Writes
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 →
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 →
A challenging opposition to what has been termed liberal doctrine is the fact that regulations such as affirmative action and diversity quotas, along with the atmosphere that liberal culture breeds, can uphold exclusive principles, and those that it excludes- mainly heterosexual white men- raise the concern that the restrictive nature of these regulatory requirements inherently... Continue Reading →
A topic that I have yet to write about for this blog is my passion for exploration, perhaps because- until recently- I had not traveled since I began writing these essays. However, my current experience abroad has caused me to want to challenge a pervasive belief that has largely been left unquestioned: the assumption that... Continue Reading →
As children, we hear the word no much more than we hear the word yes, or the statement or tonality of the words said to us have an implied no: Stop. Not so fast. It’s dangerous. Please don’t do that. That’s not nice. Be careful. You’ll get hurt. You’re too young. (And so on and... Continue Reading →
I would like to start this essay by asking a question that many of you- particularly my younger readers- might find uncomfortable: When I ask you to imagine a nude body, what is the image that you imagine? It might be your own body, or the youthful, tauntly lean body that you see in advertisements... Continue Reading →
Because of the broad opportunities available through online access, it is tempting to view the internet as a cheap expense. And- in a sense- it is. From it, you can learn skills that range from make-up application to language acquisition, become informed about topics as basic as celebrity or political gossip to as specialized as... Continue Reading →
I recently spent two weeks in my grandfather's presence. As an urbanite in my twenties, I don't often get to discuss the events of the Great Depression, World War II, and the Civil Rights Movement with a person who has living memories of that era; and in reminiscing about the rarity of such an occurrence,... Continue Reading →
The quality of being drawn to stimulation isn’t unique or particular to the modern world, or any generation or population of people in particular. For centuries, humans have acquired habits to distract themselves from an often frustrating and callous reality. Our ancestors had celebrative rituals such as chants, séances, songs, dances, sport, orgies, and art... Continue Reading →
In order to survive a comfortable life, humans (and most animals) must adequately fulfill three basic needs: hunger, rest, and social interaction. In nature, in the majority of occurrences, these needs are simple to acquire. By hunting, foraging, and performing social rituals, animals have employed a straightforward, consistent manner in which they attain food, shelter,... Continue Reading →
Despite an increased insight into rampant inequality in the United Sates, the majority of North American’s still believe that success is possible with hard work alone. This optimistic ideal has its truth: if you generate output, create content, network, and effectively engage with a targeted demographic, it is likely that you will receive some return... Continue Reading →
