(no subject)
Tuesday...I got nothing to write about. Hang on, let me think for a bit.
(...)
Nope...can't think of anything.
Oh, 24! Yes, 24 is awesome and props to my dad for taping it for me while I'm at class getting the last bit of guidance for the final project. I realize unfortunately that I wrote about 24's awesomeness already.
I think that now would have really been a good time to take vacation, work is busy but manageable, school isn't that crazy yet, and home is...well...home.
Wait, I got it!
I remember watching Dead Poet's Society back in 9th grade and being able to relate to it. I remember there was a point where my dad wanted to pull me out of the musical one time because my grades were slipping and when I saw this movie I was reminded of this chapter in my adventures with dad. What was significant of this movie were the following: it focuses on seizing the day; to live like there was no tomorrow, and to let your mind think free.
During this time of recession, this concept of thinking free has been replaced with being practical and existing in a mindset of social darwinism where it is a constant battle for survival and where the strong survive and the weak perish. To get ahead one has to be ruthless, impetous and risky. To survive one has to live with no fear and sometimes no remorse to get to the top. I remember in the Dark Knight the Joker believed that under the extreme conditions humanity will eat each other just to survive. Now I don't think that Dawinistic Cannibalism exists in our society...yet. But I've learned that everyone is out for themselves and maybe have little concern with the collectivist ideal.
That concept of competition and the FREEDOM of competition, however, is what keeps America great. Through competition the best always emerge and the losers strive to become better or are eliminated completely. It is the prime exercising of democracy: the freedom to achieve your goals and defeating all challengers.
Though victories do not last, it is in that bitterness of defeat that lies another gem.
A parable if I may:
A warrior lived in a small village high up in the mountains. He was the strongest in the tribe and could not lose to any warrior in the village. He did not leave the village for fear that if he wandered down into the valley, he would lose and no longer be the strongest in the tribe. One day a ragged young man dressed in tatters and covered with wounds climbed to the top of the village and after regaining his breath challenged the warrior. The ragged young man was easily defeated, but instead of retaliating against the warrior, he bowed respectfully and thanked him before descending back into the valley. The warrior stopped him at the gate and asked why he was so honorable. The young man smiled at the warrior and said:
"learning from defeat is the greatest victory."
Sometimes life reminds me of the Battle of Normandy in WWII, where brave young men kept pushing forward against Hitler's Atlantic Wall. German machinegunners were astounded by how the Allies kept coming despite seing their commrades dying left and right. The cliched phrase it isn't the size of the dog in the fight it is the size of the fight in the dog holds true. Though physical prowess does help, if the heart and the soul of a man does not have the iron will to continue or the constitution to endure, he will never win.
Enough of these philosophy, but I guess it's good to warble on about these things once in a while just to remind ourselves to have the soundness of mind and the strength to continue. Sadly, I don't have the strength to write more, but I'll save the lesson about how there's a time and place for everything for another night.
(...)
Nope...can't think of anything.
Oh, 24! Yes, 24 is awesome and props to my dad for taping it for me while I'm at class getting the last bit of guidance for the final project. I realize unfortunately that I wrote about 24's awesomeness already.
I think that now would have really been a good time to take vacation, work is busy but manageable, school isn't that crazy yet, and home is...well...home.
Wait, I got it!
I remember watching Dead Poet's Society back in 9th grade and being able to relate to it. I remember there was a point where my dad wanted to pull me out of the musical one time because my grades were slipping and when I saw this movie I was reminded of this chapter in my adventures with dad. What was significant of this movie were the following: it focuses on seizing the day; to live like there was no tomorrow, and to let your mind think free.
During this time of recession, this concept of thinking free has been replaced with being practical and existing in a mindset of social darwinism where it is a constant battle for survival and where the strong survive and the weak perish. To get ahead one has to be ruthless, impetous and risky. To survive one has to live with no fear and sometimes no remorse to get to the top. I remember in the Dark Knight the Joker believed that under the extreme conditions humanity will eat each other just to survive. Now I don't think that Dawinistic Cannibalism exists in our society...yet. But I've learned that everyone is out for themselves and maybe have little concern with the collectivist ideal.
That concept of competition and the FREEDOM of competition, however, is what keeps America great. Through competition the best always emerge and the losers strive to become better or are eliminated completely. It is the prime exercising of democracy: the freedom to achieve your goals and defeating all challengers.
Though victories do not last, it is in that bitterness of defeat that lies another gem.
A parable if I may:
A warrior lived in a small village high up in the mountains. He was the strongest in the tribe and could not lose to any warrior in the village. He did not leave the village for fear that if he wandered down into the valley, he would lose and no longer be the strongest in the tribe. One day a ragged young man dressed in tatters and covered with wounds climbed to the top of the village and after regaining his breath challenged the warrior. The ragged young man was easily defeated, but instead of retaliating against the warrior, he bowed respectfully and thanked him before descending back into the valley. The warrior stopped him at the gate and asked why he was so honorable. The young man smiled at the warrior and said:
"learning from defeat is the greatest victory."
Sometimes life reminds me of the Battle of Normandy in WWII, where brave young men kept pushing forward against Hitler's Atlantic Wall. German machinegunners were astounded by how the Allies kept coming despite seing their commrades dying left and right. The cliched phrase it isn't the size of the dog in the fight it is the size of the fight in the dog holds true. Though physical prowess does help, if the heart and the soul of a man does not have the iron will to continue or the constitution to endure, he will never win.
Enough of these philosophy, but I guess it's good to warble on about these things once in a while just to remind ourselves to have the soundness of mind and the strength to continue. Sadly, I don't have the strength to write more, but I'll save the lesson about how there's a time and place for everything for another night.