What is the end of the world to you? I mean the end of your world, the end of normalcy in your life. What would it take for you to hit rock bottom? Maybe it would be losing your job, especially if it's part of your identity or you're living paycheck to paycheck. Maybe it would be losing your friends, if you are always just waiting for the next time ( Read more... )

Small talk is the most useful skill you could ever obtain. Its most obvious benefit is avoiding awkward silence when meeting a new person. It remains awkward, but at least the time is filled with words. Small talk gets a bad rep because it is seen as a mask for awkwardness, it doesn't truly help the situation. It's frivolous, forgettable, and fake ( Read more... )

The problem with memories is that they are never objective. A specific memory is different two weeks after it happens, and even more different two years after it happens. If ten people were present, you'd get ten different stories. Or, you tell the story so many times that you tend to agree on one truth, even though it might not be correct. Fiction ( Read more... )

Reality TV is a growing genre of TV that was meant to reflect the lives of real people. However, there is a large amount of opposition to these shows, mostly because of their inappropriate content. They are considered low-brow and trashy. Shows like Jersey Shore, Dance Moms, Toddlers and Tiaras, The Real World, and Extreme Couponers, are primarily ( Read more... )

Wouldn't you love to have records kept about the details in your life? A graph that shows the slow decline of certain friendships. A pie chart that shows the distribution of tv shows that you watch. A video of every first day of school. An audio file of your inner monologue during every Christmas. You could browse these moments with new eyes, new ( Read more... )

Why is it that we can enjoy the company of people we don't really like? Even a person who is truly an asshole is fun to provoke. A good argument with a nasty person gives you a little confidence boost. Gee, I'm a pretty good person compared to this guy, huh? The person in question doesn't even have to be that much of an asshole. If they disagree ( Read more... )

In AP Literature, they tell you over and over that you can only use "literature of merit" when answering the essay questions on the AP exam. That means no young adult novels, no romances, no mysteries, no science fiction, and certainly no Harry Potter.

I'm not really sure why they emphasized this point so often because everybody understands what's " ( Read more... )

I used to try really hard to not talk shit about anyone. People I didn't know, my friends, even the usual easy targets for ridicule. I decided that it would make me a better person to never, ever talk shit about people, based on the simple principle of that if it hurts someone's feelings, it's bad. I would notice when I wanted to talk shit and I ( Read more... )

I have a new philosophy about life. Well, it mostly pertains to extra-curricular activities and time management. Here it is: if it doesn't make me happy, it isn't worth it. It's pretty obvious, but I need to remind myself to actually follow it. After all, not everything can be fun, right? You have to work hard to feel satisfied, and there are ( Read more... )