The English Language

I have a confession to make. I used to think the English language was ugly.

    Once my dad, who was born and raised in South Korea, told me why he thought Korean was the most beautiful language in the world. 

    "You can create sounds to describe sensations. The sound of footsteps going up the stairs, the sound of rain on the pavement, the sound of pages turning in a church."

    That always stuck with me. Language is descriptive. When we have the right words to describe what we think, that's beauty right there. It's art. That's why I have tremendous respect for authors, whose jobs are to find those right-fitting words and create something out of them.

    Even though a part of me still thinks English is an ugly language, I appreciate it when I read something beautiful in English. Most people don't use it to its full capacity. When I read something that describes a sensation perfectly, I swoon. It doesn't even have to use complex words. One of my favorite quotes is by Anais Nin: 

    A leaf fluttered in through the window this morning, as if supported by the rays of the sun, a bird settled on the fire escape, joy in the task of coffee, joy accompanied me as I walked.

Isn't it beautiful?

Keep thinking,

Candy

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Myers-Briggs Personality Type

You know what's really popular? Myers-Briggs. Mention it in any social setting, and people will all start comparing their personality types, pulling up the test on their iPhones so that those who have never taken it before will be able to find out, then and there, who they really are.
    Do I sound a little sarcastic? I think the Myers-Briggs types are fascinating, and can hold some truth for many people. However, I don't like the idea of putting people into a box. Does knowing your personality type mean that others can get to know you just by reading your Myers-Briggs? What's the point of getting to know anyone, then? Every person is full of contradictions and nuances, which is why I'm a bit skeptical of set personality types.
    Today, I decided to take the test again. A few years ago, I took it and was an INFP. I've had people tell me that I'm probably extroverted, and recently I do find myself enjoying time with people more than spending time alone. OK, so these things change, right? I took it again, and got ESFP. After reading descriptions of INFP, ENFP, and ESFP, I've found that all three fit me in different ways.
    My conclusion? Myers-Briggs is fun, but not wholly accurate. People, stop taking the test so seriously.

Keep thinking,
Candy

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Thursday Thoughts

It's almost Friday!
    I know that Fridays are considered the golden day, but personally, I love Thursdays. It's that transition day when the week is winding down so you feel lazy and content, but you're anticipating the weekend so you feel excited and buzzed.
    THE LOW: I got a paper back for a literature class, and the teacher gave me a C.
    THE HIGH: It was my birthday yesterday! Happy birthday to me.
Random thoughts this week...
    1. A high school Spanish teacher was fired after parents found out she modeled nude for Playboy before. Read the article here. Do you think it was justified?
    2. I've been playing around with Adobe Illustrator, and it's been fun messing around (see the above image--my first creation! I promise I'll get better with time.)
    3. I've been jamming to Drake's "Hold On, We're Going Home." Click here for a cover by the talented Joseph Vincent, mashed with JT's "Suit and Tie."

How is your Thursday?

Keep thinking,
Candy

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Amortentia

I have always been fascinated by this one potion that first makes an appearance in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Amortentia. It's the strongest love potion in the world and has a different aroma for everyone who smells it.
    I've always wondered, if I ever smelled it, what would I smell? What smells are most attractive to me? I like to think I have a good nose, and my sense of smell has always been important to me. Plus, smell is the strongest memory trigger; it can call up memories instantaneously. It's fascinating that out of all our senses, smell recalls past memories the most. The scent of warm laundry reminds me of my bed. The aroma of chai tea reminds me of Kenya. Marc Jacobs' Daisy perfume reminds me of my best friend, Sarah.
    What smells do you love? Personally, I can't resist the smell of freshly ground coffee beans, Herbal Essences shampoo, warm laundry out of the dryer, and sesame oil. Do the scents we find appealing reflect something of us, or are they arbitrary?

Keep thinking,
Candy

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Goodbye Facebook

I've decided to deactivate my Facebook.
    As a college student, I've seen many friends deactivate their Facebook accounts, usually to waste less time. There seems to be some idea that Facebook is the reason why students don't study. I admit, there are some days when I spend hours on Facebook, but for some reason I don't buy into the idea that Facebook is why people refuse to study. It seems like too easy an answer.
    So why am I deactivating my Facebook? I've realized that Facebook was replacing real communication for me. Instead of asking people what they were doing, I'd see their mobile uploads. Also, I hate how Facebook seems informative, but distorts reality. For example, I see couples uploading pictures of cute lunch dates, only to find out that they're fighting constantly.
    In short, Facebook is deceiving. I would like to talk to people about their lives face to face, rather than comment on their wall with "let's catch up!" Time to turn my comments into real life actions.
    What do you think? Are we all better off without Facebook, or is it revolutionary?

Keep thinking,
Candy

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Etymology: Compassion

Compassion.
    When we're suffering, we'd rather feel nothing at all. We'd prefer a white canvas, untouched, over one splattered with paint. We push our emotions away.
    My friend told me that this was compassion, and that it was a gift. It made me want to know more about what the word means, so I looked it up.
    Compassion comes from Latin; com- means "together" and pati means "to suffer.
    So, the prefix com- means "together," which is simple enough. To do some further digging, I looked up the meaning of passion. There were multiple origins aside from the Latin. I found that the Greek pema means "suffering, misery, woe" and Late Latin "passio" which means "strong emotion, desire" (rendered from the Greek pathos).
    Basically, compassion means to suffer together. Why is this a gift?
    To feel is what makes us human. It's how we were created, to have emotions and desires. Part of the beauty of being alive is joy, which is completed by sorrow. We suffer, we laugh; we cry, we dance.
    I guess it's better to feel than to not feel at all. If we didn't feel sadness and anger, we wouldn't feel happiness and joy. It's hard to accept, but it's true.

Keep thinking,
Candy

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Song of the Day: Two Door Cinema Club's Changing of the Seasons

Two Door Cinema Club is an indie band from Northern Ireland. Their first album, Tourist History, was released in 2010, and they just released their EP, Changing of the Seasons, on September 30.
    Compared to their first album, Changing of the Seasons sounds smoother, slicker. Along with their title song (posted above), I love "Golden Veins." Two Door Cinema Club knows how to lay down a beat that complements the song's lyrics. Out of all the indie bands out there, they consistently release music that not only sounds good, but makes you want to move and groove. Most indie artists I love make me think, but they make me think and dance. Now, that's rare.
    Give them a listen. If you enjoy indie music, you'll love them.

Keep thinking,
Candy

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Malcolm Gladwell: David and Goliath

Everyone loves an underdog.

    Just look at movies like 300, Remember the Titans, and Rocky. These are all stories of courage, stories that have an undercurrent of vitality coursing through the narrative. When the underdog wins, it's inspiring. Suddenly, the world is open to possibilities. That gym you've been avoiding? Go run five miles! That girl you've been too shy to talk to? Ask for her number! You can do it!

    My feelings on Malcolm Gladwell are mixed. A few of his books were thought-provoking (see my Book Recommendations) and a few fell flat. He writes with ease and conviction, but some of his theories leave me feeling skeptical, especially his tendency to put the incalculable into a statistic. If there was one chapter I hated in Outliers, it was when Gladwell wrote that Asians have a "built-in advantage" in mathematics. Perpetrating stereotypes Western people have of Asians never sits well with me. If I have to hear one more person tell me, "Yah, I read in a book once that the you Asians are really good at math because you don't learn English first" then I may have to burn my copy of Outliers. 

    What I do like about Gladwell is that he explains concepts that most people take for granted. In The Tipping Point, he tries to explain why something can become popular overnight. Sure, some of it is obvious (everyone has that charismatic friend that knows everyone; how useful is she when you're looking for a place to crash?) but it's nice to have a book dedicated to decoding phenomena we see in every day life.

    My gripe about David and Goliath is that Gladwell once again takes the immeasurable and distorts it to fit his own agenda. For example, Gladwell interprets Goliath's "come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field" (1 Samuel 17:44) to mean, "I need you to come to me because I cannot locate you otherwise." One of Gladwell's main points for David's surefire victory is that Goliath had vision problems from acromegaly. And his evidence for this is "many medical experts." He's vague, maybe because the story of David and Goliath took place thousands of years ago so there's no statistic to give.
    As someone who believes the Bible is true, I don't have a problem with Gladwell using the Bible or referencing it; he can interpret it however he wants. However, Gladwell leaves out the biggest character in the story of David and Goliath-- God. From a literary standpoint, God's role throughout the Bible is complex and varied. Without God, the Bible would be a completely different story. In dissecting a Biblical story without God, Gladwell weakens his argument and fails to address God's role in the story.
    There is so much more that can be said, but hopefully this post got you thinking.

You can purchase the book here.

Keep thinking,
Candy

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Tuesday Rants: Fashionable Charities

Lately I've seen a growth in fashionable charities.

    What do I mean by "fashionable charities?" These are for-profit companies that have some kind of charitable element, but may give consumers misleading information on how much they donate and to whom they donate. 

    One of the most well-known of these is Toms Shoes, a for-profit company that operates on a "one for one" policy. For every pair of Toms Shoes bought, the company donates a pair to a child in need. Sounds good, right? 

    There are a whole slew of criticisms on Toms, and I don't particularly want to go into the details so I'll lay them out for you quickly: giving people shoes takes away from local businesses; the shoes are made through third-party manufacturers; it does not work alongside community organizations; it assumes that people need shoes when they may not.

    In short, I'm skeptical of organizations that claim to do good if they are not transparent about their policies. If a company is being vague about how much they donate, and where they donate to, then I get suspicious. What are they hiding?

    I think we need to be conscious of where we buy things and what companies we are supporting. I fully support charities and for-profits that support sustainable growth and work alongside the community.

    Before you buy from a company that claims to donate money to so-and-so, take the time to read all the fine print. Are they clear about their practices? Do they align with your philanthropic goals? Do they work alongside existing community efforts? What charities are they in partnership with?

We are stewards with what we have been given. What will you do with what you have?

Keep thinking,

Candy

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