#and if you want them to talk about her feeling unseen and un valued in the tv show
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People love talking about Annabeth and her being blonde and how it’s representation and important when it literally doesn’t matter.
Her being blonde is NOT as big as the fandom claims it is. ESPECIALLY in the first series!! She mentions it’s ONCE in HEROES OF OLYMPUS and NEVER brings its up again! And it’s all within the same book!!
She has many other character attributes and flaws and plot points that are ACTUALLY important!! Feeling abandoned, growing up neglected, having her family broken TWICE. Going to war, being a run away, having to fight monsters for as long as she can remember. Her complications with family and how that’s shaped her to who she is. ALL things that can be touched upon and expanded on in the show with Leah.
But you all want to focus on an arguably minuscule detail that’s mentioned in one page. Alright. Okay.
#and none of you EVER bring up her being blonde in posts or analysis#EXCEPT to downgrade Leah!!#like come on#and if you want them to talk about her feeling unseen and un valued in the tv show#even tho it’s not fucking important#her being black is PERFECT#because we’re historically seen as dumb and excluded from stem#y’all not ready for that convo tho#percy jackon and the olympians#pjo series#pjo hoo toa#heroes of olympus#pjo tv show#pjo#annabeth chase#leahbeth#leah jeffries
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A message for you
I miss this person so much.
Everytime I wish she would just come near me and hug me thight.
That’s all I want.
That’s all I need.
I just want you to know that I love you so much and maybe I wasn’t the best at showing it and maybe I treated you bad but I swear it wasn’t me. It was my disorder.
Because I swear on everything good in my life that I love you more than everything in this galaxy.
And since I’m not the best with words I’ll just use lyrics. (Not mine).
<Were you ashamed or just afraid?>
<I kissed the scars on her skin I still think you're beautiful And I don't ever want to lose my best friend I scream out, God you vulture Bring her back or take me with her>
<Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure>
<Again, forever I’ll be obsessed without way out>
<And if you need a friend, I'll help you stitch up your wounds.
But if you need a friend Then please just say the word
You'll be missing out, and we'll be missing you>
<The sweetness of you on my tongue I breathed you in, you filled my lungs>
<Say, yeah Let's be alone together We can stay young forever>
<So what if you can see the darkest side of me? No one would ever change this animal I have become And help me believe it's not the real me Somebody help me tame this animal>
<(Sad to see you go) Was sorta hopin' that you'd stay>
<And if there's love in this life, there's no obstacle That can't be defeated>
<And when you're staring at the phone in your lap And you hoping but them people never call you back>
<The value of this moment lives in metaphor Yeah, through it all>
<Well, if I'm there to catch you when you fall You'll have a friend down in Hell after all And if you're there to catch me when I fall Then maybe Hell ain't so bad after all
I didn't want to believe how much you needed help And I just left you to be all by yourself And now I wish I had seen that you weren't doing well But I just came back to see how hard you fell>
<But the sound of your voice, put the pain in reverse>
<As we're covered in sand, you roll over and smile.>
<Where are you? And I'm so sorry I cannot sleep I cannot dream tonight I need somebody and always>
<I believe in you, I can show you that I can see right through all your empty lies I won't stay long, in this world so wrong>
<You're so cold Keep your hand in mine Wise men wonder while Strong men die
Show me how it ends It's alright Show me how defenseless You really are Satisfied and empty inside That's alright Let's give this another try>
<Salt my wounds but I can't heal the way I feel about you
That little kiss you stole It held my heart and soul
Don't try to fight the storm You'll tumble overboard Tides will bring me back to you
The life may leave my lungs But my heart will stay with you>
<Baby, you're all that I want When you're lyin' here in my arms I'm findin' it hard to believe We're in heaven
And love is all that I need And I found it there in your heart It isn't too hard to see We're in heaven
Yeah nothin' could change what you mean to me>
<You've gone and sewn me to this bed, the taste of you and me Will never leave my lips again under the blinding rain I wanna hold your hand so tight I'm gonna break my wrist And when the vultures sing tonight I'm gonna join right in>
<Please don't take this out on me 'Cause you're the only thing that's keeping me alive And I don't want to wait for the down-set date 'Cause I would rather end it all tonight>
<Your skin is warm like an oven, your kiss is sugary sweet Your fingers feel like cotton when you put your arms around me I feel like I'm just missing something whenever you leave You've got all the ingredients except you loving me>
<I know it gets hard for you to stay But do you really want to throw it all away?
That we could make forever after all Finding the gold in our darkest moments>
<Fighting just to stay alive I know you still can't see But hold onto me You will be found>
<I will never let go When our worlds collide>
<'Cause it was worth it All along, despite the panic attacks Cause it was worth it And even though it's wrong I just wanna go back I know it's bad for me Can't resist it I need it badly To exist and to live I clench my fist in the air And here I go, yeah Beautiful nightmare Beautiful nightmare>
<I feel my time is slipping away, (Every minute gone by seems like a day), I'll never get back the things I lost along the way, What the hell is wrong with me? This isn't who I'm suppose to be
I feel all alone everyday, And just so far away, I know something's got to change, Inside of me>
< won't ever leave you, my dear You've always been the best part of me
I knew that you'd be the one to show me Life is more than suffering only I used to be where I was joking Now it feels as if I'm choking Maybe there's still hope, it'd help me Blow me one last kiss 'fore I sing
I never wanna leave from your side Baby, please, no goodbyes On my knees, hold me tight I get so goddamn weak, teary-eyed When you're not here, I'd rather die I can't speak, cannot lie>
<When I'm asleep and in a dream that I'm your only one>
<I scream into the night for you Don't make it true Don't jump>
<I'd give up my eyes to see you one last time And I'd give all my fingertips to touch you
Painfully, I can't breathe, need you here with me Close my eyes I can feel you close>
<You're such a gorgeous nightmare>
<It's so hard to be together And I try, and I try But it won't get better Forever Days go, days go by I won't die, I won't die cause I must, I must try Forever>
<It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do>
<Nothing ever stops all these thoughts and the pain attached to them Sometimes I wonder why this is happening It's like nothing I can do would distract me when I think of how I shot myself in the back again>
<You say you want to chase the moon like fire Well, together we can fake our own deaths here Just wanna be alone and watch as you all just disappear>
<Friend, please remove your hands from Over your eyes for me I know you want to leave but Friend, please don't take your life away from me>
<You never would believe What I have become And still I can't believe I'm running!>
<What went wrong? We both know that you're not here. This is where you hunt And it's kept me in fear for far too long. Now you hide like the ghost The ghost we both know I'm the taste on your tongue The taste you can't spit out. Please come home again Let me show you we're good enough for your love.>
<Are you up there? Just give me a signal I'm reaching you now 'Cause I remember the sound of your voice But I don't remember what we talked about
I swear that I can hear you in the wind You're singing to me and you're Dancing in the halls outside again I'm always listening>
<You look so beautiful today When you're sitting there it's hard for me to look away So I try to find the words that I could say I know distance doesn't matter but you feel so far away And I cant lie Every time I leave my heart turns gray And I want to come back home to see your face And I 'Cause I just cant take it
Another day without you with me Is like a blade that cuts right through me But I can wait I can wait forever When you call my heart stops beating When you're gone it wont stop bleeding But I can wait I can wait forever
You look so beautiful today It's like every time I turn around I see your face The thing I miss the most is waking up next to you When I look into your eyes, I wish that I could stay>
<Bury me in the bedroom where I, I can sing you to sleep all night.
(Can you chase away the darkness?) To live in love and die.
Nd I don't care if you're sick, I don't care if you're contagious. I would kiss you even if you were dead. Would somebody make me go blind for the rest of my life? 'Cause I'd do anything to hold your hand.>
<I will not die I'll wait here for you I feel alive when you're beside me I will not die I'll wait here for you In my time of dying>
<Telling me to go But hands beg me to stay Your lips say that you love Your eyes say that you hate>
<Now in my remains Are promises that never came Set the silence free To wash away the worst of me>
<se vuoi morirò insieme a te danzando nel cielo, tra le nuvole ti porterò con me quando il tempo un mattino ti ha strappato via e ti rubò da me.>
<I dreamed I was missing You were so scared But no one would listen ‘Cause no one else cared
After my dreaming I woke with this fear What am I leaving When I’m done here?
So if you’re asking me I want you to know
When my time comes Forget the wrong that I’ve done Help me leave behind some Reasons to be missed And don’t resent me And when you’re feeling empty Keep me in your memory Leave out all the rest Leave out all the rest
Don’t be afraid I’ve taken my beating I’ve shared what I’ve made I’m strong on the surface Not all the way through I’ve never been perfect But neither have you
So if you’re asking me I want you to know
When my time comes Forget the wrong that I’ve done Help me leave behind some Reasons to be missed Don’t resent me And when you’re feeling empty Keep me in your memory Leave out all the rest Leave out all the rest
Forgetting all the hurt inside You’ve learned to hide so well Pretending someone else can come And save me from myself I can’t be who you are
When my time comes Forget the wrong that I’ve done Help me leave behind some Reasons to be missed Don’t resent me And when you’re feeling empty Keep me in your memory Leave out all the rest Leave out all the rest
Forgetting all the hurt inside You’ve learned to hide so well Pretending someone else can come And save me from myself I can’t be who you are I can’t be who you are>
<Weep not for roads untraveled Weep not for paths left lone 'Cause beyond every bend is a long blinding end It's the worst kind of pain I've known
Give up your heart, left broken And let that mistake pass on 'Cause the love that you lost wasn't worth what it cost And in time, you'll be glad it's gone
Weep not for roads untraveled Weep not for sights unseen May your love never end, and if you need a friend There's a seat here alongside me>
<Remember, you're loved And you always will be This melody will bring you right Back home
When life leaves us blind Love keeps us kind>
<It's true the way I feel Was promised by your face The sound of your voice Painted on my memories Even if you're not with me (I'm with you)>
<But compared to your eyes, nothing shines quite as bright>
<I've been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks>
<With arms up, stretched into the sky With eyes like echoes in the night Hiding from the hell that you've been through, silent one
You go, giving up your home Go, leaving all you've known You’re not alone>
<You're the only hope that I hold inside The self-destruction, the damage I've done You're the reason I'm still alive
I've got nothing to lose but you>
<I don't mind it, I don't mind if you're overrated. Or if you're staring at the edge of the world. Keep in mind that I'm sore of blurry vision. But I can see it has to be you, love, that I've been dreaming of. And if we climb this high, I swear we'll never die.>
<One day When nothing ever feels the same Just like every other time before (You hit the wall and lost it all) I'll find a way To wake you from this bed you've made Even though I know you want me to I'm never giving up on you! On you, on you>
<Should've stayed, were there signs, I ignored? Can I help you, not to hurt, anymore? We saw brilliance, when the world, was asleep There are things that we can have, but can't keep
If they say Who cares if one more light goes out? In a sky of a million stars It flickers, flickers Who cares when someone's time runs out? If a moment is all we are We're quicker, quicker Who cares if one more light goes out? Well I do>
<You held it all And I was by your side, powerless>
<The neighbors said she moved away Funny how it rained all day I didn't think much of it then But it's starting to all make sense>
<You're an angel fallen down won't you tell us of the clouds You have fallen from the sky. How high? How high?>
<At the park, in the back of my car It don’t matter what I do, No, I can’t keep my hands off you>
<But they don't know you like I know you
They don't understand, they think I'm a fool If only they could see
I dream about you Heaven only knows I do I dream about you Every single night it's true I dream about you>
<I hate myself for the things I've done So hopeless, feeling so down again, down again It's breaking me down again, down again Take what's left, take me away 'Cause I've been too fucked up to try to change But do you even care? (Is there anybody in there?)
'Cause I feel so alone Screaming at nothing I feel so alone Searching for something Now I'm breaking down and you're not around I get lost in the sound And I feel so alone And you can't save me
Don't look me right in the eye Don't tell me this is goodbye 'Cause I'm missing you, I'm missing you>
<And I'd give up forever to touch you 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be And I don't want to go home right now
And all I can taste is this moment And all I can breathe is your life And sooner or later it's over I just don't wanna miss you tonight
And I don't want the world to see me 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand When everything's meant to be broken I just want you to know who I am>
<And I'll be sorry for now That I couldn't be around Sometimes things refuse to go the way we planned Oh I'll be sorry for now That I couldn't be around There will be a day that you will understand You will understand>
<Where everything's nothing without you I'll wait here forever just to, to see you smile 'Cause it's true: I am nothing without you>
<My soul is broken Streets are frozen I can't stop these feelings melting through And I'd give away a thousand days, oh Just to have another one with you>
<Get the feeling that you're never All alone and I remember now At the top of my lungs in my arms she dies She dies>
<You come to me with Scars on your wrist. You tell me this will be the last night Feeling like this.
I just came to say good bye Didn't want you to see me cry I'm fine
But I know it's a lie
This is the last night You'll spend alone Look me in the eyes So I know you know I'm everywhere You want me to be>
<Don't want to reach for me, do you? I mean nothing to you The little things give you away And now there will be no mistaking The levees are breaking
All you've ever wanted Was someone to truly look up to you And six feet under water, I do>
<She is everywhere I go Everyone I see Winter's gone and I still can't sleep Summer's on the way At least that's what they say But these clouds won't leave>
<’Cause I wanted you to know
That the world is ugly But you're beautiful to me>
<One night, yeah, and one more time Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories>
<Don't you know, don't you know? True friends stab you in the front>
<No you don't know what you've got Until it's gone>
<My insides all turn to ash So slow And blow away as I collapsed So cold
A black wind took them away From sight And now the darkness over day That night
And the clouds above move closer Looking so dissatisfied But the heartless wind kept blowing, blowing
I used to be my own protection But not now 'Cause my path has lost direction Somehow
A black wind took you away From sight And now the darkness over day That night
And the clouds above move closer Looking so dissatisfied And the ground below grew colder As they put you down inside But the heartless wind kept blowing, blowing
So now you're gone And I was wrong I never knew what it was like To be alone
On a Valentine's Day>
<Waiting here in line Hoping that I'll find What I've been chasing
I thought I could fly So why did I drown? I never know why It's coming down, down, down
I'm not ready to let go 'Cause then I'd never know What I could be missing But I'm missing way too much So when do I give up What I've been wishing for>
<In the wastelands of today When there's nothing left to lose And and there's nothing more to take But you force yourself to choose
In the wastelands of today Where tomorrow disappears While the future slips away And your hope turns into fear In the wastelands of today>
<So let mercy come and wash away What I've done
I'll face myself To cross out what I've become Erase myself And let go of what I've done>
<I love ya, will you marry me? Oh, what a shame we gotta pay for reality Ain't it sad, sad, sad?>
These are all the songs that reminds me of what a beautiful person I have lost.
I loved you, I love you and i will always love you.
<I said i love you and I swear I still do>
I really hope for you to see that and realize how much I love you. I don’t want you to come back if you don’t want to but please don’t take yourself away from me.
Always yours,
Angela.
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Plagues Against Mankind That We Shouldn’t Have To Deal With At This Point What The Huck
When your hair looks beyond amazing but no matter how many pictures you take it looks bad on film so you’re left alone in your room at 4:43 am suffering because you’ll now never have photographic evidence of the time your hair looked like it was styled by the angel’s themselves just in time for you to rush off to the Royal Ball. Only you will ever have this knowledge. You know the hair will be a mess by the time you see another human being again. Cursed.
Un-skippable ads in the MIDDLE of videos. what the hell.
When you order a Bloody Mary but it just tastes like straight tomato juice and nothing else
When you’re romantically frustrated and No One Wants To Take One For The Team And Just Date You Already
M. Night Shyamalan announcing a live action Avatar: The Last Airbender Two in 2017 the Year the Lord Abandoned Us, Apparently
The unseen forces that walk and jump on your roof all night long. They sound too heavy to be squirrels or raccoons. You never see anything up there when you check outside. You go back inside and the noises immediately resume, only this time you can now hear them laughing at you. Why Cant The Invisible Edgelords Remain Calm
Those birds that just dive right in front of your moving car
Owls in places and times where there Shouldn’t Be Owls
Donald Trump
When the dude living in your walls won’t stop blasting his techno bop music
Having to use your rock pet to kill attacking bugs because you have no other means of defense
the fact that I don’t know how to access podcasts and if I ask I’ll sound stupid
When your glasses are always smudged or dirty no matter what the hell you do seriously how the hell has no one invented something to stop this yet
When the Slurpee machines are always out of blue raspberry
When people reference ‘the office’ while talking to you but you don’t get the joke because you’ve never seen ‘the office’ and when you tell them that you’ve never seen ‘the office’ they look at you as if you personally skinned their great grandmother alive
That...the fricking,,,,,,warm thing in the air that makes my body moist. Why that there. unnecessary attack from the planet. why. I want sweaters not sweat
the fact that I Have No One To See Spider-Man:Homecoming With And I Am Distressed
When the wild rabbits don’t pick up on your psychic communication that you are one of them and they run from you
When the wine is expired
When your favorite flowers only bloom for like one week a year
The fact that you are currently not eating chocolate
Donald Trump
The fact that there currently is not Buffalo Chicken Dip entering my body
Those people that walk up moving escalators
The guy that dresses up as Sulley in Disney World that grabbed my ass when I took a picture with him
Every Villain Is Lemon
When all of your facebook memories are boring or depressing
The Cicadas That Are Laying In Wait
Those people that are rude to waiters and waitresses
When you wanna write something but you’re hit with the overwhelming feeling that no one will ever wanna read it so What’s The Point
Batteries dying
The Vampire That Twerks Behind You Every Time You Look In A Mirror But You Can’t See Him Because He’s A Vampire But You Have The Overwhelming Feeling Of Knowledge That There’s A Vampire Twerking Behind You
The fact that Owen Wilson will never truly know we Value Him
When you’re not even making noise but a random old man complains about how much noise you’re making
The fact that there isn’t a 24/7 Law and Order: SVU channel
People who can’t make up their minds about Dr. Phil
Cramps
really just wanna circle back here to the fact that my hair looks amazing right now I look like a 16th century maiden who is escaping her tower to attend the ball where she must slay the beast to save the kingdom this is my authentic past life coming through to make my hair look effortlessly gorgeous but the camera is not cooperating and No One Will Ever Truly Know
Good tv shows getting cancelled
People that unironically wanna have sex with Bill Cipher
Being awake at 5:36 in the morning
The glowing orb that refuses to move out of your sock drawer
Those little green men that sometimes escape out of jars in your cabinets and you gotta battle them for dominance of your own kitchen or else they’ll add too much paprika to all your meals...like, what’s their deal?
cats that don’t love you back
papayas
Clovers that don’t have four leafs
When you have to have matching socks to look professional
ageing
the T-Rex that insists on stomping down the street every time you’re trying to sleep
Aliens being hidden by the government
When you rhyme by accident
When you try to rhyme on purpose but can’t think of anything
The fact that I just had to google how to spell ‘rhyme’
Gender Stereotypes
The decreasing firefly population
7th graders that constantly stick their fingers through circles as a means of silently making sex jokes
Weeds that are taller than me I must be the Dominant Inconvenience
Fahrenheit vs Celsius
Telemarketers
Those guys that come up to your house to try to get you to buy Verizon Fios
We’re Running Out Of Chocolate
When John Oliver Steals Words Out Of Your Mouth Before You Can Even Think Them Like The Creature From Midnight
Zac Efron not showing up to the HSM 10th anniversary party
People who just really causally do splits or impossible stretches while your tensed up immobile ass is forced to watch
When You start doing squats but it starts making your butt get smaller and you grow distressed
People that are, like, unironically mean to other people. What the f o c k
All my socks developing holes in them
Crushes that go nowhere
the fact that no one ever thinks to respect the soft, gentle Molepeople that have been quietly helping our civilization along without reward for hundreds of centuries
Werewolves getting mistaken for Skinwalkers
The giant ball of flesh under the ocean that’s just waiting to destroy us all
People Who Don’t Get Your Sense Of Humor
No one acknowledging your selfies
Hunters and Cryptozoologists not taking the hint that Bigfoot simply isn’t interested
The fact I can’t figure out a clever way to end this post
Mankind Becoming the Plague Itself
Conan O’Brien and his immense hidden power that everyone chooses to foolishly ignore. One day, he will reveal his true form and strike.
#I'm tired#relatable#this post sponsored by: my hair#just girly things#lol#molly mumbles#I don't think i'll remember typing this up later tbh
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ccxii.
2701. What does ��equal’ mean? >> Taking random pieces of the 5000q survey is fun. Anyway, I’m not Google. 2702. Do you believe in the phrase 'all men are created equal’? >> I believe in striving, despite biological and social conditioning, to treat other human beings as equally as possible. Even if you don’t entirely succeed, the effort itself has effect. What about woman? >> See above. 2703. Have all persons been specifically 'created’? >> I don’t believe so, but I like the idea. 2704. Are all persons exactly equal? >> I think “people are all equal” doesn’t exactly sound logical. I think “all people should be treated with the same amount of respect, no matter their skin colour, their hormonal/genital configuration, their religious affiliation or lack thereof, their cultural ties, their national ties, their perceived intelligence, their health, or any other criterion a human could possibly use to set someone apart from themself” is what people mean, though, and yes, I agree with that.
2705. Or do they just have equal rights (in theory)? >> That’ll teach me not to read ahead. 2706. Does art reflect society or does society reflect art? >> I think it’s both, simultaneously. 2707. Are you living under a little black raincloud or a ray of sunshine? >> The weather is never constant, right? 2708. What do you wonder about? >> What don’t I wonder about? 2709. What is better..being single and free or being in love and responsible to another person? >> I don’t think either state is better than the other. Nor do I think the “free/un-free” dichotomy of thought is logical. Being in a committed relationship doesn’t restrict my freedom in any ways that I can’t handle or appreciate. A wild thing does not like being tamed, but a wild thing also appreciates having a home to come to, and appreciates not being a slave to survival instinct. A wild thing learns to adapt. 2710. What vitamins do you take? >> I don’t. 2711. In checkers..red or black? >> Meh. 2712. Is The Crow a great movie? >> It’s still one of my enduring favourites. 2713. Do you wear all black frequently? >> Yes, mostly unintentionally these days. 2714. Do you ever call yourself a poet, artist, or musician? >> Yes. Has your writing been published, your art been hung in a gallery or your band been signed? >> I’ve had art displayed in a gallery before. In SoHo. Sounds pretty fancy when I say it like that, right? (I’m not even lying or embellishing, it’s just the circumstances weren’t exactly merit-based or anything. If I had the patience to look for the photo, I’d paste it here.) Does it matter? >> Does it matter if my art is published/displayed? Eh, not particularly. 2715. When insects get into your house, do you kill them or catch them and take them ouside or leave them alone and let them live with you? >> Spiders I usually have to take outside for Sparrow’s sake; most other bugs I just leave alone. 2716. Name at least one person who’s birthday is in: Jan.- Feb.- Anubis. Mar.- Krister. Apr.- May- Me. And Lucian. And darzie. And Candace, I believe. June- July- Arthur, I think? Aug.- Dad. Vlad. Sigma. Sept- Oct- Sparrow. Nov- Phoenix. Valkenhayn. Dec- Caspyr. 2717. Which would you consider to be a worse criminal: a pedophile or a necrophile? >> Neither is a criminal, not inherently. What if it was between a pedophile, a necrophile and a murderer? >> A murderer, however, is a criminal, inherently. 2718. Do we start to die the day we are born or start to live the day we die? >> I think the former is more biologically sound. Both have poetic potential. 2719. Have you ever called your mom or dad a four letter word? >> Certainly not to his face. 2720. Do you believe america should go to war with iraq? >> Heh. 2721. Agree or disagree? (Bold is agree) “There is too much concern in courts for the rights of criminals.” “Abortion should be legal.” “The death penalty should be abolished.” “Marijuana should be legalized.” “It is important to have laws prohibiting homosexual relationships.” “The federal government should do more to control the sale of handguns.” “Racial discrimination is no longer a major problem in America.” “Wealthy people should pay a larger share of taxes than they do now.” “Colleges should prohibit racist/sexist speech on campus.” “Same-sex couples should have the right to legal marital status.” “Affirmative action in college admissions should be abolished.” “The activities of married women are best confined to the home and family.” “People should not obey laws which violate their personal values.” “Federal military spending should be increased.” “Realistically, an individual can do little to bring about changes in our society.” Why did you agree or disagree to that last statement? >> I disagree because I think a certain amount of social change begins with oneself, and one’s household, and one’s social circle. A certain amount of social change also begins in legislation, and in media. But what one can do, to improve the lives of the people around oneself, to improve one’s community, that’s definitely important and often overlooked. 2722. Let’s say that after you die you become a spirit and you join all the other spirits. Not all of them have lived. You are talking to some who have never lived about how you HAVE lived. One of the spirits who has never lived says they think they will travel to earth in a human body soon and live. They ask you what three things on Earth should I be sure not to miss? You say… 1. Learning to accept both fear and love as intrinsic to the human condition will take you far and serve you well. 2. Look for the divine. Keep looking. Always look. You’ll see a lot of cool shit along the way. 3. Listen to a lot of music. Read a lot of books. Eat well and drink merrily. Do a drug or two. It’s such a short trip. 2723. What kind of ass is the sexiest (flat, round, tight, hard, meaty, juicy, small, big, stacked, packed, petite, barely there, curvey, muscular, etc.)? >> Hmm. 2724. Is there something beautiful and special about everyone? >> If one wants to find something beautiful, or something special, one will. If one doesn’t want to, one won’t. If yes is there something beautiful and special about Hitler? >> If I were looking to find something beautiful, or something special, in Hitler, I guarantee you I’d find it. As it stands, though, I don’t really care. How about Bin Laden? >> See above. What is it? >> He likes Final Fantasy, apparently. There, you happy? 2725. Have you ever moshed? >> No. I know my place and my place is at the front row making heart eyes at the band. If yes to what bands? If no then would you ever? >> No. 2726. Do you like sushi? >> I like it fine, but not often. 2727. What mood are you in? >> An unremarkable one. Kinda worried that I didn’t get enough sleep, but that sort of thing usually works itself out. Also, I can get by on five hours just fine, it’s not even that big a deal. What does your mood depend on? >> Brain chemicals, sensory input, and circumstance. What depends on your mood? >> How I socialise, usually. 2728. wHAT IS faith? >> The belief in things often unseen or unverified. what is common sense? >> Paying attention, usually. But sometimes things labelled “common sense” are just things that people have been taught to believe or accept without question. Sometimes that works out all right in the end, but sometimes it really doesn’t. Do you have either or both of them? >> I have both, sure. (And both kinds of “common sense”, too.) 2729. Is perfection or imperfection more beautiful? >> First, I’d have to understand perfection (and I don’t). 2730. Would you think a person doing the following things has a healthy or unhealthy level of insanity? gives the finger while driving? I don’t think that’s insane, just rude. tells their life story to people they just met? I don’t think that’s insane, just socially frowned upon. walks up to people and tried to convert them to a religion? I don’t think that’s insane, just rude. says blah? I don’t think that’s insane, or even remarkable... 2731. Do you think this is a great line of poetry: “Journey with me into the mind of a maniac. Doomed to be a killer since I came out the nutsac” Why or why not? >> I don’t find it particularly interesting. 2732. Do you think that song lyrics are poems with music? >> Yes. 2733. In cases of rape which do you think is more of a crime: a stranger rapes a girl OR a girl’s boyfriend rapes her? >> Rape is a crime, period. There is no “more” or “less” illegal/harmful. It’s just illegal and harmful, and that’s that on that. 2734. Did you know that in the USA it is considered to be LESS of a crime if a rapist knows the victim (because it is 'less of a crime’ the rapist gets a less severe punishment)? Do you agree or disagree and why? >> If that’s true, then it sounds absolutely absurd to me. 2735. In the USA a few weeks ago a guy had beaten up and raped his girlfriend, for which he got 70 days of community service. He had been found guilty, got a year and a half of jail, BUT can you guess why his sentence was reduced to mere community service? He had a steady job. That’s right. He was found less guilty, because he had a long-term steady job. How does this make you feel? >> That’s an absurd way to serve justice. 2736. Does the character limit of notes or entries annoy you more? >> --- 2737. wHO’S YOUR FAVORITE WRESTLER? >> It’s always going to be The Rock, even though I don’t actually watch wrestling now that I no longer know the family that I knew that was obsessed with it. 2738. Have you ever been trapped in an elevator? >> No. 2739. What is more important, tact or honesty? >> That is circumstantial. 2740. Do you have a mentor? Who? >> No. 2741. If you like guys: would you rather have a 'bad’ guy (motorcycles, smokes, drinks, etc) or a 'good’ guy (family, domesticated, nice guy)? I’d rather not make people into character tropes. Would you rather have a virgin or a more experienced guy? -- If you like girls: Would you rather have a virgin or a more experianced girl? -- would you rather have a 'bad’ girl (motorcycles, smokes, drinks, etc) or a 'good’ girl (family, domesticated, nice girl)? -- 2742. Do you feel nervous in crowds? >> “Sensory overload” is a more appropriate term for what I feel in crowds. 2743. Did you write a real entry today? What about? Was it your best writing? >> (I think this survey was first posted on LiveJournal.) 2744. If you were making a 'best of’ entry about your BEST entries ever what would be your top 5 best entries? >> --- 2745. Do you like to play the lottery? >> No. 2746. Guess what? >> Hrm. 2747. Why did you choose to live one more day? >> I didn’t choose, exactly, but I’m certainly glad to do so. 2748. What is the most beautiful myth you have ever read/heard? >> The existence of myth is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever read/heard, period. 2749. Have you ever been stood up? >> Sure. 2750. Finish the following sentences any way you want. It’s always darkest before.. you turn the bathroom light on. Never underestimate the power of.. small insects in large groups. Don’t bite the hand that.. has poison on it. A miss is as good as a.. mister. If you lie down with dogs, you.. get free cuddles. and maybe fleas. Love all, trust.. no fart. The pen is mightier than.. a pencil. An idle mind is.. a relief, sometimes. Where there is smoke, there’s.. a smoker. Happy is the bride who.. gets enough sleep. Two is company, three’s.. even more company. None are so blind as.. voles. You get out of something what you.. reach for. When the blind lead the blind.. their guide dogs play. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you. Cry and.. the whole world suddenly remembers they had something important to do elsewhere. 2751. What’s the most interesting assignment you ever had in school? >> I’m not sure. 2752. What’s the most interesting thing you ever had to do for work? >> --- 2753. Do you feel: insignificant? No. unable to evoke change? No. like one person can’t change the world? No. like one life and one person’s suffering doesn’t mean very much? No. If you answered yes to any of those can you describe why in detail? >> --- 2754. Do you feel like you could contribute as much to society as ____ has? Albert Einstein: The answer to all these is ‘yes, just not in the same ways’. Abe Lincoln: Franz Kafka: Jesus Christ: 2755. Are you aware that your brain is the same size as Albert Einstein’s brain? >> Yes. Do you realize that you have the same number of hours in a day as Abraham Lincoln? >> Yes.
Did you know that Franz Kafka wrote all of his amazing litterature during his lunchbreaks at work? >> I didn’t, but neat. Did you know that we are all made of matter and that you are made of the Same Thing that Jesus was made of? >> Sure. Do you still believe that you couldn’t contribute as much to society as they did? If yes than WHY? >> Well, I didn’t believe that in the first place, so. But that’s a good argument you set up, there. 2756. Is your mind in the gutter? >> Usually. 2757. What do you have to complain about? >> Whatever I feel the desire to complain about. It’s my experience, I can interpret it in whatever way I feel like. 2758. Do you remember rock n’ roll radio? >> No. 2759. Is there such a thing as a food that you burn more calories from digesting than you actually absorb from it? >> I wouldn’t know. 2760. Hey, if you’ve gotten this far than you and me go way back. We’ve been hanging out for a while now and I gotta know..do you like me? >> Haha. 2761. What are you doing, Dave? >> If my name was David, I’d ignore anyone who shortened it to Dave. 2762. As far as love goes do you feel it is better to become complete before looking for someone or find someone who completes you? >> I think that people kind of throw those words around because they sound nice and pithy, but they don’t really have a full understanding of what they’re trying to say. I might be wrong, of course, but that’s my interpretation. A person is already complete, and also always evolving. There is nothing to “become”. And a relationship is a making of one out of multiple -- it is two complete entities creating a new thing through their union. We don’t say that wood and nails and brick and mortar were all incomplete things before they were used to make a building. But in the making of a building, those complete things have come together to form something new, something that without any of those parts would fall apart. But hey, also! a brick that doesn’t go towards the construction of a building is still a damn cool brick. Ya dig? Yeah, I don’t know, either. 2763. What attracts you about the opposite sex (or same sex, or both sexes)? >> I’m not entirely sure how attraction works. It just does what it wants. 2764. Do you need people or do you not need anyone? >> I am a social creature. I require other people to stay alive. 2765. Is selfishness always bad? >> No. Is selflessness always good? >> No.
2766. Do you feel like your life is being controlled by a power structure? >> Certain aspects of it are, of course. Those aren’t necessarily the parts of my life that matter most to me, but they are still important. 2767. Can you name three things in society that send the message that being completely yourself and that looking inside yourself and contemplating what’s within is a good thing? >> I don’t feel like it right now, but I know it’s a prominent paradigm in recent generations. 2768. Can you name three things in society that send the message that materialism and the accumulation of stuff is a good thing? >> See above. 2769. What is more important, a picture or its frame? >> Some frames are also works of art. But some frames are just meant to enclose and protect works of art. Don’t think that makes them less important, but their importance is different. What is more important, spirituality or religion? >> Important to what? 2770. How many definitions can you come up with for the word 'fuck’? >> I’m sure Google can think of many more than I can right now. 2771. Is it less offensive when a black person says Nigger than when a white person says it? >> For me, yes, it is. Why or why not? >> Because as a black person, I understand that most other black people’s usage of it is not meant to insult me or reinforce one’s sense of superiority over me. And I understand that most white people’s usage of it is absolutely meant to insult me, reinforce one’s sense of superiority over me, or -- nowadays -- meant to “troll” me, to goad me into responding in a way they can smugly label ‘irrational’. A black person calls me “my nigga” and I feel kinship. A white person calls me “my nigger” and I feel subjugated. That’s never going to be untrue for me. 2772. Do you rationalize often? >> Sure. We all do. 2773. Do you believe that america is an imperialist nation? >> Yes. 2774. Would you agree that: hot topic is the new abercrombie? pink is the new black: you are the new you? 2775. Do you have more internet or real life friends? >> All my friends are people I know through the internet. 2776. What IS the feeding of 5000? >> The what? 2777. What’s an easy way to make money? >> Fiverr. 2778. What’s your favorite slang word and what does it mean? >> “dead ass” and “whole ass” are still favourites of mine. 2779. Are you uncomfortable? >> Right now? Somewhat. My digestive system is being worrisome. I’m hoping it just passes without incident. I plan on enjoying as many moments of this day as possible, considering I’ve been waiting three months for it. 2780. Is anything definite besides death and taxes? >> Neither of those are definite, depending on your philosophy and your socioeconomic class... 2781. Would you rather live fast and die young or live slow and die old? >> Live slow and die old does seem to be more my speed; my moments of living fast are exactly that-- moments. I have no desire to die young. 2782. Can you name 4 people who have committed crimes against humanity? >> I’m sure I could. But I won’t. How do you think they live with themselves? >> --- 2783. If you could imagine, pure fantasy, any God you could concieve, how would you want God to be? >> But... any god I can conceive already exists, somewhere. 2784. do you think the smashing pumpkins have a strong christian theme? >> I never paid attention. 2785. Do you think this survey has a strong christian theme? >> Not this section. Can’t speak for the others. 2786. Fill in the blank for yourself" Give me ____ or give me death! >> Nah. 2787. Have you ever heard of the USA patriotism act? Apparently they have passed laws making torture legal. Also the FBI can sneak and peek into ANYONE’S home. They don’t have to ask or even tell you they were there. This is already the law. So, whaddaya think? >> I mean, I’ve been hearing that for years. It hasn’t changed how I live my life. 2788. The people in power step all over the average citizen, trying to secure all the power and money for themselves and leave us with no rights and under their control. They have the audacity to do this because they know that we will not lift a finger to stop them. Are they right? >> I think it’s a little more complex than that, but it is also not my area of expertise, so. 2789. The Free State Project is a plan in which 20,000 or more liberty-oriented people will move to a single state of the U.S. to secure there a free society. They will accomplish this by first reforming state law, opting out of federal mandates, and finally negotiating directly with the federal government for appropriate political autonomy. They want to be a community of freedom-loving individuals and families, and want to create a shining example of liberty for the rest of the nation and the world. What’s your opinion? Could this work? Why or why not? >> I don’t know enough about governmental systems, especially ones formed from schism, to judge whether it could work or not. I’d support the effort, either way. 2790. Have you ever seen the Neverending Stroy? Remember when Bastian has to prove his worth by looking in that mirror where you see yourself the way you really are with no pretenses, rationalizations or mental lying? Could you stand yourself if you looked into that mirror? >> I’ve seen much worse than that. 2791. What is soilent green? >> Soilent Green is a metal band. Or, was. They probably aren’t still together. Soylent Green, on the other hand, is a movie (and a book, I think?). 2792. What are you proud that you have never done? >> Well, I’m glad I’ve never murdered anyone. That prison time would not suit me. 2793. What things are hopeless? >> I wouldn’t know. 2794. What Are People For? >> Meh? 2795. What book do you feel could change someone’s life? >> That is way too subjective. 2796. Didja ever want to just walk up to the Bush administration and ask them, 'What the fuck?’ >> I mean, probably, at some point. 2797. How do you take your coffeee? >> A little light, a little sweet. 2798. Have you ever played: paintball? No. lazer tag? No. which is better? --- 2799. In what ways are you lucky? >> I don’t know how much of my life to attribute to luck. 2800. If Jesse Jackson wants reparations to be given to black people because he thinks that black people don’t have equal opportunities in this country than why does he drive a Jaguar? >> I can hazard a few guesses: 1) he thinks Jaguar makes good cars; 2) he enjoys the symbols of status; 3) he believes he deserves expensive things. I understand that driving a Jag makes him appear to profit from the very system he’s preaching against, and maybe that’s true. Jesse Jackson very well may be a hypocrite. Here’s the thing: I’m not particularly invested in hanging Jesse Jackson for it.
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FULL PRESENTATION SCRIPT PHILOSOPHY AS RESEARCH METHOD:
PHILOSOPHY AS A RESEARCH METHOD
Abril Sigle
Giulia Procopio
Venus
Fiona Harnett
Our group has been looking at philosophy as a research method
Why philosophy? Philosophy is an attempt to express the infinity of the universe in terms of the limitations of language.
ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER "All willing arises from want, therefore from deficiency
That having been said, atheism does seem to be a clear implication of Schopenhauer’s system: for given that this world is essentially blind eternal will to life, there does not seem to be any need for an intelligent and good God who creates this world.Schopenhauer’s discovery that the underlying “essence” of life is will is not a happy one. For, as the second of the Buddha’s “Four Noble Truths” tells us, to will is to suffer. What follows, as the first of the “Truths” tells us, is that life is suffering, from which Schopenhauer concludes that “it would be better for us not to exist”. He offers two main arguments in support of the claim that to will is (mostly) to suffer, the first of which I shall call the “competition argument” and the second the “stress-or-boredom argument”.In a manner reminiscent of traditional Buddhism, he recognizes that life is filled with unavoidable frustration, and acknowledges that the suffering caused by this frustration can itself be reduced by minimizing one’s desires.
The World as the Will:
●The Will is the actual and ultimate reality of the world and ourselves
●It is “the-thing-in-itself”
●We cannot know the Will itself but we every individual is a manifestation of the Will
●The Will can be seen in every action of the body and impression on the body (emotions, ect)
●The Will is violent
●Every act (manifestation of the Will) is either an act of procreation or destruction ●The mind is “self-deceiving” of the Will
ULTIMATE REALITY
●There is no hope in life
●Happiness is unattainable
●Any arts, morals, or sciences are only distortions of the will
•Seen as good, but are actually the manifestation of the Will
●Suicide may seem like the perfect escape, being the last act if the Will
BYUNG-CHUL HAN
Much of Han's writing is characterised by an underlying concern with the situation encountered by human subjects in the fast-paced, technologically-driven state of late capitalism. The situation is explored in its various facets through his books: sexuality, mental health (particularly burnout, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), violence, freedom, technology, and popular culture. Han also uses his Eastern roots in his philosophical thinking. Back in 2002, when he was still an unknown, he published a book called The Philosophy of Zen-Buddhism. In this book, he illustrates that the Buddhist concept of ‘nothingness’—as the absence of an exclusive subjectivity—is what makes Buddhism pacifistic and non-violent, because there is no essence where power can be concentrated. Also, the concept of ‘emptiness’ is the reason why narcissism is something very un-Buddhist. There is no unchangeable ‘me’ in the mirror; rather, I am being formed by life.
“The acceleration of contemporary life also plays a role in this lack of being. The society of laboring and achievement is not a free society. It generates new constraints. Ultimately, the dialectic of master and slave does not yield a society where everyone is free and capable of leisure, too. Rather, it leads to a society of work in which the master himself has become a laboring slave. In this society of compulsion, everyone carries a work camp inside. This labor camp is defined by the fact that one is simultaneously prisoner and guard, victim and perpetrator. One exploits oneself. It means that exploitation is possible even without domination.” ― Byung-Chul Han, The Burnout Society Self exploitation.
In Han’s opinion, society’s attitude has moved from “we have to do it” to “we can do it.” “We live with the anguish of not always doing what we are able to do.” “Today a person exploits themselves believing they are fulfilling themselves. It is the wicked logic of neoliberalism that culminates in the syndrome of the burned-out worker.” This has a very damaging effect. “There is no one the revolution can attack, repression does not come from other people.” It is the “alienation of one’s self” that can manifest as anorexia, overeating or the over-consumption of consumer or leisure products.
“There is only one inborn error, and that is the notion that we exist in order to be happy... So long as we persist in this inborn error... the world seems to us full of contradictions. For at every step, in things great and small, we are bound to experience that the world and life are certainly not arranged for the purpose of maintaining a happy existence... hence the countenances of almost all elderly persons wear the expression of what is called disappointment.”
― Arthur Schopenhauer
JOSEPH CAMPBELL
“We're so engaged in doing things to achieve purposes of outer value that we forget the inner value, the rapture that is associated with being alive, is what it is all about.” ― Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth
The divine manifestation is ubiquitous, Only our eyes are not open to it. Awe is what moves us forward.
Live from your own center. The divine lives within you. The separateness apparent in the world is secondary. Beyond the world of opposites is an unseen, but experienced, unity and identity in us all.
Today the planet is the only proper “in group.” Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy. ~Joseph Campbell
“You must have a room, or a certain hour or so a day, where you don’t know what was in the newspapers that morning, you don’t know who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe anybody, you don’t know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation. At first you may find that nothing happens there. But if you have a sacred place and use it, something eventually will happen.” ― Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth
RINKO KAWAUCHI
The first photographer that I am going to share with you is Rinko Kawauchi, she’s someone whose work I am sure that you are all familiar with.
Her art is rooted in Shinto the ethnic Religion of the people of Japan. According to Shinto, all things on earth have a spirit, hence no subject is too small or mundane for her work; she also photographs "small events glimpsed in passing," conveying a sense of transience, for example this chick hatching from an egg.
She encourages the viewer to use their imagination to interpret her images. This series on murmuration epitomises notions of transience.
The philosopher Schopenhauer believed that art ( and that moment when engaging with great beauty takes us out of ourselves) was the only means to escape, however fleetingly, what he called the “will to live”. The purity of Kawauchi’s work can also be seen as an escape - moments of existence captured, never to be repeated.
She says that thinking too much is boring, not good. It stops the surprising from coming through. When a picture happens, she says thank you and moves on. It is only afterwards that she becomes the editor and imposes meaning on the work.
Schopenhauer interprets death as the aim and purpose of life and the origin of all philosophy. He maintains that to live is to suffer, that the triumph of death is inevitable, and that existence is a constant dying. So what happens when an artist finds out they have a life threatening illness.
GREG GILBERT
Greg Gilbert was the lead singer of an indie band - The Delays. On a UK tour back in 2014, he was having the time of his life, he’d just become a father and had settled with his girlfriend. But he found himself in constant extreme pain and was diagnosed with cancer. At the moment doctors told him there was nothing they could do he says he felt an interconnectedness between everything.
https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2017-09-08/convalescence-art-and-politics-greg-gilbert-on-living-with-cancer/ Here’s an interview where he talks about his creativity has been shaped by his diagnosis
https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2017-09-08/the-tyranny-of-positivity-musician-greg-gilbert-on-his-battle-with-cancer/ Greg Gilbert on the tyranny of positivity: What he said in the video...If video doesn’t work :(
As the father of two young children it is particularly cruel, the odds of recovery, slim. Whilst he believes in positivity…..he finds the “everything will be alright attitude” wearing. The thing that helps him most is ploughing his energy into his creative work; writing, drawing, reading.
The images are surreal in content, and while there’s no clear narrative expressed by them, they reflect some of the darkness Gilbert experienced as he underwent his first bout of chemotherapy.
He used one of the drawings from this sequence on the cover for a pamphlet of poems entitled Love Makes A Mess of Dying.Which brings me to: Jo Spence...
JO SPENCE
I recently wrestled with my own feelings about seeing the Jo Spence exhibition. I think Schopenhauer would say my fear of cancer is an inevitable part of my miserable existence and being able to view her work only through my narrative of fear, is a sign that I am being driven by my ego.
Here is a picture from the Final Project, in 1990 where she has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. During her second illness , photo therapy proved emotionally difficult, so a more story telling approach evolved. At the bottom she has written ‘What 1991 felt like, and in brackets most of the time.
“All the gods, all the heavens, all the hells, are within you.” ― Joseph Campbell
Conclusion
THE END
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The (necessary) illusion of Model United Nations
I have been doing MUN for the past 3 years almost on a non-stop basis. I used to be obsessed about it and what it can offer. Done those both nationally and internationally. Now as I slowly retire from the scene, I can say this with a fresher eye: MUN is an illusion, however, a necessary illusion for a period of time. I guess I would not introduce what MUN is (if you dont know, google it.) But what I really want to stress in here is the point that doing MUN is important, but not too much. I have met so many people around the world who seem to be addicted with MUN. Some nations are far more insane about it than others. Venezuelans go to international MUNs such as Harvard National MUN with its astronomical costs despite their economic crisis back home. Indians and South Asians in general could be crazier, a lot of MUN people I met from there did at least more than 50 (FIFTY) TO 60 (SIXTY) MUN conferences since their high school times (average Indonesian MUN delegates I observed participated in about 6-10 MUNs becausw it is indeed expensive). And man, they are ambitious as heck. The Dutch created United Netherlands, basically a "national team" dedicated to win international MUNs and the Peruvians created Peruvian Universities, a team of multiple universities in Peru that won many world-class awards. But what's the deal with it anyway? It has to do a lot with the idea that you simulate the process to world peace. In a way, yes MUN could be an embodiment of world peace itself. When you participate in international level MUNs like Harvard World MUN or The European International MUN, you do meet people from other countries. And they brought with them stories and cultures which would be great to be exchanged with ours. Meeting people of all races and kinds do give your eyes a great opening and instill that idea that "Man, I am in charge of making peace in this world now". You will be put around young "diplomats" from Africa, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Russia, and all corners of the world, and you are tasked to solve problems, complex and sophisticated problems like world hunger, refugee crisis in Europe, war in the Middle East, post-war state building in Western Sahara, or as one of my experiences would say, structural reform of the European Union. However, those are illusions. Yes, those topics seems to be complex and sophisticated, but I can tell from my experience, with young high school and college students that have no deep field experience about the problems they are tasked to solve, gathering and discussing to find a solution, they end up oversimplifying the problems at hand. Really. For example, in MUN, there is something I call the "standard package of solution" a.k.a. overused template of solution, a.k.a. fricking cliche bla-bla-blas. They are solutions that go around "regional cooperation, cooperation with media, long term education, creating a new UN body on X issue, financing assistance from developed countries to developing countries, campaign to promote X idea" and stuff. Man, you could go to MUN in Jakarta and then do one in Boston and you would find that package. Whether you discuss about refugee crisis, economic reform, or warfare in the Middle East, you will find that package. It is a sign of inexperienced students trying to solve deep and complex world problems. And that's what you get, the illusion of having big grand ideas that will change the world but untested on grounds, and unseen on the fields. Talking about changing the world, let us observe how MUN can change the world. Usually after passing a resolution that goes through tough political fight, you would feel accomplished, that there is something you contributed towards world peace. Again, this is an illusion. Most (and I think by "most" is 98% of the) resolutions do not even get any recognition from the real United Nations. They are usually just a .docx file gone minutes after the awarding session, losing all the importance after we found out who the Best Delegate is. (And with the current popular scoring system, ironically, the Best Delegate could be a delegate that actually lost in the draft resolution voting). The duration of the conferences also plays it part. Usually MUN lasts about 2 to 6 days. And then, that's it. Of course, it could seem to be grueling (trust me, a 6 days MUN conference will exhaust you) and it does give us a sense of accomplishment somehow, like after putting a long good fight. But hey, changes aren't made in 6 days. Real changes come after months or years of work. This will also serve for elite level meeting, say the Parliament. Passing a new law won't change things. But enforcing it, which of course could take years to accomplish, will change things. The danger of this world-problems-solver illusion is that it could create a kind of elitist bubble. Smart young students going to MUNs and glad that they solved problems yet do not realize that they are far off from the reality. And even more dangerous if they are satisfied with their MUN awards and accomplishment, perceiving that those are indeed achievements they can be proud of. Winning one or two Best Delegate awards, they are hungry for more and jump in to more conferences. It will seriously distract them from doing real work with longer time commitments to actually help people. The most terrifying possibility is that they will feel that their winning of MUN is enough to keep them satisfied, enough to make them a great person. Yet, with all of those dangers and illusions, I still however think that MUN is a necessary illusion. I would say that the importance of it lays in the divide between constructive imagination and destructive obsession. MUN indeed have strong benefits, and I have to credit my MUN experience for a lot of things that has made me who I am today. Negotiation, public speaking, persuasion, those are the qualities I learn from MUN, and without my MUN experience perhaps I would be less sharpened on them. It is indeed began from a constructive imagination, the way you imagine yourself as a diplomat tasked to solve complex problems ahead of you. And I personally think that the most valuable thing is friendship won. With MUN, you really meet people from all degrees and spectrum, and you really can see the world, although perhaps still superficially, but wide enough to humble your existence. Friendship, I think, is the most important benefit of doing Model United Nations. Just like gathering with people who have the same interest with you, MUN would be a great start for a long and lifetime friendship from the collective participation in an illusion. A necessary illusion, indeed. Nowadays, there are far more people doing MUN than when I began doing it three years ago. Yet I saw that some of them are going on the trajectory of destructive obsession part of the illusion. High schoolers are more than ever ambitious to win the Best Delegate awards, some even beat college-level experienced delegates. Now before they are trapped into the elitist bubble I have mentioned before, they have to learn when to finally stop doing MUN and start doing real work of change. If you are a seasoned MUN delegate and you start to keep thinking about "how could I win the next Best Delegate award", you have to stop. Because you already miss the point of MUN. The conferences itself should never be the end point of your achievements. In fact, I believe that it should be the beginning point of your real work for the society. I have many friends from MUN who are working on real work of changes like in climate and environmental issue, inter-religious relations, and others. I myself am working with my friends to build a filmmaking movement that focuses on social and political impact and to give voice to the voiceless, the Gerilya Film Mahasiswa. And I can say that this all began with my MUN experience, with the question on how can we all do something after passing a resolution. The "Best Delegate" award and certificate will blur itself to the background when the question "Okay, then what have you done to help the community around you?" arises. I believe that everyone could learn from MUN, and it is not and never about being the Best Delegate. It is about actually working and fighting for the values that we move forward on the resolutions. Yes, we could be illusioned on solving complex world problems, but without those illusion, we might never be initiated to dream big. The illusion of MUN is necessary to spark inspiration and imagination to solve world problems and therefore initiate action. We do not have to solve the refugee crisis or be the middle-person in a civil war somewhere now, but we can begin by little and small steps, going ahead. We should always ask ourselves this: "What is my resolution to help the people around me? And what have I done about it?" Because world peace and happiness is never about the United Nations fighting on it. World peace and happiness is about everyone, you and I, him and her, us and them, fighting on it. So, what is your resolution, delegate? #ModelUnitedNations
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