Writes
It can be difficult to understand the privileged mindset. And for many of us, it can be hard to relate to. But I recently came across a video[i] depicting extreme animal cruelty at one of the nation’s biggest dairy farms, and it make me consider this: as humans, we are all privileged; and we all... Continue Reading →
A New York Times[i] article from last month inspired me to write about a global issue with a pernicious impact: the lack of comprehensive reportage and the passive reaction modern society has towards hard news. I believe that an essential component of effective journalism is the reporter’s ability probe beyond the superficial particulars of critical... Continue Reading →
I have been contemplating the negative conditioning that the majority of us have in regards to help. In general, it is difficult to receive help from a primarily empathetic standpoint, where the individual helping is assessing the person-in-need’s capabilities, passions, past history, fears, emotional attachments, and the base requirements that they may lack. Instead of... Continue Reading →
The majority of world societies (at least the ones that interact on a global scale) have an obsession with unbridled growth. In the past centuries, a countries reputation, status, influence, and power comes primarily with an increase in GDP, an increase in productive labor, an increase in population, an increase in medical and technological advancements,... Continue Reading →
Recently, I have been questioning the manner in which we punish and penalize in our society. A lot of our punitive measures seem driven by our tendency to place people into polarities: as good or bad, kind or mean, angel or devil, moral or corrupt, laborer or artist, hard-working or lazy, as ‘once a cheater... Continue Reading →
I am a fan of well-written comedy, despite the fact that it is often contentious, derogatory, and heavily reliant on stereotypes. What I love most about good comedy is that it incites the viewer or listener to question the offensive tropes and clichés present in society and forces them to think beyond the bounds of... Continue Reading →
Since I began my personal blog, I have had people express to me- in a variation of these words- that although they enjoyed reading my essay, they don’t agree with it 100%. I react by laughing (I laugh easily) and writing back to them that I don’t expect nor want them to agree with my... Continue Reading →
Fretting over one’s physical appearance is a common preoccupation; and this is for good reason, as visual acuity is the primary manner in which humans interact with their external surroundings. Unlike with smell, taste, hearing, and touch[i], our reliance on sight is so profound that without it, and without sufficient aid and acclimation to blindness,... Continue Reading →
The other day, I found myself reading a Japanese book to a child. I cannot read a word of Japanese, so I was entirely reliant on my visual acuity. However, even with my lack of verbal understanding (or perhaps due to my complete dependence on visual clues), I was fascinated by the basic morality portrayed... Continue Reading →