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Certain Mental Outlook: Spiritual development is not a matter of developing skills and competences as that of establishing a certain mental outlook, a 'mind set' that is secure, socially generous, that recognises the appropriateness of respect and reverence in certain contexts. The NCC guidelines mentioned above talk about a sense of wonder and awe in certain contexts, but it may be that an absence of cynicism, a sense of hope and optimism in relation to one's work and relationships with others, is equally appropriate. These are not matters of competence or skill hut aspects of the social discourse in which all individuals are to a greater or lesser extent engaged.
Mass investigations on the basis of age norms, however, have indicated only a slight relation between the mental and physical status of children. A spurt in mental growth does not appear to parallel the preadolescent spurt in physical growth. The pattern of mental development is similar in boys and girls, despite the difference in their rates of physical maturing.
The advent of concrete, steel skeleton-frame construction and other materials, has reduced the tonnage to a figure that is even less than it was 40 years ago. The outlook for monumental stone is good and dimension stone for building is preferred for many types of high-class construction. Problems of the industry continue to be high production costs and waste. High freight costs are a serious problem since suitable sources are limited geographically. Dimension stone must be free of cracks, lines of weakness, joints and impurities, and must have good color and uniformity of texture. Limestone, granite, marble and sandstone comprise the bulk of dimension stone. |
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