You gotta look pretty in this world. Of course it depends on your profession, but you gotta at least know how to look nice. I'm not saying you have to go out there and spend all your money on the latest runway picks, but you do have to do stuff to make yourself look nice.
I saw something on the news the other day, and it was related to politics and the man just..wasn't attractive. And I thought, I hate to sound shallow, but in politics if you want to be successful, you have to look nice. You just have to. Maybe it shouldn't be that way but that's the way it is now, and trust me: you can't overturn this one. Because we are driven by aesthetics.
I hate plastic surgery and everything, so I definitely don't support going there. But I feel like people who look attractive think differently. That's a huge claim to make, but I've seen people become so much more attractive from a different way of thinking. And that thought is typically related to success. It is thought that shapes the decisions we make, and as Albert Camus put it (and I strongly agree), "Life is the sum of all your choices."
Success is so superficial today. We look at the end result of everything and be like "wow, you made it so far, I admire you you are an amazing person you like, made it, dude," not realizing that they are just like us, working and chipping away at the David that is their lives. As Alan Watts put it, we think in terms of material success, and thus there is a start and a finish, and the goal is to get to that finish! Go get it! This has caused our thought process and internal programming to be totally backwards! Backwards in the sense of the "proper" (or perhaps, smoothest/easiest) methodology of getting what we want. We think that once we get what we want we will be happy. But once you get there you realize that you feel a little different but you're just who you have been, and you cover this up and try to bury it with "oh but this is what I want next! :D"
Start with your internal programming and thought. People who are successful think differently, not have different stuff. They have different stuff because they think differently.
Now I'm willing to extend this to the idea that people look different because they think different. I don't know how many people would be willing to take my two cents on that, but I don't find it far-fetched.
And now going back to the exterior material world we live in, we are driven by aesthetics - not just in looks - and aesthetics create a serious strong incentive, subconscious or conscious. Though often subtle in most professions, attractiveness will help you in your career. To varying degrees of course, but we are driven by aesthetics, and given that I believe people look different because they think different, the intuition is sure as hell a good/valid one. There are always exceptions, but it will always be the starting point.
Now I'm never a big one to criticize (highly opinionated is different than criticism xD), but I can't stand the fact that our president deployed 30,000 troops into Afghanistan. I mean okay I'm not president and I know I am no political analyst, nor have I ever been truly educated in full light about the subject, so I have a lot of my own limitations. Fair enough. I am no expert. But I have eyes and ears that look as much as they can reach. And I can't tolerate this. I just can't.
"The use of force morally justified" (peace prize acceptance speech)??? God! Okay yeah what about when people lie dead everywhere? How is THAT moral? I mean I'm sorry if I'm coming across as harsh but really it's NOT about the US, its about Afghanistan. It's their country and you're involving their people. It's not about the US and democratizing and okay why are we threatening countries to democratize?
And please, do not compare this with Nazi Germany Mr. Obama this is what we learned in logic class as the fallacy of the False Analogy. The Germans were warped with the idea of taking over the world (and they were not a minority group) and killing Jews because they were impure in blood supposedly. Al Queda is a minority--it's a small group of radicalists how can you kill so many innocent lives because of the small group of radicalists? And if this is then about Sadamn Hussein it's still not the fault of the people of Afghanistan. Don't do this Mr. Obama, please.
..."force is not a call to cynicism, it is a recognition of history". Yeah, and that APPARENTLY times HAVE NOT CHANGED. This is so not fair. "(direclty continued)..the imperfection of man, and the limits of reason". Yes...and the unfortunate continuation of it by the measures the US has taken to "LIBERATE AFGHANISTAN" oh for the love of God (I'm not religious do not take any offence) you can't threaten people to be liberated! Al Queda is such a small group of radicalists and yes unfortunately they're causing huge problems around the world but how is pointing a gun and asking people who don't have any experience at ALL--not in history not in literature not in art--with democracy to democratize???
I still have to turn to my idol Chinua Achebe to this--I'm not sure he'd be too pleased about what the US is doing. I mean how if Afghanistan just isn't ready? Why can't we let them decide when they are ready. Because there's violence going on there all the time? Okay I get your point, but by using violence back it's no answer either.
Everytime I get here I start crying again. Who's to say what the US is doing is better than letting the country alone? Sure, the country alone is chaotic with the terrorists, and yes, it has killed many, many Americans in 911 but honestly just because the US is going to point guns, loot out the terrorists (and in the process accuse thousands of being terrorists and killing them), bomb villages, and literally, FORCE "democracy" onto Afghanistan (yeah the elections were swell America), doesn't mean Afghanistan can assimilate. Even with force okay this is a racist sounding analogy, but it's like pointing a gun to a newborn baby and telling him/her to walk. They are just not ready. Please understand. They will be someday but not today. And the more you point the gun the more terrorized they will be and maybe you could get the baby to walk. Maybe. But what was given up to make that happen--in this case with Afghanistan lives lost
And it's such a small minority that is involved--I'm sure many Afghanistan people did not like Sadam Hussein and none of them want suicide bombers, but even more violence to make them become a democracy isn't the answer if they simply can't.
I'm not trying to propagandize for the Afghanistan people. I actually don't agree with a lot of what they're saying. It's not entirely Obama's fault okay I mean I hate to be cynical and bitchy/arrogant sounding but the president says what he (someday it'll be she) has to say. I think it was Bismark or someone during Bismark's time who was saying that a leader is only as powerful as the people are--as in they can only make decisions if the majority is in concordance. (well, that was obviously before Hitler, but US is more like what the European guy was talking about than Nazi Germany). But anyways, my point is that I don't believe what they show on Al Jazeera--like in Control Room where the kid was yelling--was justified. Yes, he was disillusioned like anyone would be, but I don't think what a lot of things they said were justified. So I'm not agreeing with what they're saying, and I'm not trying to support any propaganda I'm not saying Al Jazeera is right or anything with the propaganda they're showing (though I'm SO glad they are there--finally at least something from the other side so thank you Al Jazeera).
I'm just saying it doesn't work this way.
I'm saying these things from deep inside and I wish Obama would understand and see that it doesn't work this way. They are just not ready. I understand that you are saying it is justified because if we leave it there suicide bombings and these relgious problems keep happening, but whatever you're doing--deploying 30,000 more troops--is not the way to go. It is not the way to go. Achebe said, literature helps prepare his people to modernize--don't try to impose things on his people because they are not ready. And they will be ready someday (which is where he believes literature will help), but don't try to "help these poor people". Sympathy is frowned upon without empathy.
I am American. I was born in that beautiful country. I live in Taiwan. I spent my adolescent and pre-adolescent years in Taiwan. I study the IB program. I want to travel; to see more to learn more. I have been opening my visions to bigger, greater ideas. I don't want this from my country.
Alright well, I have a USH final tomorrow and I'm up till 12. Whoopee. And I know of no one that reads my blog, but I have to get my thoughts somewhere.
I hear your crys, Afghanistan. I won't support slandering Obama to hell, but Obama, know I am deeply wounded and disappointed by your decision.
Praying in this world today, -Blaize.
PS. Youtube deleted my videos. Well, Carte Blanche suspended it cuz I had the tatty teddy on it. Geez :(
