Monday, November 30, 2009

I can't think of any reasons

When you wake up in the morning would rather be alive or dead?

Frankly, I can't think of any reasons why I'd prefer to be alive.

No, I'm not suicidal, just indifferent to living.

I honestly would not care if I was killed tomorrow. It would be no big loss to me.

What's the point of life? Is it an enjoyable experience?

The concept of Nirvana...barely known to me, seems like something desirable.

Monday, October 26, 2009

There's no end to the week

When you're working a regular full-time job there's a pretty clear delineation between the workweek and the weekend. For the most part, when I was working (at the bowling alley) I went to work M-F and then did nothing related to work Saturday and Sunday. The total change of pace for 2 days a week was refreshing.

Oddly enough, being a student again has made that line blur. Although I only have class M-F I don't find my weekends being nearly as relaxed as before. Obviously, I have school-related things to do now which take up most of my time.

It's sad to say, but I feel like the only real difference (and obvious one at that) is that on weekends I don't have class. I guess I also have less social contact with people.

I've come to realize that in life, there are always those who are working...all the time. If you plan on competing with them you have to keep up the pace, but the problem is that the race is never-ending. So you either gotta be in it for the long haul, or just accept the fact that you'll fall behind.

I don't like either alternative. I definitely don't have the type of endurance some of my colleagues have that can just stare at the same book for 20 hours a day. At the same time, their zeal has rubbed off on me...I feel in a mostly negative way that I feel guilty if I'm being unproductive. Part of it is due to my education, I'm sure...you know, all about efficiency to keep the lanes running optimally.

On the other hand it seems crazy to think that you've gotta be running your entire life. There are so many cliches about this 'when you're sleeping...your competitor is working' and the like.

I'm not working toward some great truth here, it's just a simple realization of the futility or endless pursuit we have to choose. Of course you can go with moderation, but that's really just giving up on the chase.

Another topic that I seem to be coming back to more and more...alcohol.

I think just once I'd like to experience alcohol as everyone else does - I want to feel it's uninhibiting effects and just fly off the handle and be irresponsible for a night. It must be really great considering the number of times I've seen/heard someone puking their guts out while saying something like 'I'm never going to drink again!' and then 8 hours later see him heading to the bar.

It's gotta be fantastic and I honestly feel like I'm missing a large part of my existence. You know, sorta like when people say they feel a void in their lives...and then they found Jesus.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

De-socialization

There's a party tonight that's literally 30 seconds away from me...walking. I considered going, but I feel tired and lazy. I want to go bed, but a part of me feels guilty for not socializing.

I guess I haven't turned into a complete hermit yet because I have some tinge of guilt. It's a bit depressing and at the same time, comforting that I've accepted this change. Socializing takes energy, but gives you energy.

It got colder too. It's amazing how much that affects people.

Again, whining about alcohol...

I enjoy the taste of beer but the effect it has on me is so unpleasant and embarrassing. I can only imagine what it'd be like to crave alcohol. Crave the taste and the way it makes you feel. I'd like to know what it feels like to be driven by this one substance such that its presence justifies any event. Go there to drink.

As for me, alcohol has no draw. If I go to a party it'll be to socialize/talk to new people. I guess that's what parties are supposed to be for, right?

All the same, I wish I could just be drawn to the streetlamp like a moth.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Definitely wishing for some self-control now

Feeling majorly roid-raged right now. I don't use roids, but people might think I do by the way I acted today.

Why do I get so fired up over sports? Why can't I just be like other people and not give a shit if I suck or lose or perform poorly?

It seems like this is the only thing I get fired up about in life.

Why should we get fired up about anything in life really? Should we just be level-headed and never get emotional about anything?

I always say I'd rather take the ups and downs because it makes life more interesting...but the downs definitely suck....it seems like my downs are much deeper than my ups are high.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Do you wish you had total control?

Do you wish you had total control of yourself? I don't mean the ability to control external factors such as the weather or how other people act. I mean the kind of discipline so extreme that you could gain total control over your feelings...sounds kinda like reaching a state of Nirvana where you have no desire.

Any time you felt sad or mad or unpleasant...you could just tell yourself 'stop' and you would stop feeling that way.

You could make yourself happy simply by wishing it so.

You could focus and do exactly what you had to do at the time and just as quickly move onto the next task.

The more I think about it, the more robotic this sounds. Yet, robots are far more efficient than people. I guess these are reasons why.

---

I've come to realize in a day there are only so many hours - 24. Then there are only so many hours you are awake - for most people this is probably 16 hours. Then there's only so many hours that are functional, meaning that you can actually devote them to doing productive things. You have to leave time to eat, clean, use the bathroom, etc. Then to shrink that down there are only so many hours where you have the motivation and energy to do what you need to do. After thinning the herd so many times the number of 'true productive hours' is small.

Productive hours = time where you are capable (have the energy and motivation) to be productive

---

I play the piano. I'm not fantastic at it, but I've played long enough that given enough time, I can master most pieces, even ones that are considered pretty difficult. The problem is that we only have limited time. So while I can master a Debussy piece given several months, that's the problem - it takes several months!

I think, in general, people are capable of accomplishing the same things...it's just a matter of RATE! Rate is what makes things feasible. Rate is what makes people not try things at all. I'm probably capable of knitting a sweater, but the fact that I think it'd take me a year to do it is a big enough deterrent to prevent me from ever trying.

So effectively it makes it impossible.

I realize that in reality, people do have innate limitations - be it physically, emotionally, or mentally. Some people, even if they had infinite time, will just not be capable of certain things. I could never give birth to a baby, no matter how long I tried. Maybe some people can't learn Chinese, even if they spent 400 years trying.

Rate is a matter of practicality. I think the Law School Admissions Test, to a certain degree, is something that many people should be able to perform very well on. I know that's a bit of a misstatement because the test is curved so the average score is 150 (scores range from 120-180) but my personal feeling was that if I had unlimited time (or at least a few more hours) I could have gotten close to a perfect score.

Now that I'm in law school I haven't been completely stumped by anything I've come upon. It's not a matter of difficulty, rather it's a matter of volume. "Drinking through a firehose." I feel like I can process all the information - just not at the rate it comes in.

I think RATE is a key component of what we call INTELLIGENCE. People who can process or learn at a faster RATE are more INTELLIGENT.

What do you think?

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Possible upcoming posts

This will be the best 3 years of your life.

Listing faults - productive?

Things I derive enjoyment from.

I care about football

The most emotional you'll see me on a regular basis is when I'm watching football games. I jump up and down, I rock back and forth, full of nervous energy and anxiety. I yell and scream for joy...I curse and throw things across the room. It's by far the most animated I get. Hell, it's probably the most emotional I've gotten about ANYTHING in my life thus far.

Most people probably see this and think I'm a nut. Why would I care about some NFL game that has no personal connection to me? I'm not a member of the team. I'm not playing. I don't even know anyone on the team personally. I have no control over the outcome of the game - no matter how loudly I curse at the TV.

Am I crazy for caring so much about something which I have no control over and little tangible personal connection? I think not.

Think about the things you care about the most...or the things you get emotional about. How much control do you have over them? How personal are things to you?

I'm sure you're firing back with people. You care about people that you love. You get upset when they die. I understand the personal connection - I'm not so inhuman that I feel no connection to people. I don't, however, get upset over people dying. Most people become extremely emotional when dealing with death. It's totally beyond their control most of the time, yet it still triggers the biggest outpouring of feeling.

Why do I have to ask permission to be upset over things? I say be upset/emotional over whatever you want...no matter how insignificant or random it may be. Being emotional is what makes people human. I'd rather live a life of ups and downs than flat-lining at neutral.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Am I Abnormal?

Sometimes I feel like the answer is yes, in a social sense. I can interact with people 'normally'. At times I might be described as 'outgoing', maybe even 'gregarious'. But other times I feel extremely reserved and shy.

What I'm talking about isn't so much how others perceive me as much as how I feel about my desire for social interactions.

I have two sides:

One side craves excessive amounts of social interaction...that almost amounts to a sort of mania where I want to interact with as many people as possible, all at once. It results in me talking very quickly and switching my focus from target to target, as if I was spinning rapidly in a circle. I feel energized and 'on'. I feel the same way when I'm in an interview...everything I say feels crisp and snappy.

My other side is one that doesn't feel like interacting. This side just wants to be silent and not expend energy or thought on performing. This side tends to be more connected with practicality. It is aware of what should be done (and this is never socialization). It's the voice in the back of your head telling you, 'Don't you have something better to do?'

My problem is that I switch between these two modes very suddenly. Currently I feel like I should be socializing, but just as quickly I revert to the second mode where I feel the burden of tasks more important. Sometimes I'm in the first mode, feeling the mania of social interaction and suddenly I no longer desire interaction. In a sense, I wish the people I'm talking to would just vanish with a snap of my fingers. I want in and out that quickly.

The reverse is true. Times when I'm feeling isolated and lonely I want instant interaction. Of course I may want it to go away at my whim too.

In the real world, social interaction doesn't really work like this. There is much more inertia and time investment needed to transition between the two states. You can't just jump into conversation with someone without a bit of workup. Likewise, if you suddenly just walk away during the conversation you'll be thought of as rude.

The transition has to be a gradual slope. It can't be asymptotic.

An interesting analogy comes to mind. Relationships (romantic, marital, etc) v. prostitution. Relationships obviously take a lot of time and effort. For instance, if you want sex via a relationship you must take many steps before it happens. You can't just walk up to someone and ask them to sleep with you. After you've slept with someone you can't just walk up and leave. Chances are that'll ruin the relationship for you.

Prostitution on the other hand is exactly the opposite. You can get instant gratification (albeit you need to pay) and there's no obligation to make the transition back to your normal state gradual. You can just get up and leave. More likely the prostitute you solicited will be the one who makes the first move for the door.

This is interesting...in this case prostitution allows for rapid changes between the states. The lack of etiquette is forgiven through money. It is a business transaction, not a relationship.

I'm not saying I advocate prostitution or would ever consider getting involved in any way, but this just seems like a good example of how there's a market to satisfy people's desires for quick state changes.

---

Another example of a state change (not social) would be physique. People want to look thinner, more muscular...but they don't want to do it gradually over years and years of rigorous exercise and dieting. They want results NOW! Exercise contraptions, diets, pills, surgery...billions must be spent selling results FASTER!

I could go on forever about this. What does this all come down to? Perhaps it's that people are lazy and will pay (somehow) to indulge their laziness.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Down with the Sickness

Everyone has been passing around some sort of cold/flu bug recently. It's quite annoying. Despite my bi-daily routine of taking fish oil and a multivitamin, I was hit by it too. Fortunately, it's been rather mild. It started with a sore throat, which left after a day. Then it's just been nasal congestion/nasal runniness. Not enough to put you out of commission, but enough to significantly hamper you.

Being sick sucks...it makes you so worthless. I think I need to get myself some Purel or something. At the minimum I need to implement the proper handwashing technique without feeling so dorky for using a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door. Oh, and it'd probably help to stop touching my eyes, nose, and mouth with my hands so much.

Anyway, yeah being sick...even mildly pretty much ruins your life.

So how am I feeling currently? I can keep my head above water on a daily basis, but can't find time to see the ocean.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

From the berry

It's almost 9 PM on Wednesday. I'm currently sitting in the library. The first floor has this nice reading room. If you look up the ceiling extends to the 3rd floor. There are a dozen large rectangular desks which each seat 4 people...but in most cases (and in mine) there's only 1 person at the desk. I like having lots of room to spread out. There's also some decent lighting and electrical outlets for my laptop. Upon first entering the library the room is a bit intimidating because it seems so formal and out in the open at the same time. But from the perspective of the actual desk, it's actually kinda homey and cozy. Everyone is silently buried in books so there's very little social interaction, but still, the mere presence of other living people in the room is comforting.

Some people jokingly call it the 'gunner pit'. For those who don't know a 'gunner' is a student who is super-competitive to the point of being ruthless. I guess the idea that those who sit down here and study in plain view of so many people would be gunners makes sense. The second floor of the library has the most study space by far. It feels much less formal and also has some great lighting.

I'm here a bit out of necessity. The wireless internet I was using has mysteriously vanished, much to my dismay. However, perhaps working at the library will increase my efficiency. I'm currently listening to Pandora Radio and have a nice Herbie Hancock station going. Nice tunes...no lyrics...all good.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Going out

You know sucks about going to bars or parties? When it's too crowded, too loud, and too hot. I sound like a whiner, but it really kills the mood when you can't move around...or hear what the person next to you is saying, or when you're sweating through your shirt.

If I owned a bar or club I'd limit the number of people who could be inside. It would not only create a feeling of exclusivity but would also prevent the all too common shoulder-to-shoulder packed feeling you feel in a lot of bars.

About the noise issue...I always feel like I'm yelling at people when I'm talking to them. So music would have to be kept at a reasonable level. And air conditioning...yes please.

Granted I'm complaining about a house party at which I had a reasonably good time, but things could have been nicer.

It's just not conducive to socializing when you're restricted by those factors above.

Throw in alcohol and it gets even harder (even though it may feel easier).

I guess all I'm getting at is the ideal 'going out' place would be spacious, nice and cool, and not too loud. If there's a place like that, that's where I wanna go.

That is all.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Soft ball

So it's pretty much mandatory that people here play softball. My section has a team and we had our first practice today. I consider myself slightly-above average in terms of athletic ability, but for some reason I've never really played baseball or softball. I can throw a ball with moderate velocity and most of the time I'll be able to catch a ball if it's thrown half-decently. Batting is definitely a weak point. I've seen so much of it on tv, but it seems so technical.

I've always been the type of person who wants to learn the 'right way' to do things...all the little nuances and things you should think about to get the right form, but frankly I think experience might be the better teacher.

In this league the ball has to be lobbed, so making contact with the ball shouldn't be too difficult for most people. The hard part is putting the ball on the field so you'll give yourself a chance to make it to first.

The games don't figure to be ultra-competitive so I think it'll be fun. I would like to get a lot better though so I don't feel so feeble swinging the bat so hard (at least I think I'm swinging it hard) and watching the ball travel 9 feet.

I'm actually a bit more interested in the defensive side of things. This isn't that surprising as that tends to be my forte in every sport I play. In table tennis I've always been more of a defensive player who just returns until my opponent messes up. In football I've relished playing on the defensive line where I can just rush the passer...and basketball I take more pride in playing lockdown defense, getting rebounds, or blocking shots. Part of this may be my lack of offensive skill, but I always feel like defense is a bit of an unappreciated aspect of sports.

They say defense wins championships, after all.

It'd be cool to get the softball team working on defense like a well-oiled machine. Ball is hit, players run to the right locations, catch is made, ball is thrown with speed and precision to the right place...and to the next place... It must be sweet to turn a double play...kinda like blocking a shot into the stands.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Old school romance

I was thinking about the way I've seen romance portrayed in movies and TV in the 'old days'.

It seems like a guy just had to tell a woman how beautiful she was (embellished with some Shakespearesque flourishes) and assuming he was sufficiently attractive, she'd swoon, they'd fall in love, and 9 and a half months later a baby would be born.

Does the same strategy still work today? Why or why not? Limit your response to 2 pages, double spaced.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Observations of my school

So far I've noticed the following things about the students at *********.

1. People are relatively young.
2. People seem taller/bigger than usual.
3. People seem to be in better physical shape.
4. People tend to be better looking/more concerned about their appearance.
5. People tend to dress extremely 'preppy'.

#2 intrigues me the most. Is there some reason why law students would be taller than an average non-law student?

Monday, August 24, 2009

Typical Day

Okay, it's been less than two weeks since I started school, but in case you're wondering what I'm doing with all my time here's a little peek at a 'typical day' so far.

7:00 AM - wake up
7:01-7:30 AM - get dressed, eat breakfast
7:31 - 8:29 AM - Internet, review for first class
8:30 - 10:00 AM - first class
10:01 - 11:00 - second class
11:01 - 1:59 - back home for lunch, relax, finish reading
2:00 - 3:30 - class
3:31 - 5:00 - class
5:01 - 6:30 - back home for dinner, relax

Rest of the night:
- do reading for next day
- exercise
- shower
- relax

Hit the sack around 11 PM

Sounds boring huh?

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Why?

This is going to be a strange departure from my posts of late, but oh well.

Do you ever find yourself questioning why you should want something? I don't mean wanting something tangible like a Nintendo Wii or a new car, but more in terms of social interaction or relationships.

I'm not talking about people and their significant others or spouses...I think the reason for wanting that relationship is pretty natural. I'm talking more about friendships or just friendly interactions.

What is it that we seek when we choose to engage in these types of relationships?

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Rainy day

It's around 2 PM...rain is falling outside and for once, a cool draft is coming through the window. Herbie Hancock is on and I feel relaxed. My friend and mother called (separately) this morning and it was good to talk to them both. I noticed I've been relaying almost identical accounts of my new experiences.

To sum it up:

1. Class is entertaining, nerve-racking, confusing, but intellectually interesting
a. I have no problem paying attention the entire period because I'm afraid of being
called on and the subject matter is so new/confusing.

2. Reading is also interesting, although there's a lot of it. Civil Procedure seems
to be the toughest sledding so far whereas Criminal Law reads the smoothest thusfar.

Those two elements dominate my days. Throw in exercise, eating, socializing, cleaning and personal hygiene and that's pretty much the extent of my life. It may sound boring, but I assure you it's not (yet).

The major difference between undergrad and law school has been the pace. We had two days of orientation and then classes started. When I say classes started I don't mean we just received a syllabus and were dismissed early. We had reading assignments for our first day of class and in many classes the professor never even bothered to introduce himself or give any background. We immediately dove into the material.

The amount of self-learning is also much greater. In college you could rely a lot more on the professor to teach you the material. I feel in law school you read and learn the material as much as you can before class. Then in class the professor highlights or reiterates things you've read. For the most part, the professor seems to be adding emphasis to certain parts of the reading rather than adding information that was altogether missing.

I've also noticed that people so far in law school are relatively homogeneous. For the most part, it's largely white...and younger, maybe 22-24 age. Everyone seems very intelligent, outspoken, and for the most part, confident and fairly extroverted. People seem very aware of their appearance physically...and a friend mentioned this so maybe my observation is a bit biased...people seem to be taller than the norm.

I just signed up for a Pandora account. I'm a big fan of online radio since I don't own a portable MP3 player and don't download music illegally. I've found if I need to concentrate I can't listen to music that contains lyrics. When I write (like I am now) I hear myself saying what I'm writing...so comprehending lyrics seems to throw that process off.

I find jazz (with its elements of improvisation) to be especially conducive to studying because the reduced predictability and repetitiveness seems to keep me alert.

Still raining...hopefully the sky will run out of moisture soon and this place will dry up a bit.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Bloggin' bloggin'

So it's Friday - the end of the first week of class. It wasn't a full week though since we only started on Wednesday, but I got through it.

So far the experience of class has been exhilarating but stressful. There's always the fear of being called upon and either not knowing what's going on or giving a totally incompetent answer. The nature of the Socratic Method means that you'll rarely hear a student give an end-all answer where the professor mere replies, 'Yes, that's correct.' At the same time, I know sounding smart in class doesn't get you many (if any) bonus points on the final, yet it's hard to resist the pressure.

The class on its own is so intellectually stimulating and confusing at the same time. Yesterday I have 5 hours of class yet I found myself at near 100% alertness every minute. I certainly can't say the same for my previous education. Everything is so new - not just the subject matter but the language itself. Speaking of which, I need to figure out if I want to order a physical or digital copy of a legal dictionary.

I just finished tidying up a bit since I had a few minutes before my only class of the day. It definitely does help with organization to have a clean workspace and apartment. So far I feel like I've done an admirable job - my mother and father would be proud. It's amazing how much motivation can be provided by having a roommate (who you wish to not think you're a total slob).

So what else is going on today...I need to go to the gym, perhaps clean a bit more, and I need to cook for the potluck today. I'm going to make my mother's recipe for Asian peanut butter noodles. It may sound a bit odd to you, but think of Thai food and how they utilize peanuts. It's a cold noodle dish and in my opinion, is quite good.

I still don't know when and where this potluck is though, so hopefully I found out before I make the food.

This weekend will be filled with organization, reflection, and of course, lots of reading for next week. Hopefully it'll involve some fun and socialization too.

Okay, guess I should head to class now.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

First Day

It's the first day of class and already I feel like I don't have enough hours in the day. Of course, part of this is due to my inefficiency and relative lack of direction. I'm hoping the professors can help guide me a bit. It's about an hour before my first class starts - Contracts. I've already met the professor and he's our small-section professor, which means our class will be the only Contracts class taught by him. We'll also only have our section present - so about 30 people total. On one hand the smaller class size should lead to a more intimate atmosphere. On the other hand, it'll be harder to just be a face in the crowd. And obviously, your odds of getting 'cold-called' meaning the professors just randomly asks you a question, is much higher than when you're in a class of 100.

Today isn't too bad, I only have 3 classes, but tomorrow I have 4. Based on how long it took me to do reading for 2 classes I shudder at the prospect of reading for 4. But I'm sure I can knock out 1 during my break after lunch today...and maybe 2 tonight. And I'm exaggerating because I've already done the one for Torts.

My understanding of the cases isn't strong at this point and I feel like I should be reading them until I achieve a solid grasp, but I'm sure pouring in tons of effort prior to even attending the first class may not prove all that useful. It's inevitable that you'll know only a sliver of what you need to know. It seems like the Socratic Method is designed to show you that.

Aside from classes, I need to find time to go to the gym. The gym is really close so there's no issue of convenience. I think I'm also going to try studying in the library because I have a tendency to get too comfortable if I'm at home.

Orientation flew by in a blur - 2 days, packed to the gills. I met so many new people and forgot so many names already. I can't help but get the sad feeling that by the end of this year I might only be in contact with those in my sections. It's probably hard though, as you have the same classes every day with these people.

So far my plan of making huge batches of food, portioning them into meals, and freezing them has worked out well. My blend of rice, beans, potatoes, zucchini, topped with chicken has been filling and not horrible to eat. As somewhat of a foodie though, I'll miss really spending time cooking and enjoying meals. Now it seems like eating is more like a chore you have to do to stay alive.

A bought a big batch of supplements (books) at this used booksale yesterday...they had lots of good stuff and compared to my texts, they were dirt cheap. I've only looked at some so far so I can't tell how useful they'll be. But like Scott Turow in 1L, their presence amongst my books alone offers some comfort.

I realize I'll probably be talking a lot about law school, so I should probably make an effort to discuss other things as well.

Sports - Predictably, Brett Favre is back...AGAIN. How many times can one man retire/unretire? He should just take a lesson from JoePa and keep playing until he dies on the field.

Big Ben - it sounds like his civil case is looking up for him. One of the many people named in the suit is McNulty's former best-friend and employee of Harrah's. Her legal representation has filed a motion to dismiss the case. There's also been some buzz about emails/IM transcripts from McNulty that show she wasn't acting consistently with someone who had been raped. For instance, these emails supposedly show McNulty saying about how she was excited to have dinner with Ben (after the alleged rape happened) and that she would date him if she ever broke up with her imaginary boyfriend (who ironically was also named Ben). I've seen the emails and I'm certain they're real - but if they aren't, someone went to great lengths to fabricate them. It'll be interesting to see if this case is just dismissed.

Okay I've probably written more than I have in several months, so I'll end it now. I think I'll try to write something pretty frequently to provide all those who care about me with an update on my life.

I'm doing well though - excited to be in this new environment - not yet burned out or beat up!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Is it heaven?

Those rays really make me think of angels.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Remember the M.A.S.H. theme?

The actual song is called "Suicide is Painless" by Johnny Mandel



*****

Through early morning fog I see
visions of the things to be
the pains that are withheld for me
I realize and I can see...

[Chorus]:

That suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
and I can take or leave it if I please.

I try to find a way to make
all our little joys relate
without that ever-present hate
but now I know that it's too late, and...

[Chorus]

The game of life is hard to play
I'm gonna lose it anyway
The losing card I'll someday lay
so this is all I have to say.

[Chorus]

The only way to win is cheat
And lay it down before I'm beat
and to another give my seat
for that's the only painless feat.

[Chorus]

The sword of time will pierce our skins
It doesn't hurt when it begins
But as it works its way on in
The pain grows stronger...watch it grin, but...

[Chorus]

A brave man once requested me
to answer questions that are key
'is it to be or not to be'
and I replied 'oh why ask me?'

'Cause suicide is painless
it brings on many changes
and I can take or leave it if I please.
...and you can do the same thing if you please.

******

Why is this song so cheerful?

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Why aren't there ugly babies?

In my opinion there are very few ugly babies. Babies (assuming they weren't born with any type of abnormalities) tend to look very similar and very cute.

However, as those babies grow up, only a very small portion of them will qualify as being "beautiful" people.

Why is this?

--------------

This next thought it sort of related...at least in my mind it is. Let's say from the day you are born until the day you die you meet with a person for lunch. The person never speaks to you. He/she just sits down, looks at you, then eats his/her lunch and leaves. This happens every single day of your life.

Would you develop any sort of emotional response to this person? Would you be capable of hating this person?

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

words

sleep want yearn content frustration value rage mute money uncertainty fear laziness discipline motivation loneliness desire time deadlines expectations culture shift prejudice idealism realism esteem lie understand expression scream yell trend conformity uncensored free take pillage consequence inevitable mapped wandering confused jumbled victory perfection definition trim cut mold hunger craving restraint innocence corruption disgust perversion loathing sweat unclean sticky muggy inoperable inefficient adaptable fatigue boredom drilling nights long silence struggle pace sustainable contrast destination economy repetition time emotion default apathy standards unrealistic gag burn carnal chemicals neuter deter age placate satisfy inhibition alcohol social disease questioning testing wasting browsing minutiae information knowledge utility jobs progress sands goals maintenance dust pillows sharing grammar appearances courtesy faces oil style body painful hiding reputation women stereotype fats breathing rhythm dryness cool patience independent stained house room tidy clutter children moving delay inevitable heart parting dividing joining separation identification reunion coupons blandness chicken

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Night Owls

My mother told me that when I was a baby I would refuse to go to bed unless everyone else in the house was asleep. She'd attempt to put me in my crib and soothe me until I fell asleep, but as soon as she left I'd start crying.

To this day I haven't changed.

I always like to be the last one to fall asleep. It isn't because I have some macho complex where sleeping early is a sign of weakness. It's because I feel like I'm missing out on things if I go to bed while people are stirring.

I know, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense because the later I go to bed, the later I rise. Somehow, what people do prior to noon doesn't interest me a great deal.

Only when I'm free of all other distractions do I feel at peace enough to sleep. I also do most of my blog-writing and reading in the wee hours of the morning.

There's a tranquil lucidity at 1 AM.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Introverting

There seem to be two general classifications for how people behave when it comes to social situations: 1. Introvert 2. Extrovert

Introverts are those who tend to keep things inside. They are often viewed as being quiet or shy. They may appear awkward at social events, avoid making eye contact, and when they speak it may be very quiet and words may be sparse. Extroverts are more commonly perceived as the life of the party. They make eye contact with strangers - they shake hands, initiate conversations. They tend to be loud, bold, and perceived as being confident.

I believe that being an introvert or extrovert is not a intrinsic quality. People can go back and forth throughout their lives. When I was younger I think I was quite introverted, but as I got older I became progressively more extroverted. I believe the pinnacle of my extroversion was during college.

I remember eating dinner in the dining hall at a round table with 8 or more of my friends. Often a friend of a friend would squeeze in to join us. It was always a quite jovial and amicable affair and I always felt like I was at the center of it.
Perhaps it was my own perception or the fact that I was the common link between the various social circles that formed a meal-time Venn diagram, but whatever the reason, the energy it infused in me was invigorating.

However, there came some times where for whatever reason, I no longer felt compelled to bring this energy to the situation. I'd realize that I would be the one talking, making jokes, making eye contact and wonder why I was putting in so much effort. While I enjoyed feeling like I was the hub, I also felt a lack of reciprocity. So sometimes I'd stage these little 'social experiments' where during dinner I'd just eat my food and observe my tablemates. Invariably after just a few minutes one of the girls (who I guess were more keen to my behavior) would question me and ask if something was wrong. I'd probably play dumb and pretend not to know, but they'd question me on my sudden quietness. These experiments never lasted long, but it was shocking to hear the silence and observe the totally different social dynamic without one piece of the puzzle. In a way I felt like I was the catalyst in the reaction.

I've grown less extroverted since leaving college - the lack of constant social interaction has atrophied my past bubbliness - and even know, at times I feel the urge just to sit back and observe, rather than lead and participate. I know I won't be able to maintain my 'experiment' for long, but it shows how keen people are to major shifts in behavior.

That was a really obvious statement.

A closing question: Let's say you ate dinner with a person every day for years. This person never said a word or even looked at you. He/she never did anything other than eat his/her meal and then leave. Could/would you hate this person?

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

The Point of No Return

It's been a while since I last posted. I had forgotten about you, I must admit. Ever hear of 'the point of no return'? I think of it in terms of space expeditions, but it could apply to any trip you take. I understand it to be the point in the trip where it's longer to go back than it is to keep traveling to your destination. Most of the time the point of no return would be your halfway point.

Whenever I'm going on a roadtrip I get this uneasy feeling when I reach this point. Sometimes I get it earlier than the point of no return. An hour out I'll feel a slight urge to turn around and go back. 60 miles isn't that far. It'll only take an hour to go back. It seems to so easy and reachable that it's tempting. Yet, I never turn around unless I have some real reason to do so.

I keep driving and soon I'm farther away and the possibility of turning around diminishes. Once I'm past the point of no return there's only my destination in mind, so I keep driving until I get there.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

I'm Such a Delicate Flower

I live a relatively comfortable life. I'm not rich, but I'm never left wanting for the basic necessities of life. However, recently, being home has made me realize that I'm not as hardy as I once thought.

The biggest complaint I have about being home is the temperature. My parents' home is considerably colder than my apartment. I'm not sure if it's due to the split-level nature of the home or that it's much more voluminous than my 1 bedroom place, but it is a good 10-15 degrees cooler. The cold makes me want to avoid being downstairs. It also makes the prospect of showering before bed unappealing. In the morning I really struggle to leave the warmth of my bed because I know I'll have to wear two layers of clothing to feel warm.

I swear sometimes it's warmer outside than it is inside. I've been tempted to get a thermometer to take some readings in various parts of the house and compare it to outside. In the summer the lower levels of the house serve as a nice oasis from the balmy weather, but the other 9 months of the year have become unbearably cold. My parents seem to be accustomed to it so any of my complaints are met with the suggestion that I put on more clothing.

I looked at the thermostat - it's set at 66. I have a hard time believing that. I literally will wear a sweatshirt, a fleece, and a windbreaker with hood up to feel warm. I'm considering wearing a winter coat complete with gloves too.

My second complaint also affects my productivity, perhaps moreso than the cold. My parents computer and/or internet connection is extremely slow. It's so slow that it struggles to handle Gmail. I'm on the computer more than I should be, but it also serves as the hub for all my communications and is the starting point for almost all of my productivity. Without it I'm relegated to using my phone, which on its own is not nearly as useful.

My parents' computer is also located in the lower level of the house where it's freezing, so I'm quickly frustrated with waiting for pages to load. As a result, I spend about 1/10 of the time I normally do on the computer.

In fact it's gotten so bad that I can't really get anything done unless I go to Panera, where I am currently. My mom chides me for coming here since it's inevitable that I'll spend money on food and drink, but Panera provides me with the two things I've just complained about - a warm room, complete with fireplace, and wireless internet that blows the doors off my parents' DSL.

Hopefully the weather will take care of the freezing house, but I'll need to convince my parents to upgrade their DSL speed.

I have considered the possibility that my parents' house is somewhat of an anomaly like the House of Leaves. It's a magical house where it's always colder inside than it is outside. Creepy.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Night Driving



Driving at night makes you feel so alone. Just you, your car, and the radio. The view from the bridge is beautiful though.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Things We Should Never Teach Our Kids

I don't have kids, so take what I say with that in mind. You may write me off as not knowing anything because I am not a father, but know that I will be one someday and when I am - I will raise them with some of the following ideas.

Call me bitter, jaded - that's fine. I just see myself as a realist with a more objective point of view.

1. There is one person out there made just for you.

This idea is rubbish. First of all, if there was only one person destined to be your soulmate, the odds of you finding that person amongst the over 6 billion humans on earth would be close to zero. What if your soulmate had a terrible childhood accident and died? Would that mean you'd be fated to a painful and lonely existence? Of course not, because the reality is that there isn't just one person made for you. You can always find someone for you - and it's just a matter of finding someone 'good enough' to keep you happy.

2. It doesn't matter if you win or lose, as long as you tried your best.
Now I agree with the spirit of this lesson because you should always give your full effort in everything you do, but the reality is that winning matters. You should try your best, but if you lose - you're a loser. The real world is competitive and we all can't be the best at something, regardless of how hard we try. We all have natural talents and abilities that make us better at some things than others, thus if we all try equally hard some will come out on top.

3. Love is forever.
Love is an emotion and thus it isn't permanent. It is one of the strongest emotions and is much less ephemeral than other emotions like anger, happiness, or sadness. However the idea that you'll find your spouse, fall in love, get married and stay in love until you both die is silly. The statistics will show that marriages often end - and presumably, so does the love that began the bond. People change over time and circumstances put different stresses on us - these things all lead to the diminishing of love. I believe the strongest bond of love is that between a mother and a child, however, that too can be destroyed.

4. Always treat your elders with respect.
I'm a firm believer that age does not earn you respect. I will teach my kids that they should treat someone with respect until they show that they do not deserve it. It's like a test where you start out with a perfect grade, but each time you miss a class or forget your homework you lose points. That's how I'd teach them to treat people. Some people deserve respect, some don't - to treat everyone the same only prevents those undeserving of respect from realizing the error of their ways.

5. Good things come to those that wait.
I think this is rubbish. While patience can be a desirable personality trait, passivity is not. If you want something, go out and get it. Make it happen. No amount of waiting patiently will cause your goal to be realized. It may occur by luck, but who knows when that will happen. I say "Good things come to those who go out and get them." I'm not a religious person but I'd agree with the saying "God helps those who help themselves." Maybe God doesn't do anything, but if you're helping yourself you're doing something!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

My pants

I just realized my pajama pants have a huge tear in the crotch. How disappointing.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

The quest for sleep

I've always known I needed more sleep and I always say I'm going to try to get more of it.

I never do.

Would it be possible for me to set aside 9 hours a night for sleep? Meaning that 9 hours before my planned wakeup time I'm in bed.

I figure I need to allow some buffer time for actually falling asleep once I'm in bed.

It seems so easy, yet I can never do it.

WHY?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Ever ride a horse?

I'm talking about more than just sitting on a horse as it walks in a circle at the carnival or state fair.

I've only ridden a horse one time. My coworker organized a little trip where we'd get to go on a trail-ride for a few hours. The place was over an hour away from here. We ended up driving into the woods where a light drizzle fell. We were each paired with a horse - mine was named Trinity.

I immediately thought of the chick in black leather from The Matrix.

The ride started out smoothly enough. All I really had to do was sit on the horse and occasionally steer it by pulling the reigns to the left or the right. Our ride leaders set out in front and all the horses followed in a straight line.

As we went deeper into the woods it got progressively darker. The rain also became more annoying. Eventually we reached the base of a hill. The horses would have to run up the hill - I think the proper term was 'canter' which isn't exactly a full-speed-ahead pace. I believe 'gallop' is the fastest. We were instructed to stand up on the stirrups and lean forward. One by one the horses ran up the hill, seemingly without paying any attention to our commands.

Trinity lurched forward as I stood up. I leaned forward but the bouncing was quite violent. I managed not to fall to my death and was relieved when we reached the top. All that's really holding you on the horse are your feet in the stirrups.

The ride eventually stopped for a campfire with smores. It was a nice break...I always enjoy campfires. The sight of the flame, the warmth...the smokiness.

After awhile we resumed our ride. It was now pitch black outside. As we exited the woods we came upon a paved asphalt road. I couldn't see anything now. All of a sudden the horses started sprinting. I futilely tried to pull back the reigns to slow Trinity but she kept speeding forward following the other horses.

At this point I was standing up yet ducking forward, praying that there were no low hanging branches. I was also thinking 'I hope this horse has good night vision, because I can't see a damn thing.'

It was quite a terrifying experience. Speeding ahead, accelerating into the darkness.

Friday, January 30, 2009

DEEP DEEP STUFF

Warning: this will be a long, rambling, sometimes incoherent stream-of-consciousness post. I will do little to no editing other than correcting obvious spelling mistakes that would make this unreadable. I make no apologies for my words and remind you that ‘normal’ is all relative.

I have little to no knowledge about psychology or philosophy. I have never taken a class on either subject and have read nothing on what I’m about to describe. So there’s a good chance my ideas are neither original nor creative. Oh well, I feel like I came up with them on my own.

-*-

Let’s start with an easy one: THE MEANING OF LIFE.

I always like to take the biological angle on this one. The meaning of life is simply to propagate life. You exist so you can reproduce – make babies who will in turn make babies who will, in turn, make more babies. It’s a pretty simple goal. Take a look at every single life form on this planet. Its overarching goal is to live long enough to pass on its genes. Many life forms don’t even bother living much longer after procreating.

In a way, this seems like a stupid point of life. I think about it like dusting a table. You start with a dusty table, so you grab a feather duster and 30 seconds later the dust has been removed from the table. A few weeks later the table is dusty again, so you grab the feather duster and repeat. You’ll keep doing this for the rest of your life, because inevitably the table will always become dusty again. Why do you keep dusting then? Well, you just want to restore the table to its ‘clean’ state – even though you know it will soon be ‘dirty’ again.

In terms of sustaining life – you know you’ll die some day. You know everything that is alive will die someday, yet you insist on producing more and more. There really isn’t a point where you stop and say, ‘Well, that’s enough, I guess we can go home.’ You just keep going, to keep going.

From biology we shift to thermodynamics and the concept of entropy. As I understand it, entropy is a measure of disorder in a system. The more messed up something is, the higher the entropy. The neat thing about entropy is that it’s always naturally increasing. Again I’ll use a real-life example. My bedroom is a system. If I make no extra efforts it will naturally become more disheveled over time. Clothes will begin to litter the floor, my bed sheets will become more wrinkled, that damn dust will coat my dresser! I must put in a lot of energy (work) to restore the system to order. And again, once I’m done…it will naturally become messier.

I believe this is an unavoidable characteristic of the universe. When we put things in order, we’re not doing something that’s natural. That’s why the universe is always fighting back…and we can’t win the war. We can only hope to contain it in short mortal bursts.

I’m going to shift gears to a less scientific viewpoint. Outside of just producing babies for the sake of continuity, I believe on an individual basis the point of life is simply to EXPERIENCE. This sounds nerdy and cheesy, but when I was younger I used to watch ‘X-Men’ cartoons. In one particular episode a character named Jean-Grey becomes this celestial being known as ‘The Phoenix’. The Phoenix is this god-like entity which only has a singular goal – to FEEL…to experience things. It feeds off this life-energy.

I think we should be like ‘The Phoenix’. To be alive, we must feel. Medically, we can be considered alive as long as our heart is beating and oxygen flows through our lungs. People who are brain dead can still be kept operational with the aid of heart-lung machines. It’s like keeping the engine running once you’ve hauled it out of your car.

Our goal in life should be to experience emotions – preferably ‘good’ ones. People often call these good emotions ‘happiness’. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Like all things, happiness is a relative concept. Without some polar emotion like sadness or despair, happiness has little meaning. So can we truly be happy ALL the time?

I’d like to think so, but I’m inclined to say no. Think about your life and all the things that make you happy. If eating ice cream brings you happiness you might think sitting around all day scarfing Haagen-Daz might make you the happiest person the world. However, after a few hours of stuffing double chocolate fudge in your mouth you’ll probably start to get sick of the flavors. You may even get disgusted. Part of the happiness that ice cream brings you is due to the novelty. It’s the sensation of iciness, sweetness, richness which we don’t experience when we’re eating something healthier. If all our food had those same traits, ice cream wouldn’t be so special.

Back to some math and science – in operations research we can formulate mathematical models to represent real life systems. Although the concept of happiness is abstract, I believe you can still model it using math. A mathematical model typically has 2 components: 1) an objective function and 2) constraints. The objective function is the thing which you wish to maximize or minimize. In this case we can write something like

‘max happiness’

which simply means our goal is to maximize happiness. Constraints are like boundaries or rules that govern the solutions to our problems. These are typically in the form of inequalities, like x < 12. Going back to the ice cream example, we might write a constraint like ‘You can only eat ice cream once a week.’ With that constraint we’d eliminate the solution to maximizing happiness that would be ‘eat ice cream all the time’.

Note that the objective is to maximize happiness, not necessarily make that value infinity. There could be some cap to the maximum level of happiness one can achieve, and our goal is simply to approach that point, even asymptotically.

I guess you’d have to define things in life in terms of their happiness value (HV). Things could either increase, decrease, or not affect your HV. The interesting thing is that the HV of an object, activity, or thing is dynamic. Ice cream does not always increase your happiness. Perhaps if it’s a hot summer day it has a positive HV value, but if it’s 2 degrees below zero ice cream will probably make you less happy. There would be all sorts of factors that could chance something’s HV. Dimensions like time and space.

We could also apply some economics here – the law of diminishing returns. Again, I’m no economics whiz but I believe the gist of this theory is that the more you get of something, the less value each successive unit of that something has to you. Ice cream – again! It’s hot and you’re hungry. Someone hands you some ice cream – awesome, thanks! You finish the first pint…maybe you could go for seconds. The second one is even better since you’re really indulging now. Okay, now you’re done – do you want a third pint? Maybe not so much, you’re full now – you’re ready for something else. How about 20 more? At this point you don’t even want ice cream, so they could dump a truckload in front of you and you probably wouldn’t want to eat it.

In terms of HV, I propose that all things obey the law of diminishing returns. After you reach a certain saturation level, you no longer want those things.

I’ve been talking about food, which is an easy thing for people to relate to because we all have to eat. Another common human thing is sex (you know, so you can fulfill your biological purpose in life). I’m going to generalize and say all men want sex. We think about sex quite often – I’ve heard something like once every 7 seconds. That may be true. So even though we desire sex all the time, we don’t have sex constantly. Part of this is due to our physical limitations, but I believe after a few times, men need a break. Sex may feel great physically, emotionally, and spiritually, but after awhile you just want to go watch TV or read a book.

There’s a song that goes ‘Can’t get enough of your love…can’t get enough of your love’. I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration – you can get enough of your love. You can get ENOUGH of anything. I can’t think of anything that doesn’t obey the law of diminishing returns. If you can, let me know.

Back to our mathematical model – now that I think about it, this is even more complicated since discrete activities and things have dynamic HVs. Instead of modeling this in 1 dimension (just being concerned with maximizing happiness) we now have to optimize in 2 levels. We have to maximize the overall objective, but each discrete activity or things has its own maximization of its HV. To make this even worse, HV maximization is related to everything else! I’m not sure there’s enough computing power in the world to crunch this one.

A side note – although I think operations research/linear-programming and non-linear programming is really cool and practical stuff I don’t think I could ever be an academic in the field for 2 reasons. 1 – it’s part art and science. It takes a certain inborn genius to look at a system and see the numbers behind it. It’s really like looking at The Matrix. Some people see only what’s readily available to their eyes, others see the numbers behind it. The second reason I could never devote my life to this is that there are problems that can only be solved via brute-force methods (like branch and bound) where you have to basically eliminate all the incorrect answers before determining the correct one.

When I was in college I took a non-linear programming class which was primarily populated by grad students. One time at my professor’s office hours he explained how he had this separate computer that was devoted to running this immense branch and bound problem. I can’t recall what he was exactly trying to do, but it sounded something like ‘proving the existence of an orthogonal vector to something something’. Anyway, he explained how the program had been running for years, and if he ever found a solution he’d probably win the Nobel Prize. But odds are it’ll run until he’s dead and it’ll never find anything.

That would suck.

***

Feelings – emotions – the things we must experience to make us alive.

I must take an ego-centric approach, because everything I experience is channeled through me. It seems like a stupid thing to say, but it’s true. I don’t believe in people being totally selfless. It’s not possible. Everything we do, we do because at some level it brings us joy.

Even things that seem bad, like self-mutilation or attempting suicide. I believe all our actions are done with at least some positive intent in mind. There may be negative intent as well and that negativity may outweigh the positive aspect, but there is ALWAYS a positive reason why we do something.

Think about supposedly selfless acts – giving to charities for example. Giving to a charity is, in general, a good thing. Giving to charity and demanding recognition can be frowned upon as self-promotion. Giving anonymously without fanfare is accepted as being more honorable. However, even that unknown donor has that warm feeling in his or her chest. He or she feels good that the money donated is going to help a charity.

Now, to be clear – I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with the donor feeling good about his or her donation, I’m simply saying they get something out of it too. Every act we do gives us something back – even if that act is done with intent for someone else.

We do things for ourselves to make ourselves feel better. We do things for others to make ourselves feel better. We always have our own interest in mind no matter what. It’s just how we’re wired. It only makes sense.

Why can't we just impose our will on the world and take what we want? I guess part of it is that it's human nature to be insecure - to want and need reassurance that we're adequate or loved. They say you can't force someone to love you - I'd tend to agree with that. So it seems a bit unfortunate that we're wired to desire things that are beyond our control.

Many a poet has gone crazy over unrequited love (cough cough Emily Dickson). Why must we always seek things that are beyond our control? Why can't we just say 'HEY YOU! LOVE ME!' It would be interesting if the only things that mattered to our happiness were things that we had some semblance of control over.

Hmmm, so perhaps a major cause of unhappiness or a lack of happiness is uncertainty - or longing for something which you don't have control over. I know in Buddhism there is a state called Nirvana in which you have no desire. Supposedly this is the supreme state of existence because you are not wanting.

Maybe they're onto something. If you want nothing, does that mean you're happy? I'm not sure. But I know when I want something and I don't get it - or can't have it...it makes me unhappy. So if I always got what I wanted or never wanted anything perhaps I'd have a lot less unhappiness.

This sorta loops back to a previous point I made about things being relative. If you don't have unhappiness due to wanting, then do you really have happiness? Perhaps Nirvana isn't really happiness or unhappiness? Maybe it's just this state - not full, not empty - just a state floating in between.

This has suddenly got me interested in Buddhism. I'm not one for people telling me what to believe, but if my own 'independent' thoughts align, it might be worth checking it out.

After all all these people spent a lot more time pondering these grand questions than I have.

( )

What patterns of behavior bring happiness?

There's sensory pleasures - touch, taste, smell, sound - signals your body translates to endorphins. In terms of touch, certain things 'naturally' feel good. Silk feels nice. I'm not sure why, but I think most people would say silk feels 'better' than fiberglass. Then here's sexual pleasure - which I think is a step more complex. You are touched, but in a manner which gives you another level of enjoyment. Perhaps because you know you're going to fulfill your biological function in life.

All of these sensory things can be more complex when they're associated with memories. People often hear a song and it reminds them of someone, some place, or some time. Nostalgia, flashbacks - it's your brain being reminded of something by the stimulus. This happens to me all the time. I hear a song and I instantly am transported back to a very vivid memory. It's not just 1 sense either - I can feel the wind, the heat of the sun on my skin, the smell of the air, the taste. It's amazing how a small stimulus can unleash a flurry of memories.

We also gain happiness from accomplishing things. I think of working hard toward a goal and accomplishing it. I guess putting forth effort amplifies the sweetness of the reward. Perhaps this is due to the contrasting effect. Without suffering, there cannot be joy.

It's more satisfying to get a A on the test if you studied for a week rather than if you stole the answer key the night before.

Now that I think about it, maybe you went to a lot of trouble to steal the answer key. It might have been more work to cheat than to study. In that case, perhaps your feelings of happiness would be tempered by feelings of guilt for doing something that you know as 'bad'.

I guess the level of happiness we receive depends a lot on our society as well. We're told what to value in terms of happiness and what to devalue. Things like working hard are extolled while things like cheating are frowned upon. If we measured the happiness an accomplishment brings you based on how much suffering you had to endure it this would be a different situation.

It would be possible to suffer greatly toward a goal, but not gain as much happiness from it because society disagreed with the way you accomplished the goal. Example - your goal is to get wealthy. You decide to sell drugs for a living. Selling drugs is probably not easy work. It's probably very dangerous. You work hard and you make it big. You're rich. You should be happy.

But wait, the police don't like your methods. They throw you in prison. Suddenly you're not so happy. This is an extreme example, but my point is that society's opinion on your achievement affects how you feel about it.

Okay, I can't take any more of this Enya crap. I'm done being all deep and stuff for now.