#about your myopic outlook

[boysnberriespie]

I know this is the general reactionary nature of large groups of people online, but as a lover of wild nasty sex in my media, annoys me that people use “sexless” as an insult… why are you a horny edgelord

[adifferenttime]

Caesar’s Legion and Christianity

Been thinking a lot about how incompetent Edward Sallow is in any way that matters, and how the Legion’s strange relationship with Christianity is emblematic of his failures.

The Legion are primarily oriented around the veneration of Mars, the Roman god of war. The first clue we get that this particular cult of Mars is heavily influenced by Christianity is that according to Arcade, various members of the Legion, and the Game Guide, Sallow is marketing himself as the literal son of God.

True, Caesar is the perfect man. But he is not just a man: he is the Son of Mars, ordained by the god of war to conquer all Earth. 

The historical Julius Caesar also claimed descent from Mars, but never pretended to be his son. According to him, his ancestors included both the mythical hero Aeneas, a son of Venus, and Ancius Marcus, the legendary fourth king of Rome and a descendant of Mars. His links to the gods were present enough to support his deification, but stretched back generations to legendary figures. “Divi filius,” the way emperors were sometimes described, is distinct from “dei filius,” the descriptor applied to Jesus. The former implies you're descended from someone with divine qualities or heritage; the latter, that you’re the direct and literal son of the only god around.

And claiming patrimony from the divine isn’t the only way Sallow draws from Christianity rather than Rome if it suits him. Roman society has a hedonistic, socially progressive reputation, and while that’s variable based on time period and exaggerated depending on the source, it’s not wholly inaccurate. While built on patriarchal foundations, it was a sexually permissive environment for men, allowed a variety of smaller cults to flourish, and reserved some religious and social roles exclusively for women. Sallow preserves none of this: the values he’s imposed upon the Legion hold women as inherently lesser in all respects, homosexuality as degenerate, and the use of intoxicants as a sin punishable by death. Hmmm, where might he have gotten those ideas?

The ban on drugs and alcohol is the most specific link here because that’s not something that exists in most religious mainstreams. Many faiths ban intoxicants, but most of their popular, contemporary versions take a laxer approach because it’s hard to get an entire people not to drink. A notable exception is Mormonism, the faith in which Joshua Graham was raised. Not only does Sallow adopt the Mormon perspective on intoxicants, but his government takes an equally dim view of homosexuality and women - the LDS, particularly its earlier incarnations, viewed women as naturally subject to male dominion, and it still paints homosexuality as a “struggle” to be “overcome”.

Not that Sallow actually believes any of that stuff. What’s important to him is that his society has an ideal, a culture that’s strong enough to hold together hundreds of people with different origins, outlooks, and prior loyalties. The specifics are irrelevant so long as they serve his ideal state, outlined here:

It dedicated its citizens to something higher than themselves - to the idea of Rome itself... It means a nationalist, imperialist, totalitarian, homogeneous culture that obliterates the identity of every group it conquers.

Because of that myopic focus on the immediate utility of details over the broader meaning of entire worldviews, he’s placed himself in a bizarre situation where he’s adopted bits and pieces of Christian doctrine but is LARPing as a man who contributed to the death of Christ, the leader of a state that was morally incompatible with his teachings. Caesar Augustus and Caesar Tiberius appear in the Bible specifically as a way to criticize rulers who attempt to paint themselves as gods. Which is exactly what Edward Sallow is doing.

But they cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him.” Pilate saith unto them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” John 19:15

The most durable, historically significant elements of Christianity are the parts that deal with resilience in the face of hardship, the yearning for freedom, love for your fellow man, struggle against tyrants, etc. Those bits were born in the crucibles of Babylon, Egypt, and Rome. They formed the basis of many later strains of radical resistance here in the U.S. Caesar wants the symbolic power of Christ without embodying any of what made him important, instead aping the behavior of the men who ordered his crucifixion - all while crucifying his own political opponents with such frequency and abandon that he’s basically begging for a Jesus 2.0.

The Legion is doomed to fail for a variety of reasons, and its religious orientation underlines the flaws that are tearing it apart. Sallow is peddling a gutted, twisted perversion of Christian doctrine, historical Roman values, and Hegelian philosophy that preserves none of the things that make them attractive or meaningful in exclusion. What he ends up with is a nonsensical, cynical corruption of these disparate influences, a distillation of their worst bits, wholly devoid of hope or spiritual value, and that’s a running theme of his reign: when you get right down to it, Sallow has no vision. He’s ostensibly created the Legion as “a society that could and would survive,” one that’s devoted to “long-term stability at all costs,” but it offers no future. Christianity tries to build symbols that endure after death, but Sallow’s symbols die with him.

[lizacstuff]

Hi, I really enjoyed reading your thoughts about the last few episodes, you always make me feel better about things. Would you mind sharing more about the last episode, both in general and of course what you thought about Edser?

Thank you for the kind words, sorry this has taken so long to answer, I know you sent it days ago, but it’s been a busy week. As I said in another post, I actually really enjoyed this episode. I'll start with the other characters and then get to Eda and Serkan. 

First Seline. Of course, she beat everyone to the punch by getting to Serkan before Ferit and Ceren.  I suppose props to her for coming clean rather than allowing herself to be blackmailed, but man she was still a selfish snake until the end. I actually thought the most unfair thing was how she swept Ceren up in the people who had hid it from Serkan. What!?!?  Ceren found out the day before, told Ferit that as Serkan's attorney she couldn't keep it from him, called Serkan to let him know that Ferit had to talk to him, and didn't see Serkan until that meeting! What else could she have done? She would have been fully justified in defending herself to Serkan on that score. I wish she would have... except it's not the point of this show. The point of this show is Eda and Serkan, so to that end perhaps it was more important for Serkan to think his lawyer had hid it from him, and then for us and Eda to see him get over it quickly in order to illustrate how much more relaxed he is than when we met him. It plays into the themes of change, even if it's more about evolving. 

(much more under the cut)

Also, it's typical of Selin and her jealousy to try and get one last punch in and to drag the woman Ferit is now interested into the mess. I like how she tried to deliver a blow to Eda, and Eda was just like, "Whatever, do your worst" and Serkan, instead of getting mad which is what Selin wanted, just found a way to use it to flirt even harder. Then her maneuver with Balca was just gross. She knows as well as anyone that Serkan, despite his public notoriety, is a private person and here she is spilling every bit of his personal business to this woman they all met today. What a betrayal of personal trust. Good riddance to her. I mean, we'll all miss Bige, but I won't miss Selin. 

Honestly, I don't think Selin is evil, she's just so selfish, myopic and spoiled that she thinks her hurt trumps everyone else. She thinks she's entitled to lash out, give grief and visit pain upon people, because she was thwarted and didn't get what she wanted. I'm glad that Eda mentioned that it was Selin who sicced the press on them, so even if they didn't prove it, they know. I've seen some criticism that Selin wasn't punished enough for her sins, but I disagree. The holding was her inheritance, her history, her father helped start that company, and she ended by giving up her stake completely, she lost her fiance and the back-up life she imagined with him, she lost Serkan and the life she imagined with him, she also lost Serkan's decades-long friendship, she lost her job, she's leaving the country. That's a lot of losing. She's hit emotional rock bottom, perhaps she'll be able to do some soul searching and figure out why she lost everything (except her money) as she starts over?

The other goodbye this episode was Alptekin, and another good riddance here. His interaction with Aydan was cruel. That's how he ends a 30 year marriage? Yikes. At least it sounds like he left everything to Aydan and Serkan and is not trying to take houses (Serkan needs the Summer House and Mountain House for sexy rendezvous reasons!) or the stake in the holding. His goodbye with Serkan was thankfully better. I mean, he can't redeem himself as a father at this point, but at least that conversation didn't make it worse. I'm glad he admitted to Serkan that he was not a good father, but also went to lengths to say that unlike him, Serkan would be a good father. Serkan would probably say that his father's opinion doesn't matter, but I think it really does, particularly on that subject. It's very plausible to me that Serkan has fears about being like his dad, and specifically being an unloving, perfection-requiring, absentee father like his dad was. It's important for him to hear that it doesn't have to be like that, hopefully Serkan internalized that they are very different men. It was also nice of him to sort of bless his future with Eda, and even after Serkan said they would want nothing to do with him, say he would still always be there if Serkan needed him. It was as good as could be expected as far as the impact it would have on Serkan's emotional state. 

Didn't see much of Ayfer in this one, which is fine by me. I mentioned it last week, but WOW, what they've done to the hair, makeup and costuming is something else.  For a good part of the series her style was kind of flowy and boho influenced and it worked. She had a bit of a relaxed cool vibe to her. Now they're styling her like an uptight, 90-year-old woman! That green dress was so ugly and WTF was that lampshade on her head?  This is a beautiful woman surrounded by fashionable, 20-something girls, how is she getting more dowdy and frumpy by the episode?

I think I'm going to like Divorce!Aydan. She was such an arrogant character when the show began, it's nice to see her show both warmth and vulnerability.  You could see she was nervous about running for the head of the foundation, which I wouldn't have expected from the woman we met early on in the series. She's been a joy the last few episodes and this was no different. And I will love her forever for staying true to Eda, and asking for her when Balca offered to be by her side. The Eda/Aydan relationship really warms my heart and I love that she needs her future daughter-in-law. Though I did feel for Seyfi when she didn't let him into the group hug. Poor Seyfi, he's as much a part of the family as anyone! Let him hug!

So, I know I've been very lukewarm towards the idea of Engin and Piril, it's just that they're such opposites it's hard to see how it will work.  And they're not opposites like Eda and Serkan are opposites. Eda and Serkan are the kind of opposites that yin/yang each other, and you can easily see them living in harmony, while Engin and Piril seem like the kind that just have incompatible outlooks and lifestyles. However, I do admit that I watched the proposal with a big grin on my face and I might have clapped when she said yes. I guess they at least partially won me over. Engin really tried to go big with his proposal, and if a proposal is going to be played for laughs I'm fine with it being anybody but Edser.  As a side note, I hope when Serkan asks Eda to marry him it's just the two of them, I like a private, emotional proposal for my favs.   So on to everyone's favorite new character, Balca. Boy, what an interesting one she is. Seems to me if you start a new job and decide you're going to go after your boss romantically before you even meet him because an astrologer gave you two initials... you might need professional help. I'm still not over the fact that this piece of work watched Serkan and Eda's sexually-charged slowdance at the party and still had the balls to show up at his house later that night. So far she's shaping up to be a rather tragic figure. Can you imagine being that desperate or having so little self-respect or dignity? It's impossible for her to have real feelings for someone she's never met, so she's risking humiliation, hurting people, and being fired because she's just that desperate to have a warm body in her life?  Yikes. That is pathetic. I'd feel sorry for her if she had shown any sign that she gave a damn that Serkan was already in a relationship for all intents and purposes. Her downfall is going to be SWEET. 

Me thinks she'll be just about as successful at driving a wedge between Eda and Serkan as those who came before her.  Including Aydan, Ayfer, Kaan, Efe and Selin. But hopefully her insidious presence will drive Eda to decide what she wants and to go and get her man. 

LOVED all the Eda/Serkan we got this episode. Starting from the elevator and that kiss. From spoilers, most of us knew the slap was coming, but it still was jarring when it happened. I really don't love any sort of hitting, or any violent act between partners, but I won't ding the characters for it here too much. Eda was vulnerable, discombobulated, and in an emotional whirl. She's trying to maintain distance and force him to maintain distance, all the while being drawn to him on a primal level. I think she slapped him because she thought that's what she should do. They're not officially in that place, they'd established he would be punished if he purposefully broke the contract, and she was vulnerable because of the claustrophobia. As for Serkan, I also don't ding him for doing it under what might not be considered optimal conditions. He knows how she feels, where her heart is, and she was willingly being very intimate there as she nuzzled into his neck. Also he was right that it definitely distracted her and calmed her down. I think she completely forgot where she was. 

That being said, the stones on that guy to kiss her again! I love it. He just smirked through her whole angry tirade, like he knew exactly where she was coming from. She was more putting on an act of being angry, because that's what she thought she should do, than actually being angry. That's the confidence of a man who knows exactly where he stands (for all those who get upset that Eda hasn't told Serkan how she feels, this is proof that he really, really knows).   For me, this episode was all about Eda's resolve crumbling, but her not being completely ready to let it go. So each time she found herself enjoying time with him and being vulnerable, she would retreat and try to build back up that wall. And she failed spectacularly every time. I think that's why we saw her go from putty in his hands one minute to evoking the contract the next, back to putty. She's trying to stay strong and not let him in, but she just can't do it and doesn't really want to do it.

While they were at lunch she tried to maintain distance, she was a bit snarky and trying to resist his flirting. But once they finished lunch and were on the balcony, she couldn't even pretend to maintain an air of indifference. She was so pleased when he said that his entire life has been a rainbow since meeting her. No pretense, she couldn't hide it. Nor could she hide her pleasure in him turning off his phone in order to have lunch with her. 

Deep down, Eda knows it's only a matter of time until they reunite. I think she just needs to be ready to let go of him breaking up with her before she lets down her walls. But when something happens, she's there. One minute they're engaging in pointed banter about her potential punishment, the next she hears that Aydan is not doing well and she's right by his side. No question, no hesitation. When push comes to shove, they're already a family. 

I can just imagine what it does to Serkan to watch Eda be there for his mom. With the agoraphobia I think Serkan took a lot of that burden onto himself, with really only Seyfi to help. That must have felt so isolating. But now Eda is right there with him, and they're a team, he has someone to rely on and share the burden with, it must feel so good. 

You gotta hand it to Serkan Bolat with the whole three wishes thing. My dude is ingenious. Instead of being upset that she kept something from him, or being passive aggressive about it, he figures out the course of action that will give him something to flirt with her about and excuses to spend time together. Also it gives him the opportunity to ask for the one thing he wants most from her, unconditional trust. Because once she's there, there will no longer be any reason for their separation. It's pretty much the cornerstone of everything. Not to say she doesn't trust him as a person, she does, but I think she's trepidatious about trusting his feelings for her. Trusting that he won't break up with her again, or go back to that inconsistent behavior that she's talked about several times. It makes sense that there is still lingering emotional fallout from the breakup. 

"Are you available?" "For you, always." Oh, sweet, sweet Robot. Enough can not be said about how he can make the smallest interaction into something so romantic. He was equally sweet when having her guess the number one thing that benefits him. You know she just melts inside every time he says something like that, and the harder she tries not to show it, the harder she melts. 

One thing I didn't get is Eda being a bit relaxed when it came to trusting Efe. Just the day before she learned that Efe tried to blackmail Selin for her shares, and Eda seemed taken aback at the revelation. However, when they discuss him I don't feel like she validates Serkan's concerns as much as maybe she should.  I'm going to chalk it up to Eda being a bit off-kilter from Serkan asking her if she wants to work with him more closely. Perhaps she wants or needs that buffer of working for his partner instead of him, so she's not going to poke holes in her situation just yet, even if she realizes there is reason for concern. I did like that she reassured him that if Serkan trusted her, it would be fine. That seems like it will be key when Babbaan arrives. 

Is Eda the cutest when she's jealous? I think she's the cutest. So does Serkan. He was enjoying that so much. And I just about died when she scooted her chair over to where she was almost sitting on top of him. The fact that Balca was Eda's own doing, a consequence of some irrational emotions, makes the whole situation even funnier. Serkan can't be dinged at all for choosing her. 

I will be watching TV a long time before I get over the fact that this show found a way to re-enact the scene from Ghost. Thank you writers, producers and creatives! I keep saying that I love how this show rarely misses an opportunity, the shippy content and visuals are second to none. The things this show is able to do on such a tight timeline and I'm sure, budget is impressive. I give most of the credit to the actors and their chemistry, but that was also beautifully shot. What's almost better is when they return to the office all hot and bothered and flustered. These two kids are going to have to fall into bed sooner, rather than later otherwise the sexual tension is literally going to kill them.  

Speaking of UST, they wound themselves up again when they decided to slow dance in front of their friends and coworkers. Besides Balca, is anyone in their orbit still wondering what's going on with them? Together? Broken up? In-between? Are they still office gossip, or is everyone just like "Eh, that's just Eda and Serkan" and they're all expecting to come in the office one morning to find that they’ve eloped. Along those lines, where was Ayfer? She gets so upset at the idea of them even talking... did she even notice them draped all over each other having eye-sex while dancing? I mean I didn't want her to have some over-the-top reaction but if she had it would have been in line with how she's been the last few episodes. The final scene was so damn uncomfortable to watch, but I'm very hopeful this storyline is going to clarify a few things for Eda and we’ll reap those rewards. All in all, I really enjoyed this episode, and can't wait for the next two! 

[monkey-network]

I still can't get over Orchard claiming Ratatouille with Anton Ego is "brazen corporate propaganda". That's the type of stance that is so monumentally bad, it really sticks with you. It's like you know what? I wanna test that theory because it's honestly so bad it would be fun to see that dickbrained logic that came up with that.

Like, the way I'm able to think of it, you can call it corporate propaganda from a meta perspective. You can see that the "ire" against criticism like Ego's is somewhat Brad Bird's brilliant psyop to never criticize the special protagonists, special as in the literal outlier to the mob like Supers were in The Incredibles. You can say Disney are in the right for what they make because "critics don't know better" meaning the film expresses that the corporation should be respected and any who oppose deserve to lose their jobs if they don't fall in line. Everything deserves to go your way because critics only bog down your ability. To say it's corporate propaganda is to say you shouldn't be open-minded or appreciate the good that's been made before you. Your first impression should be all there is to the critique according to this theory. In turn, that is why you shouldn't buy into Ego's message because apparently it's a strawman dedicated to tear down the idea of criticism, the nobility of speaking your mind at all.

You can believe all of this... if you ignore the fact that Ratatouille respected the idea of criticism. Anton Ego was never "defeated" in the film, his perspective was challenged and Remy helped him understand what he saw in being a professional critic in the first place. Ego recognizes this and that is why his speech is as phenomenal as it is. It's nuanced in the sense that Anton's myopic outlook got a reality check and in the end, while he lost his job, he not only turned around to be there for small businesses but he's come to enjoy food more, whatever else can surprise him like beforehand. He's practicing what he preached just like Collette did when she backed Remy in the end.

That says a lot about what a critic can be, what they should strive to be. One that looks into new horizons yet be sensibly reminded of why you love what you love in the first place. Doesn't mean you should accept whatever comes your way, but it's about having integrity, open-mindedness and humility with your standards. That there is what Ratatouille taught me over the years, to where I'm not just bandwagoning in whatever the mainstream scape throws at me.

And honestly with this, and this is the one time I'm doing it, this is where I can consider myself a far better critic than Orchard because I managed to break down how and why it's any bit believable while still explaining why it's still so fucking wrong. Like you are entitled to that notion but you can't convince me that you don't look utterly stupid. And if anyone can somehow stump me with a nonprojecting counterpoint, I seriously welcome it at this point. Just saying, that take was god tier levels of bad.

[wolfhednn]

// 19, 20 for munday!

munday prompts

19. what kind of writing partners do you tend to merge well with? do you like people who communicate, or more impulsive personalities? ( + @houseofreglay )

tbh there’s certain flavors of both that i can see myself not jiving with, so i think in the end, it comes down to the individual.

but on the whole, the ideal would be communication where it’s needed and a healthy boldness for impulsivity in writing. i don’t like to fly entirely by the seat of my pants for an interaction; i like to have something plotted, whether it’s the agenda the thread is intended to accomplish or something we want to explore, or a general outline of the direction. i have too many lackluster experiences with ad hoc interactions fizzling out after 2-3 replies because there’s no direction

but where i like some impulsivity is in the details of what’s happening in the thread. i think it’s rare for people to feel comfortable throwing curveballs into a thread, or introduce / take the reins for an npc, have something unplanned happen to spice up what’s happening, and that’s really a shame. i find that kind of thing thrilling, and it’s always pleasant to know that my partner was excited enough about our interaction to spark that creative energy. i think for me that outweighs any whiplash i might get from feeling blindsided by a plot swerve

but you already know this of course ;D i’ll never forget ‘fairly odd parents’

20. has this hobby changed your life at all? your mood, your outlook, or your friendship group? ( + @hotheadhero )

mm, i don’t think any single thing has changed my life more than roleplay. since it’s not so much a hobby to me as it is a lifestyle, it’s formed so much of who i am that i don’t think i can imagine myself without it. looking back and making a rough count, about 70% of my closest friendships were made as a direct result of roleplay, so that’s a whole lot of people i would never have known if not for this.

but i think even more importantly than that, roleplay has shaped my perspective and outlook in a way i don’t think anything else could. playing characters who are very different from myself has given me direct insight into different ways that people interpret and process the world, different kinds of identities, and has allowed me to understand the value of views that i don’t necessarily share. it’s probably not an exaggeration to say that i’d be much more myopic if not for being able to see the world through the eyes of so many different people.

[mirrormirrormag]

the issue with performative identities

As minorities continue to carve out spaces for them to grow in the world of entertainment, you would think that the representation of groups who’ve often been ignored would be more authentic over time, but despite how much the media has diversified I still feel like the perception people have of some minorities— specifically brown people— hasn’t improved. 

When you look at the careers of people like Lilly Singh who built their platform pretty much only around joking about strict immigrant parents, it’s almost never funny to people of the respective community. It’s clear that Lilly catered her content to white people in a way that didn’t expand their narrow perception of immigrants from the East, but rather indulged and enabled it. Obviously Lilly isn’t the only one who does this, but her content is what I’m most familiar with, and none of her skits ever seemed to go further than her immigrant mother throwing a shoe at Lilly’s head, which is funny, but only to a certain point.

And of course the purpose of comedy isn’t to authentically represent people of color, but it does have consequences when your community has always been misrepresented. Lilly’s content doesn’t show a nuanced portrayal of what it is like being brown in the West, which could be just as funny as her usual content while also offering a more genuine outlook in the lives of minorities. Instead, like many other content creators, she took the easy way out and tried to please everyone with her comedy, but what good is making an ignorant person laugh at a joke you made if it reaffirms their myopic beliefs? It’s counter-intuitive and it makes the content of people who seek to appease or impress White people as a caricature of their culture: a modern Jim Crow that disguises itself as representation.

"It’s obvious from the work that we’ve seen from this generation is that there is more at stake than views, shares, and retweets. Our awareness of larger underlying issues at play makes our content intentioned in the inclusion and representation of all people"

I always talk about how authentic representation doesn’t dilute itself in the presence of narrow minded people, because that maintains the exclusive hierarchy that minorities intend to break down, and this is no exception. We can’t discount the strides that people like Lilly have made in an industry that just five years ago wasn’t as diverse as it is now, but we have a lot more to do to get to a place where the content portraying misrepresented people is authentic and isn’t trying to profit from the system that seeks to exclude that very same people. 

Many people of color feel the need to project a certain personality that many people are familiar with so as not to put them on edge, which can end up feeling like a performative identity and may be what Lilly is pressured to feel, but that’s the very issue with our entertainment industry.

We only accept a certain type of minorities that is easy to chew or understand lest they have more facets that reach past our grasp of understanding, and that needs to change, and that change starts with the creators we give a platform to.

Staying true to your experiences, no matter how obscure or weird it may seem, is important to shed light on the lives of people all around us and it empowers people of that respective group to gain the confidence to live authentically. You don’t have to rely on the same overused tropes to make people laugh.

Despite this established precedent, Gen Z creators are taking it one step farther and prioritizing authenticity over relatability. People like Jaboukie Young-White and Issa Rae (not Gen Z but we’ll let it slide) have all created amazing content and made impacts on the communities they come from by curating their platform to reflect the realities of all people, no matter their race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, or age. 

It’s obvious from the work that we’ve seen from this generation is that there is more at stake than views, shares, and retweets. Our awareness of larger underlying issues at play makes our content intentioned in the inclusion and representation of all people; we don’t conform to the monolithic structures that have been overplayed for years.

[rest-in-being]

Selecting a Spouse

One’s choice of spouse exerts the single most profound impact upon one’s relationship with the Divine. One’s choice of spouse is therefore of monumental, eternal significance.

One’s choice of spouse should be informed by clarity as regards the purpose of marriage, which is identical to the purpose of life: To Witness His Majesty. We do not exist to attain financial security or to go on holiday every three months. Rather, our purpose is to come to know the Perfection of His Creation, living in a condition of overwhelming gratitude. Your spouse will be your partner on that journey, either pointing out the astounding beauty that surrounds you in every moment, or wailing a toxic lament caused by an inaccurate, myopic interpretation of the universe. Effectively, you will be pickled in your spouse’s worldview. Think carefully.

One’s choice of spouse must be motivated by a desire to accompany the chosen soul until death. Marriage is not a temporary solution by which sexual frustration is released. This cheapens the deeply sacred physical union made appropriate by marriage. Demonstrate greater nobility than that.

One’s choice of spouse should transcend mere physical attraction. While unquestionably significant, the potential spouse’s outlook, mindset, and most importantly relationship with The One trump corporeal forms. True beauty is found in hearts, not in Instagram photos. One’s choice of spouse should be up-lifting. Your spouse must elevate you, display characteristics that you respect, and be viewed as your teacher. All but the strongest of characters will imbibe much of their spouse’s inner-condition by osmosis. Whether for better or for worse, your spouse will teach you about life. Think carefully about what that lesson will be.

One’s choice of spouse deeply impacts upon your legacy. Your relationship will with His Will bear fruit. Your children will adopt the worldview and priorities of your spouse. You will bring a mini-replica of your spouse into existence by His Leave. Leaving aside their physical features, is that a good thing? Reflect.

If your chosen spouse demonstrates little respect for the Saints, then expect little respect to be demonstrated towards you. They evidently suffer from a lack of clarity. Prepare to struggle.

One’s choice of spouse should evaluate the potential spouse’s character today, as it is in the moment. It is inevitable that changes in outlook and maturity levels will take place during the course of a marriage, at least you would certainly hope so. However, the chances that a human will make a 180 degree about-turn following marriage are paper-thin. You must marry the spouse that you feel comfortable with today, as you could be married tomorrow.

Having said all of this, one’s choice of spouse should be made trusting entirely in Allah Almighty. Sometimes, the best of marriages are the most turbulent, for they teach both spouses how to overcome their egos in favour of the interests of the other. If, after a few months of marriage, you find within yourself the desire to storm out and never come back, remember that at the core of our faith is the belief that nothing ever occurs by chance, least of all marital union. Marriage is designed to sand down your sharp edges and teach you about both yourself and your Lord. He will choose the most perfect spouse for you, even if you find that person deeply challenging. There is something hidden in your relationship that you need, a lesson that you must learn, and insight that you must discover. Seek them out and grow. That is the purpose of marriage. And all success is from Allah.

[sagebodisattva]

Absurdism, Existentialism and Nihilism

Exploring the nuances of the similarities and differences between Absurdism, Nihilism, Existentialism, and Existential Nihilism. So let's back up a bit...

So, you've decided to reject theism. You've finally arrived at the point where you are done with the concept of a sky daddy. Congratulations. You've just graduated kindergarten in philosophy, and now you are, for all intents and purposes, an atheist; which just means you are standing at the starting point of an existential journey, poised at an intersection with your backpack and walking staff, deciding where you will go from here. Maybe you will decide not to go anywhere, which is the most popular decision. Indeed, the starting point is a crowded area, with many people who have taken up a permanent camp there, and they will not go anywhere from here for the duration of their lives. They have rejected theism, have become an atheist, and this is where their story ends. They don't question existence, don't grapple with the existential considerations into the implications of what the rejection of theism ultimately means, and don't bother with philosophical explorations into the absurdity of a meaningless universe. Instead, the atheist's meaning, which becomes his convenient means to circumvent the journey, becomes simply materialism. The meaning, value, purpose and narrative of the universe is simply taken at face value; naïve realism at it's finest, which is basically the mindset that the meaning of existence is simply the management of different arrangements of materials, of which, no deep thought is required.

Indeed, from this mindset, the existential agency is considered to be an inconsequential byproduct, an obstacle even; as we've often heard it referred to as "the hard problem of consciousness." This is where the existential agency is relegated to being a physical substance. That the measure of our existence can be reduced to a chemical, or to some other type of externalized material source.

Not many realize it, but this position is basically a crude form of pantheism, but atheist's don't consider it as such because their aversion to the word “god” helps them frame it differently in their minds. But really, is it any different? If one believes they are a product of some type of function of a universe, and that this universe is the source of all material manifestations, then this attributes some aspect of the universe as the producer of existence, and it matters not if it was a random event, not helmed by any mythological intelligent deity or any other kind of theological designer. This is still essentially pantheism; it's just not labeled as such, nor ever spoken about.

An atheist may counter these suggestions by thinking that they don't know anything for certain, and are perfectly ok with not knowing, and indeed ignorance can be bliss; if one is content to be a simpleton who neither finds any utility in probing into things beyond the surface, nor any engagement by exploring, questioning and observing reality beyond the shallows of superficial appearances. This is a very near-sighted myopic mode of being; not much different then animal consciousness, which often morphs into simple hedonism: eat, drink, shit, piss, fuck, and sleep, and that's it. Is this really the end result of where science leads? Is the aim of science to reduce everything to the most unremarkable mundane explanation possible so we can pursue bestial desires, and then call this uncertainty? To be confident in the fact that we are nothing more then material phenomena doesn't sound very uncertain to me; as if chalking off existence to something called "material phenomena", actually means anything, or provides a satisfying answer to philosophical inquiry. If you are really uncertain, then you cannot be confident in the substantiality of the assumed material phenomena, no matter how many times you can demonstrate something by experiment, test and retest.

What about when science implies that the senses do not convey the truest representation of what is appearing to be actually there? Uh oh. This might require some philosophy. Ah yes, but to the atheist, philosophy is not worth anything either, and is relegated to the same status as religion, for if philosophy is explored, then it means leaving the safety and security of the starting point, and to step into the unknown, which can be a terrifying prospect to those who are attached to being stagnant.

Now some might say, what's wrong with ignorance is bliss? If enlightenment involves a rediscovery of innocence, of sorts, then isn't the atheist's non-start achieving this end? No, because this position is still a false conditioned position, because it externalizes reality and casts responsibility elsewhere, onto illusory appearances, of which, doesn't necessitate exploring the source of attention, which means this position is still a delusion. Lucidity involves becoming aware of the source of projected reality, not relaxing into a deluded idea that the dream world exists at face value.

Now, if, on the other hand, the atheist takes a step forward and moves beyond the starting point, then he begins his existential journey and will soon find himself confronted by a universe without any objective meaning, value, purpose or narrative. This is where the atheist now becomes an absurdist; for the conflict and shock that arises when an existential agency, that naturally seeks to find a meaning to life, confronts a medium where there is none to be found externally, is indeed the epitome of absurd, which often makes a journeyman question the futility and silliness of leading a life of mundane routine. This is where the existential crisis begins, and anger, depression, anxiety, angst and despair can often set in. And this is understandable; for people are usually not ready for this confrontation, nor have any experience with navigating it's waters.

For those that stay in this position, what usually follows are various pessimistic, cynical, or misanthropic outlooks on life; for the devastation that can develop as a result of the initial impact of facing a meaningless universe can often be crippling. That, and the uncomfortable truth that nothingness isn't a good outlet for soothing a person's innate conditioning, which automatically seeks that which can be identified and associated; that, which is subject to familiarization, disambiguation, and the state of being able to be labeled accordingly.

Now people will often incorrectly refer to the conflict of this state as nihilism, but that's jumping the gun. This struggle is with absurdism, which could possibly lead to nihilism, but isn't actual nihilism proper. From the position of absurdism, if one is able to recover from it, climb out of the pit of despair and move forward, the continuing path will either lead to nihilism, or existentialism, or in some cases, existential nihilism; which is a more advanced sophisticated position that can develop further on down the road. Staying an absurdist is impractical and detrimental, and will very likely lead to deep depression, addiction or suicide. So once one becomes sick and tired of being sick and tired, and is ready to shake off their existential crises, they eventually face a choice: either to invent meaning, or to drop the value they have previously held for investing in meaning. There is no better choice, or right answer; for much of this will depend on the person's predilection.

So, what is entailed with inventing meaning? This is existentialism. Existentialism concerns itself purely with becoming fully absorbed into the experience of being a human as a consequence of the absurdity in confronting a universe without objective meaning, and as a result, the existentialist disregards the lack of meaning and loses himself in creating his own meaning. The existentialist lives in the moment, and becomes grounded and centered in this immediacy, and so becomes unconcerned about concepts of futility and the inevitability of death, for the investment of value goes into life as a existential journey, and not an investment into ideas about destinations, legacies or outcomes. This is a path that embraces the totality of experience, and understands that a man's sum will be the result of his engagement and commitment with reality; that, indeed, a man will become whatever he makes of himself, no more, no less. This is where a man overcomes absurdity, and replaces the angst associated with it, with values, meanings, purposes and narratives, of his own making, and then takes a run with it.

It's not about overcoming nihilism, as Nietzsche fancied himself wrestling with, and as others have similarly painted the struggle as; but about overcoming absurdity, which is the debilitating factor. The confusion stems from the absurdist's despondent view of nihilism from a distance, which seems to portend further anguish. An absurdist is still hung up on his attachment to meaning. So, when the absurdist stands at the crossroads of existentialism and nihilism, they see the nihilist path as a deeper descent into despair because they are not yet a nihilist, so still think of the idea of letting go of the attachment to meaning, and the prospect of negating meaning as a meaningful investment, as more depression and angst.

So this is why existentialism is the road more often traveled, for it still employs meaning as a utility, and provides insulation from the vulnerability of complete nakedness in meaninglessness without any safety net. And this is another reason many absurdists confuse nihilism with absurdism; for futility and a lack of meaning is the source of their depression, and nihilism doesn't hold the promise of filling this void. Very few have the stomach to endure the loss of attachments. But, for those that are less nostalgic, less romantic, and have a lot more steel in their balls, the path of nihilism is taken, which isn't a road for the squeamish or the faint of heart. The nihilist sees there is no objective meaning, and despite the absurdity of this, he makes an adjustment and guides his way through life without having the need to embrace a meaning, and this is perfectly okay with him, and not a source of angst.

Nihilism is the path for those that are seeking to know the raw truth of reality, and are not afraid of letting go, or of detachment. The nihilist is comfortable with uncertainty, futility and a lack of meaning, and isn't compelled to mitigate this state because it isn't a source of pain or suffering to begin with. Quite contrary, the nihilist finds peace and freedom in the absence of these heavy burdens that only previously served to weigh him down.

To the average person, nihilism does seem to be an undesirable state that one would loathe to be in; which is another contributor to nihilism's bad rap, but this is only because, much like the absurdist, the average person is also caught up in investments into meaning, and thinks them to be of crucial importance. But meaning isn't an integral ingredient to an existence; it is foreign installation, an optional attachment, that really only serves as a crutch.

Finally, sometimes an absurdist will take the middle path between nihilism and existentialism and become an existential nihilist. The existential nihilist is one who acknowledges the paradoxical absurdity of the lack of objective meaning, is ok without having to have a meaning, but nevertheless, finds some value in creating meaning; without losing sight of the fact that this meaning is merely a construct, and so he doesn't lose himself in it, yet he still is able to utilize it for his purposes. Of all the different styles of nihilism, existential nihilism is the most talked about, and most subscribed to by contemporary philosophers. And it's the position that most makes sense, and should be a fundamental principle of nihilism, because although the nihilist can adjust and find a way through life without investing into subjective applications, to do so to an extreme is a little stringent, and perhaps taking the implications of nihilism too far.

Even though we are engulfed in illusion, we should be mindful to awareness and, dare I say, express love. And when I say love, I don't mean attachment, or desperate dependency. That it desire, not real love. Love is real because it endures beyond attachment. Real love loves so much, it cannot grasp, restrict, nor transgress the freedom of awareness for the sake of selfish desire. Nihilism is a good tool for shattering false attachments that are bogging us down, but we don't need to be so heavy handed and take it so far that we are denying our own awareness and its utility as a wellspring for the outpouring of love that can heal all wounds. This is a silly use of skepticism. At the very least, you know you are aware, and you really can't say anymore then that. And it appears that there are other perspectives that are aware also, and although you can't be certain of that, you can't deny your own experience, and so knowing this, you should be loving and kind to yourself and others, because the experience of the existential agent is the only real thing that composes an existence. And you if you want to be stubborn and deny your own existence, then who may I ask is making this denial?

[decisionforsight]

Global Glaucoma Surgery Devices Market

Global Glaucoma Surgery Devices Market Size, Share, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Trends, Key Players, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts to 2030

The market size of the Global Glaucoma Surgery Devices market is anticipated to grow from USD 510 million in 2020 to USD 7084.9 million by 2030, at a CAGR of 30.1% approx., during the forecast period.Glaucoma is an ocular disorder and the second most common cause of blindness across the world. It affects the optic nerve of the iris and progression of the same attributes to loss of vision and blindness. Glaucoma is characterised by relatively high Intraocular Pressure as a result of impaired drainage of a fluid, which is known as aqueous humor, from the eye. There are commercially available therapies that focus on reducing the intraocular pressure, which is responsible for the development and progression of glaucoma. Presently, the approved treatments for glaucoma are pharmaceutical drug, glaucoma laser therapy, and surgical procedures. It initially starts with tropical eye drops, which is used as an alternative to delay surgery. Aging population, growing prevalence of diabetes resulting in eye-disorders, and rising government initiatives over healthcare are key factors that will ensure steady growth of the glaucoma surgery devices market. 

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Market Dynamics and Factors:

The rise in aging population, eye disorders like macular degeneration, increase in eye disability due to diabetes, and increasing pool of geriatric population are the key drivers of the global glaucoma surgery devices market. Other major factors such as government initiatives towards healthcare infrastructure, increasing awareness and training to healthcare providers regarding glaucoma, and medical tourism are going to further boost the market in the forecast period. For instance, the Canadian Ophthalmology Society has included training on multiple minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS) procedures in its educational skill transfer courses. Growing prevalence of Myopia, one of the major reasons for the occurrence of glaucoma is also contributing in the growth of the glaucoma surgery devices market. However, high cost of glaucoma surgery devices, rising awareness among people to avoid the occurrence of glaucoma, critical post-operative complications and higher preference for pharmacological approach are some factors that could restrain the growth of the glaucoma surgery devices market.

Market Segmentation:

Global Glaucoma Surgery Devices Market – By Product Type

Glaucoma Drainage Devices

Glaucoma Laser Devices

Punches

USC Marker

USC Planer

USC Shaver

Forceps

Probes & Algerbrushes

Diamond Knives

Others

Global Glaucoma Surgery Devices Market – By Surgery Type 

Trabeculectomy

Tube Shunt Implantation

Cyclophotocoagulation

Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgeries (MIGS)

Others

Global Glaucoma Surgery Devices Market – By End-Users 

Eye Hospitals

Diagnostic Centers

Others

Global Glaucoma Surgery Devices Market – By Geography

North America

U.S.

Canada

Mexico

Europe

U.K.

France

Germany

Italy

Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific

Japan

China

India

Australia

Rest of Asia Pacific

ROW

Latin America

Middle East

Africa

New Business Strategies, Challenges & Policies are mentioned in Table of Content, Request TOC at @ https://www.decisionforesight.com/toc-request/DFS020335 

Geographic Analysis:

North America and Europe are cumulatively going to dominate the global glaucoma surgery devices market during the forecast period. Rise in the number of diabetic and myopic cases, better healthcare infrastructure, new innovations in healthcare, and a domicile of market incumbents in U.S & Western Europe are some major factors behind the domination. For instance, innovations such as CyPass micro-stent by Alcon Surgical in U.S, XEN gel stent by Allergan in U.S received government approvals and fuelled the market growth there. The Asia Pacific market is becoming the most lucrative and fastest growing market for glaucoma surgery devices. Growing awareness related to glaucoma and booming medical tourism in countries like China, India, Japan, and others are major reasons for the market growth.

Competitive Scenario:

The key players dominating the global glaucoma surgery devices market are –

Alcon, Allergan Inc, Abbott Laboratories, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Ellex Medical Lasers, Glaukos, Lumenis, Millenium Surgical, Zabbys, Katalyst Surgical.

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The report offers statistical data in terms of value (US$) as well as Volume (units) till 2030.

Exclusive insight into the key trends affecting the Global Glaucoma Surgery Devices industry, although key threats, opportunities and disruptive technologies that could shape the Global Glaucoma Surgery Devices Market supply and demand.

The report tracks the leading market players that will shape and impact the Global Glaucoma Surgery Devices Market most.

The data analysis present in the Global Glaucoma Surgery Devices Market report is based on the combination of both primary and secondary resources.

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The 2021 Annual Global Glaucoma Surgery Devices Market offers:

100+ charts exploring and analysing the Global Glaucoma Surgery Devices Market from critical angles including retail forecasts, consumer demand, production and more

15+ profiles of top producing states, with highlights of market conditions and retail trends

Regulatory outlook, best practices, and future considerations for manufacturers and industry players seeking to meet consumer demand

Benchmark wholesale prices, market position, plus prices for raw materials involved in Global Glaucoma Surgery Devices Market type

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Decision Foresight is a market research organization known for its reliable and genuine content, market estimation and the best analysis which is designed to deliver state-of-the-art quality syndicate reports to our customers. Apart from syndicate reports, you will find the best market insights, strategies that will help in taking better business decisions on subjects that may require you to develop and grow your business-like health, science, technology and many more. At Decision Foresight, we truly believe in disseminating the right piece of knowledge to a large section of the audience and cover the in-depth insights of market leaders across various verticals and horizontals.

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[sunshineweb]

The Hedonic Treadmill

Here are the best things I read and thought about today –

Bloomberg carries this nice piece (Tip: If your Bloomberg free articles limit is over, you may try opening this article in an incognito browser) from Nir Kaissar and Barry Ritholtz, where the authors write to answer this question – How do you get rich? By earning a lot or saving a lot?   Here is Barry’s point of view on the subject of “frugality” –

I am not, nor have I ever been, a fan of “sustained and disciplined frugality.” With that said, here’s what to keep in mind:

1. Focus on the big things; the little things will take care of themselves 2. We all only have so much internal discipline, a consequence of limited mental bandwidth. Don’t fritter it away on things that don’t matter very much. 3. Spending should always be a function of what you can afford, not a slavish devotion to some puritan ideal. 4. Money can bring security, comfort and happiness, but beyond a certain point returns on having more of it diminish rapidly. 5. Experiences tend to beat material goods in terms of money well spent.

First, the big things: Your education, your career choice, your work ethic, who you marry, who you work with, your skill set, your compensation, your health, your outlook, how you think about the world and the commitment you make to yourself about continually learning and improving. Get those right, and those $5 lattes become pretty irrelevant.

Basically, the advice is this – avoid the hedonic treadmill and you will be much better off in your financial life. “Hedonic treadmill” is basically a theory positing that people repeatedly return to their baseline level of happiness, regardless of what happens to them. It is an important concept to grasp when it comes to understanding happiness, which we often lose in forever chasing rainbows.

By the way, here is a quadrant I drew recently on how to get rich without being on the hedonic treadmill (for long) –

  Continuing with the subject of personal financial planning, here is a Morningstar post titled It’s Time to Think Big where the author suggests using this quiet period to introspect and improve our financial plans in a big-picture way.   On the question of defining how much money is “enough” for us, she writes –

Many of us are operating with an incredibly vague notion of how much we really need to save in order to achieve our financial goals and find security. And even financial planners might rely on rules of thumb when setting your retirement-savings target–for example, they might assume that you’ll need 80% of your working income in retirement and extrapolate the rest of your plan from there.

As humans, we often have a natural tendency to reach for more more more, regardless of whether that “more” is actually bringing more happiness and security. Trying to keep up with the people around us, in terms of possessions and outward signs of success, can get exhausting and may not get us any closer to our life’s goals. That’s why, in this period of limited activity, spending, and social contact, it’s so worthwhile to think through your own definition of enough–both now and for the future. Jack Bogle wrote a wonderful book called Enough that I would recommend; the genesis for the book was a memorable commencement address that he delivered in 2007. (If you haven’t heard the Joseph Heller/Kurt Vonnegut story that serves as the title of the book and speech, I guarantee that you’ll be repeating it to someone soon.)

Well, I had talked about Joseph Heller’s story in my lecture at IIM Lucknow in December 2018.

And here is the transcript of my talk to a group of friends in Silicon Valley in early 2018, where I tried to answer my version of the “how much is enough” question.  

Mental Models For a Pandemic is wonderful post published on Farnam Street. One of the models talked about is “antifragile,” a concept that Nassim Taleb described thus –

Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors and love adventure, risk, and uncertainty. Yet, in spite of the ubiquity of the phenomenon, there is no word for the exact opposite of fragile. Let us call it antifragile. Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better. This property is behind everything that has changed with time: evolution, culture, ideas, revolutions, political systems, technological innovation, cultural and economic success, corporate survival, good recipes (say, chicken soup or steak tartare with a drop of cognac), the rise of cities, cultures, legal systems, equatorial forests, bacterial resistance … even our own existence as a species on this planet.

Here is the point about antifragility in Farnam Street’s post –

…we need to ask ourselves how we can improve our antifragility. How can we get to a place where we grow stronger through change and challenge? It’s not about getting “back to normal.” The normal that was our world in 2019 has proven to be fragile. We shouldn’t want to get back to a time when we were unprepared and vulnerable.

And here is Safal Niveshak’s version of this very important mental model of antifragility.  

The Atlantic carries a biweekly column by Arthur Brooks titled “How to Build a Life,” wherein he tackles questions of meaning and happiness. His latest post talks about four rules for identifying your life’s work, and it’s really good.   Brooks’ rule number one reads “the work has to be the reward” –

One of the biggest mistakes people make in their careers is to treat work primarily as a means to an end. Whether that end is money, power, or prestige, this instrumentalization of work leads to unhappiness. The psychologist Elliott Jaques — famous for inventing the term midlife crisis — once quoted a middle-aged patient as saying, “Up till now, life has seemed an endless upward slope, with nothing but the distant horizon in view. Now suddenly I seem to have reached the crest of the hill, and there stretching ahead is the downward slope with the end of the road in sight.” Later, he admitted that he himself was this “patient,” and this was his own lament. He had worked away for years in his career to get some fabulous reward, and then realized that there wasn’t much reward ahead at all, just aging and death.

When your career is just a means to an end, the payoff, even if you get it, will be unsatisfying. Don’t make that mistake. Your work won’t give you joy and fulfillment every day, of course. Some days it will feel pretty unsatisfying. But with the right goals — earning your success and serving others — you can make the work itself your reward.

What a fine advice this is!  

Forbes carries an insightful investigative piece on the $2.5 trillion debt binge that has taken some of America’s leading companies including Boeing and AT&T from blue chips to near junk –

According to a Forbes investigation, which analyzed 455 companies in the S&P 500 Index — excluding banks and cash-rich tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Google and Microsoft — on average, businesses in the index nearly tripled their net debt over the past decade, adding some $2.5 trillion in leverage to their balance sheets. The analysis shows that for every dollar of revenue growth over the past decade, the companies added almost a dollar of debt. Most S&P 500 firms entered the bull market with just 20 cents in net debt per dollar of annual revenue; today that figure has climbed to 38 cents.

But as the coronavirus pandemic cripples commerce worldwide, American corporations face a grim reality: Revenues have evaporated, but their crushing debt isn’t going anywhere.

As Prof. Sanjay Bakshi wrote in his tweet sharing this post, these are “useful case studies on distortions in capital structure caused by many factors including artificially low interest rates, perverse incentives for senior management, and a myopic market fixated on cash flow returns to stockholders instead of long term strength of businesses.”

Indian companies are yet to test such level of madness, at such a large scale, but many are almost there (plus we have ample experience from the past) with their bulging balance sheets and run by managers that do not know of anything but instant gratification at the cost of long term business growth, stability, and value creation. Beware of them!  

An old tweet from James Clear, where he suggests what we can do with 5 good minutes –

5 good minutes of:

-pushups is a solid workout -sprints will leave you winded -writing can deliver 1 good page -reading can finish an insightful article -meditation can reset your mood

You don’t need more time — just a little focused action.

* * * That’s about it from me for today.

If you liked this post, please share with others on WhatsApp, Twitter, or just email them the link to this post.

Stay safe. Stay focused.

With respect, — Vishal

The post The Hedonic Treadmill appeared first on Safal Niveshak.

The Hedonic Treadmill published first on https://mbploans.tumblr.com/

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[marketreportsonchina-blog]

Chinese Glasses Industry Share, Growth & Demand 2018-2023

Market Reports on China Provides the Trending Market Research Report on “Report on the Chinese glasses industry 2018-2023”under Chemical & Materials Category. The report offers a collection of superior market research, market analysis, competitive intelligence and Market reports.

Glasses are simple instruments designed to correct or protect vision and normally consist of the lenses and the frame. Glasses are functionally categorized into glasses for the myopic, hyperopic, astigmatic conditions and age-related vision loss. In modern times glasses are worn for both corrective and decorative purposes.

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Nearsightedness is becoming extremely common in the competitive world of today. Mounting societal pressures from academic and professional sources are leading to increasing cases of nearsightedness, with age of diagnosis becoming younger by the day. There a total of XX million Chinese people diagnosed with nearsightedness and over XX% of high school students and University students are diagnosed with nearsightedness.

Over 40% of younger schoolchildren in China are diagnosed with the same condition, and the aging population of China has also led to an increase in patients diagnosed with age-related vision loss, with the use of glasses designed specifically for the elderly being the only solution. A total of XX million glasses were produced in in 2017.

The Chinese glasses market saw a total of CNY XX million in retail figures in 2017. Contact lens sales generated a total of CNY XX million, while glasses for the elderly generated a total of CNY XX million in sales. Sunglasses sold for a total of CNY XX million in sales figures.

Increasing living standards, increasing amounts of disposable income and the near-compulsory need to buy glasses to correct vision have become a powerful source of growth for the industry. The Chinese glasses market is expected to reach a total of CNY XX billion in retail figures by 2023.

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[kendrixtermina]

Extra Typology Vol #3 - Part 17: An Overview of Strenghts and Weaknesses

Since the main/extensive articles on the types were written with the intention to extract, present & popularize as much of the info in the book as possible they may have gotten...rambly as it is probably a general flaw on my explanatory writings. So here’s a summaizing overview in a form that people seem to tend to appeciate. 

This is largely based on those neat little summarizing texts the authors conveniently placed before the life advice sections though I will attempt to fill in for the additional styles in some of the expanded versions of this system while I’m at it.

It’s worth mentioning (& you might recognize this pattern in the advice they list) that the authors generally suggest that you try to use your strong points (be they organizing, imagination etc.) to compenate for your weak ones and gently ease into the edges of your un-comfortzone. 

Conscientious

+ You are Great Oganizers & List-Makers & can be expected to have work related things figured out + You are trustwothy, grounded, dependable and mature - may not know how to relax & hence incur stress-related health risks - may benefit from broadening their mind, Pov and personal life

Self-Confident

+ Your ability to strive for sucess & your neve to boldly go after it set you apart from all other personality styles + You are probably quite aware of your capabilities & know what you’re worth - To ensure that your character works to your advantage, you may need to develop a more realistic sense of your own shortcomings - Beware of myopic outlooks particularly overlooking dissatisfaction in other people as this may bite you in the ass

Devoted

+ You know how to love & how to give & are keenly aware of other people’s needs + You are diplomatic & like to promote harmony - You might benefit from turning your attention to yourself, see what you can do on your own behalf and let others know who you are and what they can do for you - You may tend to agree with those who are important to you, perhaps stiffling your own opinions; You may run the risk of appearing less interesting to those whose approval you wanted to win in the first place

Dramatic

+ You know how to see & find the exciting & colorful in everyday life + You are very intuitive about people & know how to lead even more reticent fellows to open up to you - Your sources of Self-Esteem lay outside yourself, which may make your inner life unsteady; finding sources inside yourself will ensure some inner calm  - Simply avoiding the unpleasant and boring pats of life doesn’t always work. Try not to let them pile up in an overwhelming manner

Vigilant

+ Your mind & Senses are always on, monitoring the environment, other people and the local power structures; Because of that, little escapes your notice + Though reserved, you are likely a good and observer of people who remembers details & sees though subtle motivations - Always being in such a state of aler can leave you physically ad emotionally tense; Try to unplug from that once in a while - Also beware of false positives - Sometimes things simply go wrong because of tragedy & misfortune without a clear cause or culprit

Sensitive

+ Your love of the familiar allows you to built a comfortable personal environment in which you know everything about the places, activities & people you deal with + You are likely to be likeable, friendly, warm, loyal, imaginative & kind. Aww~ - However, your adherence to the familiar could alo get you into a rut so try to change things up & venture just a little outside your comfort zone once in a while - Your ‘Danger-alert system’ is extremly sensitive so you might be worrying over nothing occasionally

Leisurely

+ You know how to be contented & happy just by doing the things you like + You don’t let anybody push you around, know how to enforce your own priorities and know that you have as much of a right as anyone else - You tend to look more inward than outward, so it might help to try & focus/ notice what is important to those around you & what brings them pleasure - Beware of Procrastination hell

Adventurous

+ Your strong points include  your spontaneity, strenght, fearlessness, ability to act and experience pleasure + You have a natural tendency to live life to the fullests, fill it up with worthwhile experiences & life in the moment - If you run into trouble, it’ll likely result from impulsivity & lack of forethought; For your own benefit & the sake of those around you it may help to work on these so you’re not hampered by unexpected consequences - Try to put at least some thought into what you want for the future

Idiosyncratic

+ You are likely to be interesting, original, possibly very spiritual, maybe even highly creative and gifted + You are no slave to bogus or limiting aspects of social convention& go your own way - Because of your insistence on doing things your own way, you may pay a price in your personal and professional relationships - You may not realize just how diffeent you actually are, that is, fail to pick up what is expected in any given situation. 

Solitary

+ In your ability to be comfortable alone, you have no peers. You don’t get lonely easily + You can probably entertain yourself seemingly endlessly & relish your activities just as much by yourself & go about your own pursuits without distraction - You may want to improve your elationships with people,even if it’s only to go about your self-determined business more easily - You may find it hard to relate to others or “speak their language”, & your different social needs can make it difficult to keep a friendship or partnership going

Mecurial

+ Among the strengts that infuse your life are an ability to life & feel to the fullest and a temendous appreciation for interpersonal relationships.  + You throw yourself into your pursuits wholeheartedly & have an unique ability to adapt to new places, social groups & lifestyles - To feel more fulfilled & sucessful in life & your relationships, work on developing some detachment & restrait - Be aware that you tend to have very high expectations that may sometimes veer into the unrealistic

Self-Sacrificing

+ You are a naturally unselfish, generous, helpful & giving human being capable of adapting to, accepting & getting along with almost everyone. w00t! + You work had to please even when no one asks or thanks you for it - You may deny your own needs & pleasures more than you realize - Work on establishing a firmer balance of give-and-take by being more cicumspect in giving and more assertive in taking

Aggressive

+ Congratulations! You likely have enormous potential for sucess, especially in your professional life.  + You run a tight ship & are exceptionally good at getting things done as a leader - To make your home life as rewarding as your professional one,  it might help to smooth your sometimes over-bosy side as it may cause conflict for you at home.  - You may have a bit of a temper, especially if others defy your authority.  Try not to overreact to the healthy self-assertion of others

Serious

+ You are a hard worker who preseveres in all tasks, no matter how sour + You have a measured, realistic outlook on the world - In oder to protect yourself from stress, enhance your relationships & to preserve your strenght for truly difficult times, you may need to develop some flexibility - You may have difficulty putting yourself forward in social situations, when seeking employment or on the job.

Inventive

+ You’re probably interested in social climbing & have the eyes & sensitivities for doing so & getting into the good graces of high-status people + You have a variety of interests, are innovative & are diven to cultivate many talents. Cool! - You are sensitive to how others ptreat or perceive you and may have a hard time coping with social embarassment or humiliation; Remember that it’s not the end of the world - You may be so focussed on attaining what gets recognition that you become caught up in superficial things or out of touch with your very own wants & feelings

Exuberant

+ You are not just active, gregarious,and an appreciator of beauty, but also highly productive& invested in being skillfull.  + You value & tend to seek out pleasurable & intense experiences and novelty - You may have a tendency to splurge or otherwise be given to occasional excesses or be flakey in relationships - On the other hand there might be a risk of being so absorben in your pursuit of the day & the search for esciting experience that you neglect to take care of yourself and flake out on your loved ones

Artistic

+ You’re likely very creative, subject to rushes of inspiration & given to experience the beauty & meaning of everything in life through your heart + You tend to have a gasp on many different corners of the human experience & therefore have a nuanced understanding of different viewpoints - You dislike routine & tend to make decisions based on your current mood, which may sometimes lead to less-than-thought-through decisions or jeopardize your relationships - Both your productivity & confidence may be somewhat unsteady and subject to ‘seasonal fluctuations’

Carefree

+ You are naturally young at heart, charming, refreshing, unabashed & not overly bogged down by inhibition + You take an uncomplicated, straightforward view of things & relationships - You may be somewhat scattered & might benefit from working on handling everyday responsibilities - You may find it hard to act sufficiently mature when others rely on you

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[hammeraction07-blog]

Is it possible for us to “greenline” neighborhoods?

(I don’t mean extending the Green Line to its original terminal, to provide more transportation options in Woodlawn.)

Maps have been used to devalue neighborhoods and to excuse disinvestment. There should be maps, and narratives, to “greenline” – raise up – Chicago neighborhoods.

The Home Owners’ Loan Corporation “residential lending security” maps marked areas based on prejudicial characteristics and some objective traits of neighborhoods to assess the home mortgage lending risk. (View the Cook County maps.) The red and yellow areas have suffered almost continuously since the 1930s, and it could be based on the marking of these neighborhoods as red or yellow (there is some debate about the maps’ real effects).

The Home Owners’ Loan Corporation and its local consultants (brokers and appraisers, mostly) outlined areas and labeled them according to objective and subjective & prejudicial criteria in the 1930s. Each area is accompanied by a data sheet and narrative description. The image is a screenshot of the maps as hosted and presented on Chicago Cityscape.

The idea of “greenlining”

I might be thinking myopically, but what would happen if we marked *every* neighborhood in green, and talked about their strengths, and any historical and current disinvestment – actions that contribute to people’s distressed conditions today?

One aspect of this is a form of affirmative marketing – advertising yourself, telling your own story, in a more positive way than others have heard about you in the past.

In 1940, one area on the Far West Side of Chicago, in the Austin community area, was described as “Definitely Declining”, a “C” grade, like this:

This area is bounded on the north by Lake St., on the south by Columbus Park, and on the west by the neighboring village of Oak Park. The terrain is flat and the area is about 100% built up. There is heavy traffic along Lake St., Washington Blvd. Madison St., Austin Ave. (the western boundary) and Central Ave. (the eastern boundary).

High schools, grammar schools, and churches are convenient. Residents shop at fine shopping center in Oak Park. There are also numerouss small stores along Lake St., and along Madison St. There are many large apartment buildings along the boulevards above mentioned, and these are largely occupied by Hebrew tenants. As a whole the area would probably be 20-25% Jewish.

Some of this migration is coming from Lawndale and from the southwest side of Chicago. Land values are quite high due to the fact that the area is zoned for apartment buildings. This penalizes single family occupancy because of high taxes based on exclusive land values, which are from $60-80 a front foot, altho one authority estimates them at $100 a front foot. An example of this is shown where HOLC had a house on Mason St. exposed for sale over a (over) period of two years at prices beginning at $6,000 and going down to $4,500. it was finally sold for $3,800. The land alone is taxed based on a valuation exceeding that amount. This area is favored by good transportation and by proximity to a good Catholic Church and parochial school.

There are a few scattered two flats in which units rent for about $55. Columbus Park on the south affords exceptional recreational advantages. The Hawthorne Building & Loan, Bell Savings Building & Loan, and Prairie State Bank have loaned in this area, without the FHA insurance provision. The amounts are stated to be up to 50% and in some cases 60%, of current appraisals.

Age, slow infiltration, and rather indifferent maintenance have been considered in grading this area “C”.

Infiltration is a coded reference to people of color, and Jews.

My questions about how to “greenline” a neighborhood

How would you describe this part of Austin today to stand up for the neighborhood and its residents, the actions taken against them over decades, and work to repair these?

How do you change the mindset of investors (both small and large, local and far) to see the advantages in every neighborhood rather than rely on money metrics?

What other kinds of data can investors use in their pro formas to find the positive outlook?

What would these areas look like today if they received the same level of investment (per square mile, per student, per resident, per road mile) as green and blue areas? How great was the level of disinvestment from 1940-2018?

In the midst of writing this, Paola Aguirre pointed me to another kind of greenlining that’s been proposed in St. Louis. A new anti-segregation report from For the Sake of All recommended a “Greenlining Fund” that would pay to cover the gap between what the bank is appraising a house for and what the sales price is for a house, so that more renters and Black families can buy a house in their neighborhoods.

That “greenlining” is a more direct response to the outcome of redlining: It was harder to get a mortgage in a red area. My idea of greenlining is to come up with ways to say to convince people who have a hard time believing there are qualities worth investing in that there they are people and places worth investing in.

The Digital Scholarship Lab at the University of Richmond digitized the HOLC maps and published them on their Mapping Inequality website as well as provided the GIS data under a Creative Commons license.

Source: http://www.stevencanplan.com/2018/05/is-it-possible-for-us-to-greenline-neighborhoods/

[a-woman-apart]

The Death of a Timeline

I think there is a point in each person’s life where all the challenges, insecurities, and denial, coalesces and rises to the surface in the form of a soul-stopping crisis. For some people, this may only happen once, but most of us will experience it multiple times and under varying conditions. Whether we are thrown into uncertainty by the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or “hitting rock-bottom” in our addiction, we all reach a point where the current conditions of our lives become so unbearable that immediate action is required. Whether that action comes in choosing whether to go to rehab for our gambling habit, to go to counseling for our family dysfunction, or to flee an abusive relationship, we know that it all amounts to the same dilemma; change or stay the same.

I used to think that the primary changes I needed to make in my life were external. I looked forward to milestones such as obtaining a decent job, finishing community college, and moving into my own apartment. I would feel happy—maybe even proud of myself—for a little while, but then I would shift the goal posts. Suddenly, it became essential to get a better job, to make more money, to obtain an even higher level of education. These things were supposed to bring me economic and emotional security, and at one point I would “arrive.” I would have everything I needed and finally be able to sit back and say, “Hey look, Ma, I made it.”

There was one problem. I knew, cognitively, that there was no such thing as “making it.” Maslow’s hierarchy of needs posits that once our “basic needs” are satisfied, we can move towards “self-actualization”. My boyfriend thinks that that is all bullshit, and I finally agree. What even is “self-actualization?” Is that a term that has a concrete definition? Is it the same for everyone?

I always knew that Linkin Park was right when they said, “the journey’s more important than the end or the start” and that Mark Manson was right when he emphasized relationships over academic and career advancement. At the end of a person’s life, they never say, “I wish I had worked more. I wish I had made more money.” Instead, they almost always talk about family relationships and friendships, and regret not spending more time with loved ones or not making amends to people they hurt. They regret not taking more risks and spending more time enjoying life.

It’s easy to think of an “existential crisis” as a first world problem. Beyond basic survival, we all want purpose and meaning. In my case, I realized that my values were jacked up. I already knew that, but I needed to be faced with a crisis to compel me to do something serious about it. The more I was achieving academically and workwise the less satisfied and the more stressed I was beginning to feel. The constant strain of trying to be perfect, to “make things perfect” and to atone for the “sin” of spending 5 years of my life enmeshed in my mental illness, was overwhelming. My mind knew that I was reaching the breaking point, and it sent out a warning bell so loud that it shook me to my core. My anxiety became all-encompassing. It was saying, “You can’t ignore me now. You’re headed for danger. Abort the mission.”

So, I withdrew from summer classes. I started going to a Bipolar Support Group. I got my psychiatrist to change my medication. In other words, I adjusted some things, and I took a step back. I evaluated my situation again, and I decided to drop out of the university as well.

Dropping out was one of the most difficult decisions I ever had to make, but also one of the best. I had had what I thought was a fail-proof plan for completing my credits and securing the transfer. My financial aid, grants, and scholarships were in place. I had gone to orientation and spoken to my advisor and other staff at length to make sure I would be able to attend in the fall. I had gone on a tour of the facilities. I knew where I would be taking classes. I even got my advisor to sign a waiver so that I could attend a specific class. Everything was ready. All I had to do was attend.

It hasn’t been easy trying to embrace that decision without still going, “well, what now?” I already have a tentative plan to finish my COREs (the ones I did not finish over the summer) in the Spring 2020 semester. I have thought about “side hustles” to make a little extra money. I have thought about switching majors and instead just studying medical coding and billing or some other “hot field” so that I can get a better job with less time spent studying.

I have been trying to hurriedly move on, without mourning the loss of what could have been. I am forcing myself to acknowledge that this was “the death of a timeline” (for all you sci-fi nerds out there). I will never get to see what might have happened if I had persisted in school, despite freshly coming off a relapse. I might have succeeded. I might have failed. The important thing is not to get caught up in what might have been, but to mourn the loss and accept it. Accept the death of “what might’ve been.”

Acceptance is something that I have appreciated theoretically but have never practiced in my own life. I am prone to either wallow in past regret or agonize over future decisions. I cannot sit with myself and be at peace. I have known this about myself for a long time, have chided myself for my catastrophizing, black-and-white-thinking, and hesitancy to be open and authentic, but I have also embraced maladaptive coping strategies because they were what I had been using since childhood. My perfectionism is just a mask I use to hide how lonely, hurt, and vulnerable I regularly feel.

As I said before, if the “five factor model of personality” is at all accurate, then our personality traits are rather fixed. I will never be an optimist. However, I can change my behavior and how I respond to certain events and triggers. My partner is an extravert and I am an introvert. While I may find it difficult to join him at certain events, I can utilize coping skills so that I have a more positive experience. I may have a tendency to think the worst of a situation. If trying to think of the situation as positive is too difficult, I can at least reframe to say, “well, everything could end up going just fine.” Allowing myself to see another option can keep me from becoming myopic in my outlook.

Reframing is also great for someone who may be in a job or life situation that they dislike. It can be difficult to find meaning in boring or frustrating circumstances, but if we simply try to find something about our situation that could benefit other people who are important to us, or we allow ourselves to begin to see the situation as temporary rather than something we simply “must” endure indefinitely, we are able to gain a better perspective.

I have a new priority, now. I have people who love me so much and are negatively affected by the harsh way that I treat myself. My partner has been especially affected by my habits. I keep projecting my insecurities on to him, thinking that he sees me as how I see myself: annoying, overly talkative, needy, neurotic, etc. He has expressed the opposite, but the real problem comes in when he must repeatedly reassure me of his feelings for me. Then, at least part of my fear—that I’m needy—has just been fulfilled. Suddenly he is performing more emotional labor that he really should be, and I am in the meanwhile feeling less and less reassured. So, what do I do? I shrink. I hold things back. I retype texts. Never in any of this do I feel like I am less loved, but I am slowly forming a wedge that doesn’t belong there—all because I’m afraid he thinks ill of me and wants to leave. He doesn’t, but I am subconsciously attempting to drive him away.

This is a digression, but I have always felt that there was “something” that was keeping me from being secure in the relationship. I searched online, I read about aromanticism, I asked people I knew about what made their relationships work. I asked, “how do you know if your partner is the right person?” So many people said, “You just know.” That was too vague and inconsistent for me. My mom told me, “Let God choose for you”, which is quite impractical because I’m an atheist.

In my searching, I discovered that there is no “right person”, there is no such thing as “the One” unless you are talking about Neo from the Matrix, and there is no “perfect relationship.” That should have been enough, but it wasn’t. I am ashamed to say that I scrutinized my partner, I scrutinized myself. I obsessed.

When I was researching “pure O” OCD, I came across a little excerpt on a type of OCD I had never heard of: Relationship Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (ROCD) and it fit me perfectly. I haven’t brought this up with my partner because it is a little fresh, but…yeah. It described everything I have been feeling for years. The “obsession” comes in the form of constantly evaluating your partner, including small flaws, and obsessively seeking out relationship advice (thinks of all the relationship and advice podcasts I listen to) and yet never quite feeling reassured. You have a pervasive sense that you are with the “wrong” partner, no matter who you are with.

I think, along with the mixed mania/anxiety relapse, this revelation confirmed for me that I have a lot more work to do internally than I do on the outside. It is true that my only current clinical diagnosis is schizoaffective bipolar type. It is possible that I do not meet the full criteria for the other diagnoses I identify with, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder and ROCD. Also, though, my psychiatrists at my low wage clinic have not been listening to me about my diagnosis in the slightest. Any time I bring up different diagnoses I am fully ignored. I understand that they do not have the same resources as a clinic for “rich” clients, but the experience is still extremely frustrating. The only thing I can do at this point is bring up these issues in therapy, and then request that my psychiatrist(s) look over my therapist’s notes so that they can come to an informed conclusion.

I am going to need to “go deeper” in therapy. I have had my therapist for over 2 years, and I still have not told her I am bisexual. We really have not discussed sex-related things at all, and the prude in me would like to largely keep it that way. However, my reasons were wrong. I had both convinced myself that my bisexual identity was not an important part of my therapy, and I had convinced myself that my therapist—who is African and Christian—would respond negatively to my revelation. The truth is, though, I do not know how she will react, and either way, she has a responsibility to be professional. Also, do I really believe she has no LGBTQ+ clients, when queer people are overrepresented in populations receiving mental health care?

It was so different with my first therapist. I started crying in the first session, I told her I was bi within a few more, and when I graduated the treatment, I felt great for a long time. My current therapist is excellent, but for some reason I feel like progress has been very slow. I think this is because I doubled down on my old maladaptive coping strategies the more pressure I felt from work and school. I probably backslid a bit, because instead of being open, or being able to cry and just feel my real feelings, I stuffed them down as deeply as I could. Also, being in therapy once a week was more ideal, because my mood varies greatly over the course of 2-3 weeks. There were so many times when I’d be in therapy and I was like, “Yeah, this terrible mental or physical health crisis happened, but I’m happy again!” but there was so much we weren’t processing through.

I might need to find a therapist who I can meet with more consistently, but I have become rejected by so many because of my schizoaffecive bipolar type diagnosis. So many will have “bipolar I / bipolar II” listed in what they treat, some even have schizophrenia but they shy way from my disorder. What is so frustrating, is that I think bipolar I with psychotic features (my previous diagnosis) described me perfectly fine, but this one doctor at one of the hospitals I was at changed it. I believe he is wrong, but I cannot get it changed back.

Anyway, that is not important. The important thing is, I really have some work to do on myself. Diagnosis or not, I clearly fit the criteria for some of those issues, and I can still work with my current therapist to deal with them. Sure, there are simple things we do, like challenging negative thoughts, reframing situations, finding evidence to refute false beliefs, etc. However, I want to go for the Big Problems, like how do you dismantle a perfectionistic schema? If some of my problematic personality traits really are fixed, then how do I learn to be graceful to myself and live my best life despite having them? How can I push my fears aside and just fully embrace and be committed to my partner? Will it always feel like a struggle to love and accept myself?

At first, I could just put off progress. Now, it really is a matter of life and death. For the first time, I am not wanting to give up on life entirely when plans fall apart. I am taking a step back, because I know that progress is not always linear. We aren’t always on the up and up. What goes up, must come down. There is no eternal crescendo. You need to breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Live.

There is hope for us all.