The first people on the world must have been really confused people. With no predecesors, and no one to tell them what the rules of the game is, they would have to bumble around trying to find their own way.
I find that guilt is an awesome motivator. It prods at me and nags me and annoys me better than my parents ever can or will be able to. And the best thing is, it's completely automatic- all I need to do is neglect one area of my life for a period of time and I'll become restless and uncomfortable. On the flip side, doing what I think I should be doing eliminates the guilt, and makes for a much better day, plus I feel good.
It's a constant paradox, having to stay alive. Work too hard, and one feels stressed; play too much, and the body longs for work; walk too far, and the feet wish for respite; rest too long, and the spirit rebels. I believe that one must try to aim for balance in all areas, making day to day planning like balancing a stack of plates on a toothpick gripped between your teeth while riding on a unicycle. Everthing must be balanced perfectly, even the assistance one offers to another. Especially that, because the aim in helping people is to let them find their way, not making them dependent. Life's a baller.
Difficult, yes. Satstfying, yes. Worth it?
Hell yes.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Sort-of-Empty Nest
Ah, well- time's really slipping by fast. Another batch of people are leaving soon... wishing them all the best in everything.
Having being sort of stuck here since 4 months ago (wow, has it really been that long? or is my math really that bad?) It's kinda sad to know that there will be a fewer friendly faces around this area, soon. But this is tempered by the fact that it's only a matter of time before it's my turn too- something that I haven't yet decided if it's a nett plus or a nett minus.
It sucks being left behind, and worse still if you're the only one. I wasn't, thank goodness. Even found some new stuff to do and new things to fill up the time. Met new people, too. And got to know some people better. So, overall, being late isn't that bad, especially if one can find a way to use it as motivation to fly too.
Having being sort of stuck here since 4 months ago (wow, has it really been that long? or is my math really that bad?) It's kinda sad to know that there will be a fewer friendly faces around this area, soon. But this is tempered by the fact that it's only a matter of time before it's my turn too- something that I haven't yet decided if it's a nett plus or a nett minus.
It sucks being left behind, and worse still if you're the only one. I wasn't, thank goodness. Even found some new stuff to do and new things to fill up the time. Met new people, too. And got to know some people better. So, overall, being late isn't that bad, especially if one can find a way to use it as motivation to fly too.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Inhibitation
I was thinking about inhibitation some time ago. First, let me say that I do believe that people are created equally, with each having his or her own areas where he can excel naturally; and also fields where advancement does not come so easily. Even so, I think that every person can become reasonably proficient in any endeavour given sufficient time and energy is devoted to furthering this skill.
When a group of people first begin to learn, say, a new instrument, there inevitably will be people who are faster in grasping concepts than the others. This breeds a confidence in the faster people and at the same time creates expectations in the group that these faster people are going to be that way permanently, hence the rest will forever be behind them in development. The overall effect is two-way: it empowers the faster group with self-confidence and pushes them forward, whereas the slower people will be inhibited by thoughts that the faster ones are 'just like that' and 'gifted'. End product- the gap between the two groups widens exponentially as the fast group's improvement rate increases exponentially while the slower group's advancement decreases or indeed stops altogether.
Inhibitation prevents people from reaching the pace they should. In groups, a heirachy is usually established, with people segregated into the high, middle, and low. Each level strives to maintain it's position relative to the other, and unconciously but deliberately seeks to inhibit the other levels from rising higher. The low will always remain the low until they realize that the inhibitation may be external, but the choice to accept being inhibited is personal. Unfortunately, one can only choose if he is aware he has a choice- most people are not. Hence the emphasis on studying in Chinese society: the elders hope being a student will aid in the development of thinking, and not merely making a person horde facts.
There are other things that are neccesary before one can better himself, but awareness is always the first step. "Define the question before anything else", as teachers say (or should, if they don't). Of course, one can also inhibit oneself without other people having to do anything. In the end, it always boils down to whether or not a person wants to improve, or not.
When a group of people first begin to learn, say, a new instrument, there inevitably will be people who are faster in grasping concepts than the others. This breeds a confidence in the faster people and at the same time creates expectations in the group that these faster people are going to be that way permanently, hence the rest will forever be behind them in development. The overall effect is two-way: it empowers the faster group with self-confidence and pushes them forward, whereas the slower people will be inhibited by thoughts that the faster ones are 'just like that' and 'gifted'. End product- the gap between the two groups widens exponentially as the fast group's improvement rate increases exponentially while the slower group's advancement decreases or indeed stops altogether.
Inhibitation prevents people from reaching the pace they should. In groups, a heirachy is usually established, with people segregated into the high, middle, and low. Each level strives to maintain it's position relative to the other, and unconciously but deliberately seeks to inhibit the other levels from rising higher. The low will always remain the low until they realize that the inhibitation may be external, but the choice to accept being inhibited is personal. Unfortunately, one can only choose if he is aware he has a choice- most people are not. Hence the emphasis on studying in Chinese society: the elders hope being a student will aid in the development of thinking, and not merely making a person horde facts.
There are other things that are neccesary before one can better himself, but awareness is always the first step. "Define the question before anything else", as teachers say (or should, if they don't). Of course, one can also inhibit oneself without other people having to do anything. In the end, it always boils down to whether or not a person wants to improve, or not.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Nepal's Teachings
Recently I've been to Nepal, for a hiking trip to Annapurna Base Camp. It was good. Really good. Not that it wasn't hard, no, absolutely not- it was easily the toughest walk I've been for- we walked for about 4 hours a day on uneven terrain. During the hardest part we even trekked 14 hours out of 36, enough to make a grown man cry.
What made it enjoyable was not that it was easy all the way. It is only because we trekked and knew what being unhappy was like that we actually appreciated the rest stops in between. And because the trek can be miserable (we had to trek in the rain for 2 hours one day, and it was cold... brrrr), we enjoyed the rest we could get when sleeping in the teahouses. The food was vegetarian on the mountain, tasteless, basic, but filling- food that food critics would rather die than eat because of its simplicity. One day on the trek down the mountains we ate the Maggi tom yam mee hoon we brought from Malaysia for tea, and it tasted wonderful- the very flavour of home.
People say life sucks, and yeah, sometimes it does. But if you don't know what sucks, you'll never know what rocks. It's the initial part that's the most difficult- getting yourself out of your little cocoon of warmth and stepping outside into the sometimes cold, harsh world that is waiting for you to explore. To see the sunrise in Nepal, we had to wake up at 0400 and trek in the dark up a hill for 2 hours wearing 4 layers of clothes, it was that cold. I admit to cursing while going uphill. But the view... that was amazing. Yes, you can see the pictures I took of the sunrise (it's on Facebook), but you will never be able to experience the emotions or taste the fresh air or feel the sting of the cold or the misery of endless trekking or the joy of surpassing your own expectations until you GO OUT THERE AND DO IT!
To borrow a quote from Raleigh International- Get Out There!
What made it enjoyable was not that it was easy all the way. It is only because we trekked and knew what being unhappy was like that we actually appreciated the rest stops in between. And because the trek can be miserable (we had to trek in the rain for 2 hours one day, and it was cold... brrrr), we enjoyed the rest we could get when sleeping in the teahouses. The food was vegetarian on the mountain, tasteless, basic, but filling- food that food critics would rather die than eat because of its simplicity. One day on the trek down the mountains we ate the Maggi tom yam mee hoon we brought from Malaysia for tea, and it tasted wonderful- the very flavour of home.
People say life sucks, and yeah, sometimes it does. But if you don't know what sucks, you'll never know what rocks. It's the initial part that's the most difficult- getting yourself out of your little cocoon of warmth and stepping outside into the sometimes cold, harsh world that is waiting for you to explore. To see the sunrise in Nepal, we had to wake up at 0400 and trek in the dark up a hill for 2 hours wearing 4 layers of clothes, it was that cold. I admit to cursing while going uphill. But the view... that was amazing. Yes, you can see the pictures I took of the sunrise (it's on Facebook), but you will never be able to experience the emotions or taste the fresh air or feel the sting of the cold or the misery of endless trekking or the joy of surpassing your own expectations until you GO OUT THERE AND DO IT!
To borrow a quote from Raleigh International- Get Out There!
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