred to the US but the investigation into the effects of the emissions is still ongoing The US Environmental Protection Agency has been informed of Flanders' findings Shamrock Technologies is being inspected by the Environmental Inspectorate to check for other possible sources of PFAS The public waste agency OVAM has also been asked to check whether the emissions have caused soil contamination To ensure maximum protection of the health of local residents and workers at the plant the Flemish Public Health Service has been asked to assess whether any measures are needed #FlandersNewsService | A blood sample taken during a press event to mark the start of blood testing for PFAS among residents living near 3M's Zwijndrecht plant © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS Copy linkGet updates in your mailboxYour email addressSubscribeBy clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media not to mention entertainment and lifestyle our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language businesses and various organisations that need reliable information Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs www.belganewsagency.eu we can't find the page that you are looking for Don't let that stop you from visiting some of our other great related content protected by reCAPTCHA.css-trhdh3::after{background-color:#fa9000;}EXPLORE MOREblinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, ‘Blackmail tool’: Hamas rejects Israeli plan to bypass Gaza aid agenciesUN and humanitarian aid groups say Israel proposed ‘dangerous’ ration ‘scheme’ after nine-week siege Francis-era reforms that saw a diverse group of cardinals join the mix make his successor nearly impossible to call The attack comes as Moscow prepares to welcome foreign leaders from China and Brazil the California federal penitentiary has been shut for more than six decades Reports say Israel now eyeing occupation of entire enclave control of aid and possible expulsion of Palestinians A study gives clue to cosmic origin of gold and heavy elements and they were created earlier than we thought Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe says the ‘ongoing’ discussions are ‘still in the early stages’ Attack claimed by Houthis temporarily halts air traffic at Israel’s busiest airport and triggers air raid sirens US president makes claim after Mexican leader says her country’s sovereignty ‘not for sale.’ PATRIZIA Immobilien AG announces that it has acquired four logistics properties across key distribution areas in Belgium and the Netherlands for EUR 70 million In line with the increasing popularity of e-commerce in the last few years the appetite from real estate investors for the logistics sector has grown significantly as the industry has reconfigured its supply chain operations to meet consumer demand PATRIZIA has acquired a portfolio of three logistics properties in Belgium from Leasinvest Real Estate Well-located in prime logistics centres in Tongeren Antwerp (Wommelgem) and Brussels (Neder-over-Hembeek) the properties have a combined WAULT (weighted average unexpired lease term) of 5.2 years and offer a total surface of 80,000 sq m of storage space and 8,000 sq m of offices 100% leased to a strong mix of high-quality customers including Ziegler These logistics properties are located near major lines of transportation  including roads The properties situated in Antwerp (Wommelgem) and Tongeren are located in fully developed and mature logistic park while the property  in Brussels (Neder-over-Hembeek) benefits from its proximity to Brussels CBD PATRIZIA has acquired a 12,500 sq m completely renovated and modern distribution centre in Dordrecht with connections to Europe’s largest seaport in Rotterdam which will remain  under  a long term  lease term The location is one of the most important logistics regions in The Netherlands PATRIZIA has expanded its commitment to the sector and now has more than EUR 300 million of logistics assets under management in Europe on behalf of its investors in the open-ended special AIF “PATRIZIA Logistik-Invest Europa I” PATRIZIA Immobilien AG has been active as an investment manager in the real estate market across 15 European countries for more than 30 years PATRIZIA’s activities include the acquisition repositioning and sale of residential and commercial real estate through its own licensed investment platforms As a global provider of real estate investments in Europe PATRIZIA operates as a respected business partner of large institutional investors and retail investors in all major European countries the Company manages real estate assets worth around EUR 21 billion primarily as a portfolio manager for insurance companies savings and cooperative banks and as co-investor Sinke and van Tongeren will give a live demonstration of taxidermy on the 26th of November from 10am to 5pm Lundi 05 mai 2025 - 139 connectés - Suivez-nous You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image Te Kohanga Taiao Sensory Nature Play Park has opened on Brooker Ave in the red zone teamed up to work with Christchurch City Council on the project The new park aims to serve as an educational hub and a nature haven to encourage a deeper connection with the environment Its design allows children to discover nature by feeling different textures of leaves and wood and listening to natural sounds like tapping on wood and rustling leaves to utilise found materials and discover interesting spaces to play are really important for our children’s sense of independence creativity and confidence,” says council play advocate Louise Van Tongeren “The play spaces are deliberately set up to inspire children to head off and explore without being overly prescriptive about what to actually do.” Children learn through all of their senses - for some that is running and climbing and others may learn better through sensory elements “When we provide spaces that allow for other kinds of exploration we are being much more inclusive of a wider range of needs within our community.”  the park is now home to multiple wētā ‘hotels’ and ‘apartments’ made at workshops at Phillipstown Community Hub They are warm and dry spaces where ecologically important native wētā bees and wasps can keep safe from predators like rats and birds A recent ‘bioblitz’ held at the site as part of the City Nature Challenge uncovered more than 100 different species of plants Council community partnership and residential red zone ranger Sarah Mankelow said the Avon Ōtākaro River corridor will be a green spine that stretches from the city to the sea “The opportunity to restore and protect the river that runs through the heart of our city and plan ahead for climate change is a once in a lifetime opportunity."