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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Late Nights

My view from my chair

I like to stay up late, because at night everything becomes so quiet and solemn.

    Right now, I'm lacking in motivation to read for class tomorrow. It's one of those things that you know you should do, but you also know you'll do fine if you don't.

    It's hard to do work at night because I like to enjoy my nights. I like to listen to music (currently listening to Stwo's "Lovin U") and browse the Internet for interesting articles. I think I mostly enjoy being by myself. I love being with people, but I also enjoy my own company. I've never understood people that say they're bored alone, because I feel like you should be the most interesting person you know. A quote that stuck with me all throughout high school is from Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan when Mr. Dumby says, "I am the only person in the world I should like to know thoroughly." Seriously, you are the only one who knows yourself best, so why not take the time to get to know yourself a little better?

    In a completely non-narcissistic way, I love being by myself because I've learned to love myself. Yes, I have my flaws and insecurities, but I accept that I am a human being. And I am confident in my abilities and where I am right now. 

    See, these thoughts can only come in the dark of night. When it's morning, I'll probably read this and think I'm crazy.

    Jekyll and Hyde? Maybe.

Sweet dreams,

Candy 

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The Little Things

Sometimes, I get carsick.
    It always happens on the way to Bailey Middle School. Today, the girl I tutor in reading decided to throw a temper tantrum. She has never acted out before, but today I got the privilege of being called a liar, among other things. It was not fun. In fact, I was terrified. How am I going to teach to kids that have behavioral issues?
    Needless to say, I was feeling pretty down on the car ride back to Vandy, also because on Thursdays I start my day at 7:30 AM and end at 7 PM. Thursdays are the longest days. After class, it was 7 PM when we started heading back to campus. I rolled down the window, stuck my hand out, and instantly felt happier and more optimistic. The radio was blaring a cheesy Demi Lovato song, the wind was rushing through my fingertips, and I had a perfect view of Nashville's skyline (see the picture above for a blurry pic shot with my iPhone).
    Exhilaration. It's the small things that get you through the week, and it's the small things I appreciate most from life.

Sweet dreams,
Candy

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