Books are always a story; no matter what genre, there is something to be told. Many novels are very imaginative, and quite bluntly, unrealistic-- fiction, to be precise. However, there is a thing or two to learn from them, at least. While these stories can be outlandish and irrelevant, they all carry a message for the reader. Now, this question remains-- is the message useful? Well, maybe. It depends on the plan the author had in mind.
One book which tells an impeccable story, yet teaches an eye-opening message is Life of Pi by Yann Martel. The story contains so many virtually impossible events, but the story, as Pi said in the novel, can make you believe in God. In a nutshell, his life was full of unfortunate events, and on his journey across the Pacific, he described so many beautiful and terrifying things --tigers, meerkats and a carnivorous island-- which one would never venture to see. However, in his case, it seemed so real-- how could anyone deny it? The story he told was indeed impossible, but after hearing a more rational take on Pi's journey, which one could anyone prefer? The fantasy, or the reality? This is useful, because it opens people's eyes to how religion is, in a sense. Irreligious people may have a hard time fathoming things that can't be proven or backed up with evidence, but other walks of life carry spontaneity beyond wonder. Christians believe in the resurrection of Christ, and God alone. Many Hindus believe in the story that one could see the universe through Krishna's mouth. Islam became a religion because of Muhammad's visions about Allah. We find these stories everywhere, and billions of people follow these practices. But which one do we really want? Something that takes faith, or something more tangible? Just something to think about. 안녕!
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Do Success and Happiness Depend on the Choices People Make Rather Than on Factors Beyond Their Control?
I believe that the two are obtained separately. Success and happiness do not come in one package; they differ quite a bit, meaning they are reached differently, oftentimes at an unpredictable rate and frequency.
Success more so than not is something beyond one's control, especially based on who the person is, what their background is, and where they come from. Additionally, the choices these individuals make can affect their future more or less. For example, a really big issue which stimulates the likelihood of somebody's success is society and its stigmas. People of color all over the world are heavily marginalized based on their ethnicity, thus making them less likely to be successful because of their lack of privilege. White people, on the other hand, have a much better chance at living the dream because they are accepted and respected virtually everywhere, taking prejudice out of the picture. White privilege is often denied by most white people, and they feel as if they earn success through hard work. Contrarily, it's a 180-degree turnaround. People of color have no choice but to work twice -even thrice- as hard as white people to achieve certain successes. For example, I am an African-American individual. I am automatically predisposed to be unsuccessful in the parts of the world that have accepted white supremacy as their norm. I cannot go someplace like Hong Kong, where a white man can visit without speaking a lick of Chinese-- the natives will speak their best English for him, and they will accommodate him in every way possible. If I dare to visit, I will not have the privilege of speaking my native tongue; numerous accounts of black people have stated that Hongkongers refuse to even talk to them, and any mishap will immediately be blamed on themselves. As and African-American, I am subject to offensive behavior in a lot of places. This is just one of many ways that people of color cannot have pleasant things without hard work.
Happiness, on a lighter note, can be obtained by the choices we make. Our decisions hold great power in both the short and long runs of our lives. The good decisions, of course, will yield the rainbows we seek. However, even the littlest mistakes can attract a rainy day. For example, an optimistic approach to everything is a tactic which saves a lot of grief and misery in one's everyday life. A line from one of my favorite songs, "Blessings", by Laura Story says, "What if your blessings come through raindrops; what if your healing comes through tears?... What if trials of this life are your mercies in disguise?" Those words put a positive outlook on everything in life. It makes you stop to think, "Wow, things could be a lot worse for me." Because truly, it could! This kind of thinking helps us become more grateful for our moments in life, making us overall happy people.
Now, these are just my experiences, so I'm positive that other instances may differ from my answers. It really is in what you make it, success and happiness. Your choices will affect both, but greater factors will only inhibit or open more opportunities of success and happiness.
Success more so than not is something beyond one's control, especially based on who the person is, what their background is, and where they come from. Additionally, the choices these individuals make can affect their future more or less. For example, a really big issue which stimulates the likelihood of somebody's success is society and its stigmas. People of color all over the world are heavily marginalized based on their ethnicity, thus making them less likely to be successful because of their lack of privilege. White people, on the other hand, have a much better chance at living the dream because they are accepted and respected virtually everywhere, taking prejudice out of the picture. White privilege is often denied by most white people, and they feel as if they earn success through hard work. Contrarily, it's a 180-degree turnaround. People of color have no choice but to work twice -even thrice- as hard as white people to achieve certain successes. For example, I am an African-American individual. I am automatically predisposed to be unsuccessful in the parts of the world that have accepted white supremacy as their norm. I cannot go someplace like Hong Kong, where a white man can visit without speaking a lick of Chinese-- the natives will speak their best English for him, and they will accommodate him in every way possible. If I dare to visit, I will not have the privilege of speaking my native tongue; numerous accounts of black people have stated that Hongkongers refuse to even talk to them, and any mishap will immediately be blamed on themselves. As and African-American, I am subject to offensive behavior in a lot of places. This is just one of many ways that people of color cannot have pleasant things without hard work.
Happiness, on a lighter note, can be obtained by the choices we make. Our decisions hold great power in both the short and long runs of our lives. The good decisions, of course, will yield the rainbows we seek. However, even the littlest mistakes can attract a rainy day. For example, an optimistic approach to everything is a tactic which saves a lot of grief and misery in one's everyday life. A line from one of my favorite songs, "Blessings", by Laura Story says, "What if your blessings come through raindrops; what if your healing comes through tears?... What if trials of this life are your mercies in disguise?" Those words put a positive outlook on everything in life. It makes you stop to think, "Wow, things could be a lot worse for me." Because truly, it could! This kind of thinking helps us become more grateful for our moments in life, making us overall happy people.
Now, these are just my experiences, so I'm positive that other instances may differ from my answers. It really is in what you make it, success and happiness. Your choices will affect both, but greater factors will only inhibit or open more opportunities of success and happiness.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Can Books and Stories about Characters and Events That are Not Real Teach Us Anything Useful?
Books are always a story; no matter what genre, there is something to be told. Many novels are very imaginative, and quite bluntly, unrealistic-- fiction, to be precise. However, there is a thing or two to learn from them, at least. While these stories can be outlandish and irrelevant, they all carry a message for the reader. Now, this question remains-- is the message useful? Well, maybe. It depends on the plan the author had in mind.
One book which tells an impeccable story, yet teaches an eye-opening message is Life of Pi by Yann Martel. The story contains so many virtually impossible events, but the story, as Pi said in the novel, can make you believe in God. In a nutshell, his life was full of unfortunate events, and on his journey across the Pacific, he described so many beautiful and terrifying things --tigers, meerkats and a carnivorous island-- which one would never venture to see. However, in his case, it seemed so real-- how could anyone deny it? The story he told was indeed impossible, but after hearing a more rational take on Pi's journey, which one could anyone prefer? The fantasy, or the reality? This is useful, because it opens people's eyes to how religion is, in a sense. Irreligious people may have a hard time fathoming things that can't be proven or backed up with evidence, but other walks of life carry spontaneity beyond wonder. Christians believe in the resurrection of Christ, and God alone. Many Hindus believe in the story that one could see the universe through Krishna's mouth. Islam became a religion because of Muhammad's visions about Allah. We find these stories everywhere, and billions of people follow these practices. But which one do we really want? Something that takes faith, or something more tangible? Just something to think about. 안녕!
One book which tells an impeccable story, yet teaches an eye-opening message is Life of Pi by Yann Martel. The story contains so many virtually impossible events, but the story, as Pi said in the novel, can make you believe in God. In a nutshell, his life was full of unfortunate events, and on his journey across the Pacific, he described so many beautiful and terrifying things --tigers, meerkats and a carnivorous island-- which one would never venture to see. However, in his case, it seemed so real-- how could anyone deny it? The story he told was indeed impossible, but after hearing a more rational take on Pi's journey, which one could anyone prefer? The fantasy, or the reality? This is useful, because it opens people's eyes to how religion is, in a sense. Irreligious people may have a hard time fathoming things that can't be proven or backed up with evidence, but other walks of life carry spontaneity beyond wonder. Christians believe in the resurrection of Christ, and God alone. Many Hindus believe in the story that one could see the universe through Krishna's mouth. Islam became a religion because of Muhammad's visions about Allah. We find these stories everywhere, and billions of people follow these practices. But which one do we really want? Something that takes faith, or something more tangible? Just something to think about. 안녕!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)