Sometimes people make automatic assumptions about someone based simply on differing opinions (and I'm just as guilty as anyone else). I'm not talking about ethical issues or the big questions like whether or not we're ruled by some higher power, I'm referring to things that are just a matter of taste or opinion like the quality of a film. Why do we do this? Why do we put so much emphasis on value judgments, rather than simply leaving things as a matter of difference? Why are some movies, shows, songs, etc. thought to be "good" while others are just inherently "bad"?
Monday, February 18, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Love and Valentine's Day:
a short Valentine's Day post, in honor of the holiday.
If you're single, the knowledge that the swiftly approaching holiday is for couples may be somewhat sickening. All those hearts and chocolates and flowers and dates being planned just makes a single person's aloneness come into perspective, whether you like it or not. Despite all of this, I feel that Valentine's Day isn't that bad. People complain about it being a corporate holiday just for greeting card companies to make money, or question why we need a holiday to show our love when we should show our love every day - and while both these things may be true, valid points, my argument is, why not have this holiday? No one forces anyone to do special events on say, Easter, so no one is forcing you to do anything on Valentine's Day. And at the same time, why not take the opportunity, in the spirit of the holiday, to show love toward, well, those you love? Valentine's Day doesn't have to be all about romantically involved couples - I assume you're not just a hollow shell, and that you do have meaningful relationships (or at least one) with friends or family members, so give them some love too. For some reason, friendships are often put second to romantic relationships, but I think they're just as important (if not moreso) and should also be celebrated. Platonic love, y'all!
Another thing that irritates me about this time of year is the collective group of (usually teenagers - sorry, teenagers) people who see Valentine's Day as an opportunity to bitch and feel sorry for themselves because they are alone. Now that I'm no longer one of them, I really do pity people who don't have enough self-confidence to not be happy without having someone to reassure them that they're worth loving. It's sad that so many people can't see themselves as a genuinely good person without someone else telling them that they think so too. Romantic partners never equal self-worth. Be happy with who you are, because I'm sure you have lots of nice qualities! Just because you've met a lot of assholes, or just because no one has happened to ask you out or express their interest in you, it doesn't mean that you're completely unappealing, it just means that the right person hasn't shown up yet (as cliche as that sounds).
So, this Valentine's Day, make an effort to show those you love that you love them - whether they be a friend, a parent, a grandparent, or a girl/boyfriend. Love of all kinds is what holds us together as people and gives us happiness, and I think that we owe it to ourselves to be able to celebrate it.
If you're single, the knowledge that the swiftly approaching holiday is for couples may be somewhat sickening. All those hearts and chocolates and flowers and dates being planned just makes a single person's aloneness come into perspective, whether you like it or not. Despite all of this, I feel that Valentine's Day isn't that bad. People complain about it being a corporate holiday just for greeting card companies to make money, or question why we need a holiday to show our love when we should show our love every day - and while both these things may be true, valid points, my argument is, why not have this holiday? No one forces anyone to do special events on say, Easter, so no one is forcing you to do anything on Valentine's Day. And at the same time, why not take the opportunity, in the spirit of the holiday, to show love toward, well, those you love? Valentine's Day doesn't have to be all about romantically involved couples - I assume you're not just a hollow shell, and that you do have meaningful relationships (or at least one) with friends or family members, so give them some love too. For some reason, friendships are often put second to romantic relationships, but I think they're just as important (if not moreso) and should also be celebrated. Platonic love, y'all!
Another thing that irritates me about this time of year is the collective group of (usually teenagers - sorry, teenagers) people who see Valentine's Day as an opportunity to bitch and feel sorry for themselves because they are alone. Now that I'm no longer one of them, I really do pity people who don't have enough self-confidence to not be happy without having someone to reassure them that they're worth loving. It's sad that so many people can't see themselves as a genuinely good person without someone else telling them that they think so too. Romantic partners never equal self-worth. Be happy with who you are, because I'm sure you have lots of nice qualities! Just because you've met a lot of assholes, or just because no one has happened to ask you out or express their interest in you, it doesn't mean that you're completely unappealing, it just means that the right person hasn't shown up yet (as cliche as that sounds).
So, this Valentine's Day, make an effort to show those you love that you love them - whether they be a friend, a parent, a grandparent, or a girl/boyfriend. Love of all kinds is what holds us together as people and gives us happiness, and I think that we owe it to ourselves to be able to celebrate it.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Things I Like: Korean Hip-Hop
Something I really appreciate about people who like music (sometimes I have to remind myself that there are people who just have no interest in music) is when they listen to a variety of genres. I like to be surprised by what people listen to, what gets their attention, what they have on repeat for days. For the longest time I was a snob when it came to what CDs I chose to collect or what t-shirts I decided to buy (from Hot Topic), but these days I like to think that I am at least a little more accepting of new genres. Naturally, because I have been studying the Korean language for almost three years, I really love listening to Korean music. Most recently, I've been pretty into hip-hop and rap as a genre, and after reading some articles about it today, I thought I'd just ramble a little bit.
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