What I've Been Reading: 8/5/2013

[quadruplify]

First off, in case you missed it, my last RL update is here in case you're curious as to how I'm doing. ^_^;

Also, one of my cousins recently opened up a jewelry shop on Etsy! I think some of you on my f-list would be interested, so if you'd like to support her (which would be awesome! :D) or just see the kind of work she's doing, feel free to

Comments

[awakenyourfaith]

As always, amazing links!

(it's always pissed me off greatly when people go on about how much they REALLY don't care what other people think of them and what they do, because it just reeks of teenage selfishness and immaturity, and this blog post does a good job in breaking that down) - I agree so SO much. I try to be nice and kind to others, and most of the people that I know see that, which is a good thing. I have trouble speaking up about things, but when I gather the gumption, I genuinely surprise people.

For me, when it comes to wanting expensive things, I guess it's really just having options that makes me really happy, and not just the item itself, you know? If you have more money, you have more to choose from (depending on what you want, anyway).

I really like this quote from the article about millenials: What we’re experiencing now isn’t rebellion, it’s reality - just not the reality we thought we’d be rewarded with for playing by the rules. Sometimes it takes more effort to get off the beaten path, but it can be rewarding in the long run.

...Well, as if I had another reason to avoid reality tv...

Oh wow. Patricia Lockwood's poem is just...wow.

[quadruplify]

I have trouble speaking up about things, but when I gather the gumption, I genuinely surprise people.

And this is definitely a good thing! Speaking up about things that are important to you (or are just important in general) is something I wish was encouraged more; it ties into the whole "not caring about what other people think of you" thing and makes it attractive, but focusing just on that aspect of the idea would be more beneficial. People who just say whatever they want and defend themselves by taking back labels like "asshole" and "jerk" just seem to me like they care only about unloading their emotional baggage onto others with no regard to how they'd feel if someone else did that to them, and that they're too lazy to put in the necessary work to be more empathetic.

I guess it's really just having options that makes me really happy, and not just the item itself, you know?

I guess I'm kinda the opposite -- I'm happier when I don't have as many options, because lots of options means me having to spend more time weighing the pros and cons of each one. Eventually it becomes so mentally taxing that I just don't want to bother anymore. :/ (Though what the article was talking about has more to do with the fact that the objects we buy can never bring us happiness -- unless we actively use them on a regular basis -- but that experiences do, including the experience of shopping. And money helps facilitate those kinds of experiences more often.)