#like. repeat that sentence to yourself. and then apply some critical thinking

[stellacendia]

Actually I've decided I'm sick of being cis people's only irl experience with genderqueer/nonbinary people

[not-gae-cuz-i-like-straight-wae]

Part 1: Responding to Jeansaaa

I intended on writing both my response to jeansaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa and another person in one message, but there’s some delay and I only finished the first part some time ago, so I’ll split my message up in two parts with the second part coming later. So NOTE: this message does NOT contain all my answers to this subject and I WILL explain more about the “why’s” in the (I hope) near future.

Introduction:

It’s been a while, but I’ve finally decided to write the respond to both jeansaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa’s last message and someone who I spoke with in the private chat. I’ll start off by saying I’ll call jeansaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa just “Jeanaaa” for short and the other person I’ll simply call “ABC”, because this person preferred to remain anonymous. I’ll respond to this last person later on in this message too, because I might answer several questions others might have as well…

I can’t reblog Jeansaaa’s last message and reply to it, because Jeansaaa blocked me afterwards (I send him/her a private message and asked about whether he/she had never blocked me or unblocked me again and then Jeansaaa said he/she forgot to block me, made a joke about his/her memory, told me not to worry and said he/she would block me with a smiley... like, WHERE even is the logic in blocking someone like THAT), so I don’t even know if Jeansaaa will ever read my message. However, this is a reply to basically everyone who’d say the exact same things in a discussion about lgbt+, so that’s why I’m responding to his/her message anyway and the same thing goes for ABC. I will however speak directly to these people, because it is them who wrote me the things they wrote.

The last thing I wanna say before I actually start writing, is that I might use capital letters and exclamation marks. This, however, will be more often shoutouts out of surprise and confusion instead of anger and aggression or it will be just to emphasize parts of my sentences…

MY RESPOND TO: JEANSAAA

Jeansaaa’s last message:

Listen bro don’t take this personal I have no I’ll intentions at all and I don’t hate straight people ( I’m bi myself so i’m part straight ) but if you’re gonna post your opinions online than your gonna be subject to criticism, and the problem with straight pride is that for centuries lgbtq+ people have been called slurs, demonized even KILLED because of their sexuality, even to this day in certain countries it’s illegal to be to be part of the lgbtq+, until just RECENTLY gay marriage was illegal, nothing like that has happened to straight people, that’s why gay pride exists because homophobia is still ever present, but I’m not gonna shove this in your face, I’m just trying to let you know why gay pride exists and why straight pride doesn’t, have a good day dude 😊

“Don’t take this personal”

Okay, so first of all, EXCUSE ME?! I shouldn’t take it personal??? ERR. Aside from blocking me yourself, you LITERALLY told others to block me as well, so that is PRETTY personal!

No hate to straight people? WOW. I’m blown away!

Like I said before, it would be quite mankind-hating if you’d hate straight people! I know people don’t hate straight people (because THAT would be completely insane), but I still can’t believe we have come so far that you are criticized when you do say you’re straight! Because that’s what’s happening. Lgbt+ supporters want lgbt+ people to show everyone they’re not straight and straight people should shut up about being straight?!

I’m okay with criticism if it’s because I say THESE things…

Yes, I AM posting the things I say online. Those aren’t “opinions”, but I guess it wouldn’t even do any good anymore to explain that to you, so I’ll just say “opinions” to keep it simple… I know a lot of people have the same opinions as me. People that also have no ill intentions (towards the lgbt+ community itself as well), but (like me) they act the way they act and have opinions because they think about it themselves and NOT because the majority (or at least, the ones who are given a voice and scream the loudest and the ones that can control the governments and the media together with – of course – the large herd of people that blindly follows them) thinks that way. Unfortunately, many people don’t dare to stand up for their opinion anymore these days and those who do speak aloud are often silenced. Either because their account gets blocked if they’d speak on the internet or something even worse would happen if they’d stand up for their opinions in real life.

You’re calling the ENTIRE humanity before us STUPID…

So I have a question for you… You say: “for centuries lgbtq+ people have been called slurs, demonized even KILLED because of their sexuality” and you say “nothing like that has happened to straight people”. Now… Don’t you think there is a REASON why all these centuries people thought of lgbt+ as abnormal? Do you really think all these BILLIONS and BILLIONS of people that have lived on the Earth for CENTURIES just thought of lgbt+ as abnormal for absolutely NO REASON?!

Again: I don’t hate gays and don’t feel any need to discriminate them, in case you still thought I did after I already told you a hundred times I didn’t.

Look, I don’t justify the fact that people were killed because of whatever they thought they were or liked and I have said that before. I think they should have human (I repeat: HUMAN) rights and that they should be protected by the government in the country they live in (as long as they act normally, of course, but that applies to everyone). So if they’d get abused or they’d beaten up, the perpetrators should be punished! If people want to make decisions or changes to themselves, it’s their problem. That’s why I also wouldn’t hurt or scold anyone who’s – for example – gay. I fact, some of my very own friends are gay and they know how I think about it, but we have no problems with each other at all. So don’t pretend like I’M the one causing others frustration or whatever!

The problem.

And that’s why I think I should clarify myself one more time: I’m not against gay people. That’s their choice. What I am against is the lgbt+ AGENDA that is being executed (and that too is why I definitely wouldn’t support the lgbt+ community and why I openly said that on my account). I’m against the forcing of changing mankind’s morality. It’s totally fine (to me, at least) if you want to have an opinion, but why all that pushy hassle?! And now it even goes far beyond imposing opinions. Entire cities are changed. I know why and I’ll speak about this more extensively later on, but I’ll first finish my respond to what you’ve said.

I believe you are mistaken about your own goal.

You claim that gay pride is all to make sure gay people will have the same rights as straight people, right? I know many people do. Well, let me tell you something: the way you’re trying to achieve that WON’T change the fact that it’s illegal to be part of the lgbt+ community in some countries! Waving rainbow flags, painting rainbow zebra crossings and creating wall paintings of two men (like I have all seen more than once in my very own hometown and much, MUCH more in the capital city of the country I live in) won’t change a SHIT about what’s happening in faraway countries. And I can tell you another thing: in the places where all these changes for lgbt+ people are made, lgbt+ people already HAVE the same rights! So if you REALLY want to change anything in some country on the other side of the world, GO OVER THERE and try to convince them to treat lgbt+ people differently!

More than just normalizing (whether you acknowledge that or not).

But NO. That’s NOT what you all do. You wave all these flags and stuff here for another reason, because – like I said – lgbt+ people ARE accepted by the community in these countries and waving flags won’t change a thing ANYWHERE even IF it hadn’t already been legalized here. You wave these flags, paint these rainbow zebra crossings and create these wall paintings of two men because lgbt+ is already normalized here, but the lobby who created this agenda wanted people to take it much further than just normalizing the lgbt+ community. That’s also why it’s not called gay “normal”, but gay “pride” and why you all celebrated an entire “pride month”. That’s also why I spoke earlier about you all praising, glorifying or even WORSHIPPING the lgbt+ community now.

So DON’T try to convince me…

… that all these rainbow stuff and same-sex paintings are to reduce discrimination of lgbt+ people (which I, for the record, am also against, but I’ve already explained that before), because it’s NOT. It already IS not allowed to discriminate lgbt+ people in these countries and on social media and you guys are NOT trying to change anything in countries where being gay is illegal, because that would be happening over THERE and not over HERE.

About the next message:

Once again, I know (a couple of reasons) why the lobby wants you all to wave rainbow flags etc. etc., but I’ll speak about that more at some other point in the next (extremely long) message, in which I – like I said earlier – will also respond to someone who texted me in a private chat.

So this is where the first part of my message ends. You’ll hear more of me about this some other time…

[paleangels13]

2. Favourite character, 3. Favourite AU?, 7. Favourite writing advice?, 22. Favourite part about writing fanfiction?, 34: Favourite comment you ever received?, 40. What do you think your writing speciality is?, 46. Favourite sentence/pragraph you ever wrote?, 50. Is there something you often repeat in your fics (a verb, a trope etc)? yes yes i have many questions because there's many to choose from

Sorry, for answering this so late! 🥺

2. Favorite character?

Is this about favorite character to write or about favorite character I've written or...? 🤔

Favorite character to write: literally no idea. From the amounts of fics I've written including him apparently Aleksi (or Joonas) 😅🤔

Favorite character I've written: I don't have any OCs soo... Yeah. I do weirdly enough like Aleksi in my “toxic” series tho 🙂

Favorite character in general: too many :))

3. Favorite AU?

I like all the supernatural stuff including demons, angels, etc 🧚🏻✨ with bands I do sometimes like the "no band au" but they need to have a good plot (with a nice way of still including the fic-relevant members members 🥰) but guess that applies to every fic :D have been obsessed with all the "sex worker" (stripper/prostitute/exotic dancer/...) in the BC fandom lately tbh 😅👀 (@ everyone please keep them coming 👀)

7. Favorite writing advice?

Uhm... Maybe to just keep trying and continue even if it's just for yourself and even if you think it's terrible that doesn't mean others will think the same. You're your most critical reader most of the time 🤔 but that's not really advice I guess? Or is it? Well either way it's what came to my mind immediately ^^"

22. Favorite part of writing fanfiction?

Putting all the ideas from my brain on paper 😅 making them as smutty and slutty as I please 😌😂 no just letting creativity flow and writing things that obviously aren't canon and make them canon in my universe 🥰

34. Favorite comment you ever received?

Almost all your comments on my original docs :DD

Oh, also this one from you on "nothing but a bad dream 😂😭

I am SCREECHING, I want to STAB HIM and his manipulative ass with my rustiest knife.

"I think I can manage from here" manage to manipulate and traumatise him further?? I hope someone finds out and runs him over with the tour bus.

Y'all have my permission to run him over with the tour bus in the most painful way possible 😭

In general I love all the comments I receive! They make me super happy 🥰 there were some really amazing ones on my “You're as cold as ice” fic which really made me * 🥺🥺 at phone * (especially because I thought about not uploading it at all since I got super insecure about the whole fic)

40. What do you think your writing speciality is?

Ehhh... I don't know? I don't think I have any tbh 🥺😅 (unless you need a slutty character or a dude in a dress/skirt/heels I'm great at putting anyone (literally ANYONE) in that role/these clothes 😭😂)

46. Favorite sentence/paragraph you ever wrote?

Obviously

“Let me come inside and I might let you come inside.“ ✨

No, I really liked this sentence/most parts of this fic:

Aleksi was staring at nothing, taking sips from his beer and trying to hold back the flood of images wanting to crawl back from where he had buried them in the last corner of his mind.

Favorite paragraph(s) is(/are) unfortunately in German and I'm too lazy to translate them and really like them the way they are soo... (it's about the German punk-rock band "Die Ärzte")

Der junge Mann hatte schon lange aufgegeben seinem besten Freund etwas von seiner momentanen Gefühlswelt vorzuenthalten. Früher oder später bemerkte dieser es sowieso. „Wann? Wann hört das auf?“ Verzweiflung. „Ich weiß es nicht…“ Er konnte nicht mehr. Sein komplettes Leben schien gerade den Bach runterzugehen und er konnte nichts dagegen tun. „Hilf mir… Bitte, tu irgendwas, damit es aufhört.“ Sanft strich der andere über seinen Rücken. Schweigend. „Bitte, ich will das nicht mehr…“ Die Verletztheit in seiner Stimme brach dem anderen das Herz. Also löste er sich ein Stück von ihm und sah ihn lange an. Was sollte er denn schon tun, um ihm zu helfen? Im Nachhinein verstand keiner der beiden mehr, wieso es dann zu einem Kuss gekommen war und auch nicht, zu den hunderten, die in den folgenden Tagen, Wochen und sogar Monaten folgten. Hoffnungslos verfiel der junge Mann seinem Bandkollegen immer mehr. Dieser hatte sein Versprechen gehalten. Der Schmerz hatte tatsächlich aufgehört und war einer tiefen Zuneigung gewichen…

„Ich liebe dich…“ Drei geflüsterte Worte, die eigentlich so viel bedeuten und doch so bedeutungslos wirkten in diesem Moment. Vielleicht weil es offensichtlich schien, vielleicht weil sie, wie immer, unerwidert blieben. Danach herrschte Stille, doch die Umarmung löste dennoch keiner der beiden. Vereinzelte Tränen des Liebenden vermischten sich mit dem warmen Wasser, welches nach wie vor über die Körper der beiden besten Freunde lief. Der andere schien es nicht zu bemerken oder wollte es nicht sehen. Doch dann kam das, was später alles noch viel schlimmer machen sollte. „Ich dich auch.“

Probably my favorite (German) fic I've ever written if I'm honest. I liked this one a lot 🥺 (and did indeed make myself cry while writing it).

50. Is there something you often repeat in you fics (a verb, a trope,...)?

I know that I use certain words extremely often even if I tried reducing it a little and put more variety in it but that doesn't work out all the time 🤔 and not so much in my fics but in other writing I do that is similar to fic I use a lot of "hurt(/comfort)", I think maybe somewhat "found family" and in general (also in my fics) "friends with benefits"/"friends to lovers" and definitely my beloved "idiots in love" 😌🥰

[spiritualgateway]

You are your own creation

written by Steven Black:

At least since „Seth“, we all know the famous sentence: „You are the creator of your own reality. “

Fine.

But we usually overlook the most important point, namely the center of where everything happens.

OUR SELF!

The very personal kind of evaluations we make about ourselves creates our human personality. The identity as which we know and experience ourselves. This is how it manifests itself. Our stream of evaluations leads to patterns of conviction and to a certain belief structure. And with this we then identify ourselves, which sets a certain dynamic in motion through which we will attract and experience certain things.

The core of the center lies in what we believe about ourselves, how we feel about ourselves and how we think about ourselves. This in turn is closely related to what kind of experiences we have already had. And how we have then judged these experiences. If we really want to understand the phrase – „You are the creator of your own reality“ – then it is valuable if we look at the stream of evaluation that we generate about ourselves throughout our lives. Second by minute, day by week for months for years and decades.

The person we are now is the product of many years of incessant evaluations and definitions about ourselves.

Sure, before we are born, we put together a kind of blueprint – with certain character traits, talents and inclinations, in order to be able to have certain experiences. And of course, when we come to Earth, we go through an imprinting process that will activate this Blueprint. We go through education by parents and the school system, learn cultural, social and societal collective beliefs and much more. In this way we learn to think in a certain way and to classify things, circumstances, people and situations – we adopt the definitions and evaluations that have been given to us.

In fact, it is only the basic training for being human at the moment, it is not the „wisdom last resort“.

Much more important for our human experience are our judgements about ourselves – which we make again and again (mostly very unconsciously) permanently. We constantly make comparisons and constantly generate our very personal interpretations about other people, life, our experiences and ourselves. And this, of course, first on the basis of what we have been taught.

All these interpretations, evaluations and definitions flow to what we call the subconscious and bundle there into beliefs (beliefs). This is called programming; this is how a program is written – and it is we ourselves who write it. Minute by minute for hour for day, months and years.

Beliefs become a program that works continuously without us having to consciously think about things. Belief systems are automatically formed after a certain amount or load of (good or bad) evaluations we have made about our experiences. Beliefs are nothing more than a condensation of evaluation streams that accumulate within us over time.

Each one of us is a creative soul, each one creates his own reality – without exception. And we create with the highest possible commitment: with ourselves.    

However we evaluate ourselves, whatever beliefs and ideas we may develop about ourselves – we ourselves bear the consequences. Because we will then have to live this idea we have about ourselves.      

We usually believe that it is only our experiences – the good and the less good – that influence our ways of thinking and acting. This is only partly true – I mean, of course experiences shape us. But much more important for the subsequent shaping is our personal evaluation of the perceptions and experiences we have made. For an impressive imprint a certain form of meaning is necessary. Meanings do not exist „just like that“, a meaning is created by weighting. By different evaluations within a certain context and by the feeling or an emotion that co-creates this evaluation. I have to evaluate things in order for them to have a meaning for me personally. This means that the meaning that any things, situations, people, and diverse experiences have for us is co-determined and shaped by ourselves.

Of course, when we are young and inexperienced, we will usually „blindly“ follow the definitions and evaluations that we have been taught. No matter how good, healthy, disabling, limiting or valuable they are. As we get older, we will probably realize at some point how many of these are not really ours. Then, at some point, we will probably make adjustments and think differently.

For example, if we often had the experience of being criticized as a child, we will develop an „inner critic“ over time. Considering the fact that there is a psychological study that says that a child up to the age of 5 is criticized about 40,000 times, we can safely assume that almost everyone develops an „inner critic“. The „Inner Critic“ emerges as a kind of protective function for the child.

He criticizes with the „good intention“ of sparing the child further criticism, which of course does not work. The Inner Critic is usually associated with a parent’s voice or that of another important caregiver. And what they say must be true, right? We quickly make the experience that we can rarely meet the requirements and so we develop additional feelings of guilt and shame. The heard criticism, together with the emotional reaction in us, leads to an often traumatic impact in our consciousness. The more often this happened, the more often we were criticized, the more often we felt shame about it, the more a conviction structure condenses and bundles itself in us, which approximately says: You are not valuable, you are not enough, you are … blah-blah-blah. We then believe that.

The vehemence and psychological scope of this „inner critic“ may vary individually, but the point is: You create a thought form that will accompany you and tell you unpleasant things about yourself until you start to stop and find a way to stop it. Because – you are hitting yourself …

In eastern spiritual traditions the „monkey mind“ has been blamed for centuries. The „stupid (monkey) mind“ that just does what it wants – as if it had its own life and its own decisions that have nothing to do with you. The solution to this problem was then – just don’t judge anymore. This is in my eyes a very immature idea, because the mind has no own ideas and no own consciousness – it is a function, like a kind of operating system, which does, repeats and executes what WE have given it to work. Our brain works with what it is offered.

And if we keep making devaluations about ourselves, what will keep coming up?

No matter how much other people may criticize you. No one can criticize you as badly, rob you of your own value and strength as you rob yourself. The consequence of this will be that we will be plagued by countless fears, physical tensions and insecurities – which will of course also be triggered by the outer world. The outer world always reflects our inner world in a special way. If you get criticism from the outside, it will most likely bring up the old shame inside you, which reflects the conviction that you are worth nothing. This in turn will throw up another chain of self-critical thoughts, which are usually suppressed as quickly as possible.      

As long as we are still unconscious, we will devalue the other and call him an asshole because he makes us feel that way. But it really hits us, because deep inside of us there is a conviction that correlates – even if only a little – with this criticism. That’s why it hurts, because something in us says – that’s right. No matter how wrong that may be. It is inside of us. The person in question may still be an asshole, but he is not responsible for how I feel about it. The statements trigger and activate the content, which we ourselves have already evaluated countless times in this or similar ways (for whatever reason) and also hide it from ourselves. If this is touched, it hurts. If we had no subject with it, it would not hurt so much.

But you only check it after you have worked your ass off on your topic. Not before – as long as we are only focused on the outer world and its dynamics, we are more likely to make classifications and evaluations that are based on a victim and perpetrator spiral. Me, the poor victim and the evil perpetrator.

Sure, from the outside it looks the same in its EFFECT. But there is always a complex dynamic behind it that has unfolded. We can either learn something important about ourselves from it or we simply repeat and repeat and repeat this dynamic. And we will repeat it if we are not aware of it.        

I know this has been a very strong example of how you create your own reality. An example that can show us that the esoteric idea that everyone creates their reality quasi-consciously is quite unrealistic. We create a lot of unconscious dynamics and weird behaviors because at some point we just didn’t know better. Because basically nobody taught us how to deal with ourselves. And so it is in most cases, life is based on trial and error dynamics when we know very little about how our own system operates.

As long as we do not deal with our own consciousness and inner world, we simply take for „God-given“ who we are and how we think about ourselves. So much mindfuck accumulates there and also the images and ideas we have about relationships, success, money, politics and thousands of other ideas are based on various evaluations and definitions that we have very rarely questioned. Most of the time they simply do not apply (anymore).

As you can see, we are actually deep inside the topic of „self-love“ (whatever that may mean).

Namely: How do I deal with myself?    

How we think about ourselves, how we evaluate ourselves and how we feel with ourselves has an enormous importance for our personal development. It also has a great influence on which connections our brain synapses develop, which ones we expand or whether some of them are broken at all. The state of our brain and all its connections correlate closely with our thoughts and emotions, as well as our actions.      

The axis of meaning

We cannot do without ratings!

I have to rate something as great, exciting, important, boring, euphoric, insignificant, desirable, aborting, likeable, good or bad (etc; etc.) in order for it to have this meaning for me at all. Through evaluations, like „yes, I like“ or „no you, don’t bother“. Evaluations, how difficult or easy the respective situation is or was for us to cope with. Ratings, how to deal with it in the future – acceptance, affirmation or avoidance. These evaluations are made on the basis of permanent comparisons between past and present. And they are extrapolated to future developments.  This feeds our expectations of how things will happen in the future …

As mentioned above, there are of course also meanings whose context has been shaped by other people or society. Because they are simply taken over and regarded as „given facts“. Every meaning has a kind of weight. How heavy it is depends on how important we consider those who taught and taught us various meanings. But a really strong weight they get from us, if it really concerns us and we make an experience about it. Until then, it has more of an abstract meaning, the weight of which has been shaped by others.

The weighting of a meaning is usually only given when we have experience with it and have repeatedly given the same or at least similar evaluations of it. OR relatively quickly, as soon as we are violently „hit“ by an emotional wave – positive or negative in nature.  

EMOTION IS A RESPONSE TO WHATEVER WE BELIEVE IS TRUE

Every emotion and feeling is a reflection of the energy of negative or positive judgement that we have defined and put into it. Emotions are reaction patterns that show us what we believe in. We condition the way we feel. And this means that a feeling or an emotion does not necessarily have to be true.  But it feels very, very true. Sometimes so true, so devastating, depressing and depressingly true that you get stuck in it for a long time. You can also forget about the highly praised „gut feeling“ – because that too is based on resonances that have a connection to any kind of meaning and judgement. Sometimes they are correct, sometimes they are just avoidance, rejection or fear. Also „gut feeling“ is something you can only rely on if you are emotionally relatively clear.

Emotions contain a certain definition, the core of which is a wide range of evaluations that have formed into a conviction. This is the origin, the root of all emotions and also the reason why emotions can sometimes be violent and so overwhelming. The content cascade of countless mental and emotional evaluations is so extensive that we can feel overwhelmed by the respective charge of emotion. Emotions are the first and fastest reaction of our system to flush content – i.e. information from the subconscious – upwards. Imagine if all the thoughts and evaluations we have ever made on a topic suddenly appeared in our waking consciousness – I think that would be much more confusing.

That is why I never tire of emphasizing the value of feeling work. When I am „buried“ by emotional things, I sit down and sit with the emotion – I follow it to the center of (my own) hell. At some point the tangle of meaning unravels and I understand the definition behind it. And then I have the opportunity to see – is this now REALLY true? If so, is it still true now? Very often there are unresolved issues that reach far back into childhood. An emotion that hits you now can be an original situation or experience from childhood, with all the definitions given to it, some of which have – even if only slight – similarities to the current situation. The similarity is enough to trigger the emotional field.

Knowing the definition allows me to make a new assessment – either to reinforce and respond to it or to add a new perspective. This allows me to update my emotional content and my evaluation stream. In order for this to work, I have to sit with the emotion in question until it is halfway discharged. Charge = all of the given evaluations and received feelings. Sometimes this happens quickly, sometimes it can take months or even years. If energy has been put into something for years, it does not dissolve overnight.

Our assessments are rarely made by purely cognitive, logical or clear, sober conclusions alone. We judge situations not only by factual and cognitive criteria, but also how we feel about them. How we feel with it in turn directly reflects our underlying thoughts and beliefs. And the respective emotional perception will in turn lead to certain thoughts and evaluations about them. In this way, our beliefs are condensed. All of this flows incessantly into our „subconscious“, this is how we write our story.

We not only evaluate, we also evaluate our evaluations and our emotions in addition. This reinforces the whole pattern even more. So most of our evaluations have become „self-runners“. We do not question them. They simply continue.

We evaluate almost every perception, every thought, every feeling, every emotion:

The sky is blue – feels good. It is raining – rather bad. It is hot – shit. It is cold – shit. I have to go to work – fuck. The neighbor – is friendly, sexy, annoying, exhausting, cheeky, creepy – whatever. I am in a relationship – super. I’m in a relationship – my god, what was I thinking? A look in the mirror shows – I’m too thin, too fat, too big, too small, have too big/small breasts, have too little/too many muscles, everyone else looks better/worse than me.

I like Rock ’n Roll music/all brass music lovers are morons. Classical music is for snobs. My boyfriend/girlfriend has left me – my god, it feels so shitty/ jeez, I’m so glad about that. I have no money in the bank – my life is boring. I have no money in the bank – at least I don’t have any debts.

There are thousands of different evaluations we make about ourselves and things. The beliefs we have accumulated over the course of our lives are so deeply rooted in us that we are not even aware of them. This happens so fast within us that we are very, very rarely consciously aware of it. We simply take them as a given reality and overlook the fact that we ourselves formed this reality. With our evaluations we condition our personal reality and the kind of person we are. How we evaluate ourselves forms the personality we perceive ourselves as. The personality that we are attracts certain experiences because of their belief patterns. So yes, we all create our own reality …

As we evaluate, so do things appear to us. No matter what kind of beliefs we have, they tend to confirm themselves. We always find confirmation of what we believe.

Of course, we always have the choice to say – „well, I don’t like my reality and I’m going to sit in my corner defiantly, it’s not my fault“. Mostly, however, life forces us to continue learning, to adapt and to change. Sometimes in an absolutely unpleasant way – through pain, trauma or we are confronted with difficult diseases. With everything that gives us the opportunity to pause and realize that we have to go INSIDE to face the many challenges of human existence. Mostly we will only emerge stronger if we redefine ourselves.

No matter why we get stuck in something – we ourselves are the root. Only from there change can happen. If we do not change ourselves, our life, our reality, cannot change.

Alright! Then I just start to think differently!

Good luck with it.

Will not work.

Forget it!

I mean, if you don’t have a big issue with it, if you don’t have a serious emotional charge attached to it – then, yes, it can work. At least it’s a small start. But if that’s not the case, you will just have many and long „discussions“ and arguments against one of your „inner voices“. You will not win this fight this way. This is war with yourself and will only aggravate your inner condition.

Our evaluations are a decision from which perspective we choose to see things. Of course, this means that we can make and give other, new decisions, i.e., new evaluations regarding EVERYTHING. But as long as we have not discharged „the old“, as long as we are not clear about the definitions we have made – about whatever – we will be maltreated by the „old stuff“ of our old creation. That is the incredible power we have, we make LIVING and experiencing what we believe. And what we believe in, comes about through our very personal stream of evaluation.      

The experience of our human personality is a flowing process that is never really complete, because there are so many possibilities and perspectives that we can experience ourselves again and again. We are not a rigid, fixed matter – it sometimes only appears that way. There is a lot of room to readjust or change that. It is possible to make new, better, clearer evaluations about ourselves. But sometimes this is one of the hardest transformation processes one can undergo.

Refine your inner world and you refine your reality

Basically we are never „finished“ unless we stop learning.

Until next time same station

DISCLAIMER:

Nothing you read here is THE truth. It is my truth, my perception and how I see things – now, in this moment.

THE INFORMATION SPACE

[official-weasley]

You sure do write amazing! Can you please give me some tips on how to write better?

Thanks!

Hi!

First of all, thank you, it means a lot! 🥰

Second of all thank you for the ask. This is my first one so I hope I am doing this properly.

Third of all READ. I would say everything but it's too broad. Read what you're writing. If you're writing fanfic read those. I have learned so much from reading other stories. Also, try and find your own style...if you think it sounds hard it is. I needed years. I was always writing in third person POV and I always felt like something was missing. I find something magical in the fact that you can read a story from first person POV, because you feel like you get to know them better and that you are friends and build a relationship with a character.

I read a few books (Divergent trilogy among them) with first-person POV and I was hooked. It's okay to love someone's writing or their style but while reading them think of WHY you love their style so much and try to implement those characteristics into your writing. Don't worry about sounding similar to someone else. You won't. Each writer's style is unique and at first, it might seem like copying but you will soon develop your own style which will be your own. Copying is learning but do give credit where needed. Also, don't be afraid to experiment with different styles. Nothing you write is wrong. If you keep saying to yourself that your writing can't be right because nobody else is doing it, meaning it isn't following the rules it means you created something entirely yours and I think that is BEAUTIFUL and smart not wrong.

Try to think about what is the most important thing you want to point out in your story. To me, I don't like to read long descriptions of how people and places look like. To me, it's redundant because I have a crazy imagination and I love to create all of that for the characters myself and I like the liberty that I think how a character I am reading about looks like. Think about what is important to you when you write. To me, it's relationships between characters and I tend to focus on that the most.

When it comes to vocabulary I can't be of much help. I suck at it. I am not a native English speaker and finding synonyms or describing a gesture or how a character's expression looks like I struggle every time and it takes the most of my time to do that. It helps to have websites that can help you find these. I have a dictionary for words that I want to translate from my native language. And I have Google always opened to search for word definitions and I saw someone post a website here on Tumblr which has honestly been a lifesaver: onelook.com/thesaurus

Also, one thing that I have noticed helps me a lot is that I write without stopping as much as possible so that the story stays on the original idea line as much as it possibly can. So if you sit down to write a chapter, just do it...no distractions. Don't write a paragraph and go on your phone and then return. Stick to it, it will be better trust me: learn from my mistakes. (Of course, if you have a heavy, emotion-filled chapter like someone dying and you cry while writing...then please do take a break. I needed a week to write Chapter 6 and 7 of Part 8 of the story I am posting now because I was a crying mess and I simply couldn't break my heart more than I did per day). Then I read it and change what I want quickly. Then I run it through Grammarly then I reread it a few more times. Within these times I mark the words or paragraphs which should have different words for what I am describing or where I feel something is missing. I come back to those parts and try searching for different words or instances that can relate to what I have written down.

I also triple-check that I don't have words that repeat. So if I had said said said a few times I will skip it and indicate who is speaking with a gesture they do while saying something. That helps me a lot because I like to repeat words I like a lot!

One thing that I learned is that it doesn't matter how you write as long as you enjoy it. If you write a chapter and you read through it and it makes you smile you have won no matter how it looks in the first draft. Learning to love everything you write is so important and until I had that I thought that my writing sucks and I will never get anywhere.

And yes, I will say it: JUST WRITE MORE. I know it's the biggest cliché but it's true. Also, be patient with yourself and give yourself credit. I always thought that I will never get any better and will always be stuck at the level of writing I have but if I read something I wrote like 7 years ago...even like a year ago, the difference is HUGE and it makes me proud and you should do that as well. Read that cringy story you wrote years ago because it gives a confidence boost when you compare it to your writing now and you see how much you progressed.

ALSO, one thing that helped me a lot and I wish I was doing this sooner (as I just started with the story I am posting now): when you're reading ANYTHING and you find a word or a phrase that intrigues you and you think you could use it at any time in your stories WRITE IT DOWN. If you don't know the meaning write the meaning next to it too. If you have examples where you could use it (your ideas) write that next to it. It has saved me so many times with the story I finished a few weeks ago (and will post it after the ongoing one is finished) because sometimes I see a character doing a gesture or making a certain face in my head and I struggle to describe what I see in my head and having phrases that I read elsewhere written down is so helpful because more you read and you get different ideas how to describe the same thing it's so nice when you find just the right one!

One of the last tips as this is getting too long (I don't know how to describe something in a short sentence): when you get an idea for a story don't just sit down and start writing the first chapter because (and I am talking from my own experience) sooner or later you will get lost, you will get the information wrong and it's just harder for you. What I tend to do is write down all the names of the main characters and write at least 3 things that stand out for them and you might use more than once in your story. For example, if a character gets a gift from someone; write it down WHEN AND WHAT AND FROM WHO. Because if you mention that gift again 20 chapters later you will get frustrated because you won't find that little detail that suddenly became so important and if you have notes and you can find it at once it makes things easier. I also write down chapter summaries. I know it might be hard to know exactly how many chapters you will have (it usually changes for me anyway: for example, the story I will post soon went from the original 10 to 20 chapters because the chapters were just too long and I needed to separate them) or to know at once how the story ends but it makes things 10 times easier and once you start writing chapters down the story just starts to flow and appear in front of you and knowing what you will write about next makes you more focused on the chapter at hand and everything seems more connected and you don't have gaps in your story and inconsistencies. At least for me, it's really easy because I like to push myself to write a chapter per day and I just take my notebook and check what I have to write for that day and then it's suddenly easier because I can just focus on writing the chapter instead of thinking of what to do next.

Of course, all that I just wrote is just an opinion. You should write as you see fit! Don't let anyone tell you that you CAN'T do this or that. It's YOUR writing. YOUR story. You can do whatever you want and write it in the way YOU want. Don't write by the rule book. Write in a way that will make you happy. I have to admit I needed a long time to learn that as I always wanted to follow the rules but I was unhappy and I didn't like what I wrote and I put that on myself thinking my writing is bad when it was just the fact that the style and the rules around it weren't my cup of tea.

Also if you have someone who can read through what you've written and you trust them; give them your story or chapters before you publish them because every story through someone else's eyes is better already. Also, don't be afraid of feedback and criticism. I have never learned more from anything else than criticism. And always take it as positive; a way to better your story and writing. But also know that you don't always have to apply everything someone tells you to do. If you are content with how it is, leave it. Perhaps remember the critique and maybe you'll be able to apply it to a different story. That's how you grow.

Push yourself to write as much as you can. Even if it's a paragraph per day it's something. And most importantly write what you like not what everyone else is doing. If you want to write 30 fics about the same character then do so as long as it brings you joy and makes you happy because no matter how cheesy it sounds it does show in your writing. ❤

I hope I answered your question at least to some degree. I am sorry it's so long I don't know how to write short stuff 🙈

If you have any other questions I would be happy to answer them 🥰

[autumn-foxfire]

A meta on Tartarus or rather why I think Hori’s message about the prison is extremely disjointed - by Foxy because she’s tired of repeating the same thing on her original Tartarus post and consequent posts that followed it.

We’ve all gathered in the past that Tartarus was an unethical place from previous glimpse we’ve had on the prison and at the start of chapter 297 we got a wall of text that also spells it out for us (done in a pretty stupid way considering it’s important information if you ask me).

Because that’s really hard to read, I’ll also write it here: A detention facility constructed in the open waters about five kilometers from the mainland. Though normally a prison, the facility effectively serves as a dumping ground for individuals who threatened or have threatened public safety and security to a drastic extent. Regardless of sentencing status, these individuals are incarcerated and heavily monitored in Tartarus. As such, people with a wide range of quirks are locked within its walls and divided up among six cell blocks, depending on the danger their quirks represent and the severity of their cases. The more dangerous the individual, the deeper they’re kept within the prison. Tartarus is the dark side of quirk society, and it is said that anyone imprisoned ther will never again emerge alive.

Pretty clear cut.

Tartarus is where those who have threatened public security to a drastic extent go however this isn’t specified on what exactly this means (and while there is high speculation this rule is abused by higher powers like the government and the HPSC, it has yet to be shown, something the fandom seems to have forgotten at this moment. I’m very aware this can change in the future but for now, Tartarus to us only holds the villains that we know have been some of the worst of the worst (and pretty lady villain whose crimes and background are a mystery)).

We then see some of the guards in Tartarus talking about the villains and the attitude they hold towards the villains is very dehumanizing, I agree:

Yes, Machia is a human being (...I think) and dehumanizing of people, even evil people can be bad as it can lead to unlawful behaviour towards those that are considered to fall into these categories.

My issue with this though, is that Hori used the most unsympathetic villains to get this point across. Gigantomachi has just slaughter hundreds of people with no regret and would gladly do it again if his master asked him to do so and so, in this moment you’re probably going to find yourself agreeing more with the guards then disagreeing with them. It also doesn’t help that Machia is described to be like an animal in the manga itself, only loyal to his master and lacking of any morals.

However, I know this could be the point, as Machia is animal like (whether due to the doctors experiments is unknown) and so Hori is trying to point out that comparing the villains to Machia, someone who could be like this due to experimentation, is wrong. Except... These are the villains he uses to make this point...

Moonfish - Who is a danger to everyone around him because of his cannibalism

Muscular - A man that enjoys killing people and the last time we saw him, he was trying to murder a defenceless kid.

Overhaul - A man that tortured a little girl in order to make quirk erasing bullets and is the former head of a Yakuza group

A random (but pretty) villain lady who’s crimes and background are unknown

Stain? - A man that went around slaughtering or critically injuring people who didn’t fit into his standards.

Kurogiri - A Nomu who has lost most of his freewill and exists to serve AfO

AfO - The self-proclaimed demon lord

The only villain in that group who is sympathetic is Kurogiri and that’s because he was a corpse who was experimented on and forced to be the way he is. With the exception of villain lady who is an unknown, the rest are criminals who have chosen to commit horrible crimes against others and are now serving a life sentance (or more) for doing so.

I honestly think the guards have a very human reaction to them and I’ve seen this very sentiment echoed a lot on tumblr with people who have committed crimes in real life (rapists, murders, pedofiles, corrupt politicians, I’ve seen many people comment on news post saying how they should be locked away and that they shouldn’t see the light of day again).

This is a bigger question for society really, on how we treat people who have committed horrible acts against another, however it’s a strange subject to tackle in a manga that has mostly remained back and white. And a manga that has presented Tartarus as the only solution in keeping people safe.

And that brings me to another issue with Hori’s writing of this chapter. He brought up the Human Rights violations but never explicitly showed them to us. Are the guards beating up the villains? Well the ones he showed us seem to be healthy. The less ‘dangerous’ criminals are given free room to move and we don’t know if they’re kept in complete isolation or not. They seem to be washed and fed and looked after and it’s not said if any other rights have been violated.

The villains we see restrain we know are only restrained because of the danger they represent and because there isn’t any other solution in keeping them imprisoned beyond the strict regulations we see applied by Tartarus currently.

Really, the only human right that is on the fence at the moment is the right to a fair trial as the starting paragraph says that they’re sent to Tartarus regardless of sentencing status but that is also a trickier issue due to the danger they posses because of their quirks. Does that apply to all the criminals? Or only the dangerous ones?

So much is left unsaid about Tartarus and their are so many gaps that need filling so we get a better picture. This is what I mean when I say Hori’s writing and message is disjointed. I don’t know what picture he is trying to paint with Tartarus.

Especially as the jail break showed us how many of the criminals immediately resorted to their old habits that got them arrested in the first place (Moonfish killing and wanting to eat people and Muscular murdering people for fun).

Hori is great at telling us something but he always tends to fall short on actually showing it. Whether that be quirk discrimination leading to villains, corrupt heroes and now with Tartarus.

It’s beyond frustrating because he has a great story with great potential but I feel like the plot is in a tug of war between trying to show the grey aspects of what a superhuman society can be and his more black and white story of heroes vs villains that he tends to fall back on.

He really needs to pick a direction.

[bloody-bee-tea]

Make me hot(ter)

This is a continuation of my fic “Mark me up” and it was inspired by this post by @antiquecompass and @ruensroad who is the worst most wonderful enabler.

Mo Xuanyu weighs his eyeliner in his hand. He knows Jiang Cheng would look gorgeous in one, and Mo Xuanyu is itching to prove it.

But he’s not sure he can ask.

So far, Jiang Cheng has been understanding of Mo Xuanyu’s make-up habits—has even been downright enthusiastic most of the times—but Mo Xuanyu  knows that being supportive of someone else wearing make-up and wearing make-up yourself are two very different things.

And he really, really doesn’t want to drive Jiang Cheng away.

“You’ve got your thinking face on,” Jiang Cheng suddenly says as he leans over Mo Xuanyu’s shoulder and presses a kiss to his cheek. “What’s going on?”

Mo Xuanyu turns around to him and drags Jiang Cheng in a lingering kiss before he even thinks about replying.

Mo Xuanyu can still sometimes barely believe that Jiang Cheng actually stayed after that first very hot night.

Mo Xuanyu had been half-convinced that that would be all he got—a lot of people think him pretty enough to spend the night with him after all—but then Jiang Cheng had asked for breakfast with him, and wanted to have his number and asked for dates and phone calls and Mo Xuanyu doesn’t even know how he got this lucky.

He must have been lost in his thoughts for too long, because Jiang Cheng pokes his head.

“What’s going on in there?” he asks again, now clearly more worried than he had been a few moments ago and Mo Xuanyu holds up his eyeliner instead of verbally answering his boyfriend.

“Is it new?” Jiang Cheng asks and Mo Xuanyu suddenly knows how he has to play this.

“Yes,” he agrees, even though it’s anything but, but he’s counting on the fact that Jiang Cheng won’t know that. “And I need to practice with it.”

“Okay?” Jiang Cheng slowly gives back and moves his thumb gently under Mo Xuanyu’s lined eyes. “Maybe you should take your make-up off for that first?”

“I usually practice on someone else first,” Mo Xuanyu tells Jiang Cheng and now that, at least, is not a lie.

Nie Huaisang is always very willing to sit still for Mo Xuanyu when he wants to try out some new brushes or colours or styles.

“Nie Huaisang,” Jiang Cheng says with a small nod. “He’s away with his brother, isn’t he?” Jiang Cheng then goes on and Mo Xuanyu nods.

“Yes,” he agrees. “And I am in desperate need of a model,” he tacks on with fluttering eyelashes and watches in fascination as Jiang Cheng blushes.

He does enjoy the effect he has on Jiang Cheng immensely.

“Well, I wonder if anyone would be willing,” Jiang Cheng mutters and thumbs over Mo Xuanyu’s lower lip, coated in a deep violet, before he reels him in for a scorching kiss.

Mo Xuanyu is more than happy to go along with it and get his lipstick smeared, especially because it means Jiang Cheng’s own lips are getting all messed up.

It truly is a sight to behold.

Lately, Mo Xuanyu might be choosing colours that would fit Jiang Cheng so very well, though he’s not admitting to anything.

Plus, Jiang Cheng’s willingness to get all messed up like this is something Mo Xuanyu will forever be amazed about, partly because his previous relationships were very clear on the fact that they enjoyed the make-up on Mo Xuanyu but that it should stay there.

And now there is Jiang Cheng who doesn’t seem to mind at all.

“You seem pretty willing to me,” Mo Xuanyu eventually says, taking up their previous conversation and Jiang Cheng smirks at him.

“So willing,” he agrees and sits down at Mo Xuanyu’s table, face turned up and clearly ready to let Mo Xuanyu do whatever he wants.

“Gods, how did I get so lucky,” Mo Xuanyu mutters under his breath as he steps closer, eyeliner already raised and ready.

It’s quick work, putting it on Jiang Cheng and when he’s done, Mo Xuanyu takes a step back to critically look Jiang Cheng over.

His lips are still purple and the eyeliner is such a look on Jiang Cheng, it takes Mo Xuanyu’s breath away. Mo Xuanyu has always loved Jiang Cheng’s eyes, but now they are almost other-worldly.

Mo Xuanyu is going to cry bitter tears when Jiang Cheng takes it off again, he already knows it.

“And?” Jiang Cheng asks when Mo Xuanyu has stared at him for long moments and Mo Xuanyu blurts out the first thing that comes to mind.

“You’re so fucking hot.”

Jiang Cheng blinks at him.

“Thanks, babe, but I was actually asking about the eyeliner,” Jiang Cheng says with a roll of his eyes and Mo Xuanyu dies a little bit inside, it looks so good.

“It’s a look on you,” Mo Xuanyu tells him breathlessly and Jiang Cheng stares at him like he’s stupid.

“I was asking about your ability to use your new eyeliner,” he says slowly, as if he thinks Mo Xuanyu is stupid, and Mo Xuanyu might as well be, because he forgot all about that lie.

“Oh, right,” he breathes out and gives Jiang Cheng his most winning smile. “I feel confident in my ability to use it.”

Jiang Cheng narrows his eyes at him, making Mo Xuanyu’s knees weak in the process, but he also knows that he’s in trouble.

“Xuanyu, if you wanted to try this out on me, specifically, you should have just said,” Jiang Cheng tells him then and Mo Xuanyu presses his lips together.

“Yeah, right,” Mo Xuanyu mutters, because he knows how that would have turned out, but before he can turn away, Jiang Cheng catches his hand in his.

“Hey, talk to me, I’m here,” Jiang Cheng gently urges him and Mo Xuanyu melts at that.

They have done this a few times already, were one of them were all caught up in their own head and bad memories and this sentence never fails to bring them out of it.

Mo Xuanyu would hate Jiang Cheng for seeing through him so easily if he didn’t love him so much.

“It’s just,” Mo Xuanyu starts with a sigh and then threads their fingers together. “My partners in the past haven’t been so understanding or accepting,” he admits and can see the flash of anger on Jiang Cheng’s face.

“Well, I am,” Jiang Cheng says, pressing a kiss to the back of Mo Xuanyu’s hand. “And you can always ask me.”

“Okay,” Mo Xuanyu agrees.

“And I’m never against wearing make-up. It’s just us here. Who is going to mind?”

“Clearly not you,” Mo Xuanyu gives back and Jiang Cheng gives him a huge grin.

“Exactly. Now let me see,” he then says and gets up to walk into the bathroom where he stops in front of the mirror.

He’s silent for a worrying long time.

“Jiang Cheng?” Mo Xuanyu carefully asks and clearly jolts Jiang Cheng out of his thoughts.

“Holy shit, it looks so good,” Jiang Cheng blurts out and leans closer to inspect himself better, clearly not caring that Mo Xuanyu’s jaw just hit the floor.

Not even Huaisang had that reaction yet.

“I told you,” Mo Xuanyu eventually manages and Jiang Cheng turns back towards him.

“And I should always trust you,” Jiang Cheng says seriously and Mo Xuanyu can’t help but to walk over and kiss him again, dragging him off to the bedroom.

He can’t wait to have those eyes stare up at him.

~*~*~

Jiang Cheng is busy in the bathroom, getting ready for his night out with Wei Wuxian when Mo Xuanyu suddenly hears a lot of cursing.

It’s not particularly uncommon—Jiang Cheng has quite the mouth on him—but it still makes Mo Xuanyu look over in concern.

“Goddamit,” he can hear Jiang Cheng grumble, before he calls out “Hey, A-Yu, come here for a second?”

“What’s wrong?” Mo Xuanyu asks, but he’s already on his way over.

“Can you do my eyeliner?” Jiang Cheng asks and Mo Xuanyu stops dead in the doorway.

“Your what now?” he asks, too surprised by the question and Jiang Cheng levels him with a look through the mirror, eyeliner still in his hand.

“I can’t get it right, I know I should have practiced before wanting to go out, but you made it look so easy.”

Jiang Cheng’s eyes are red rimmed, so he must have been trying several times, only to wipe it off again, and Mo Xuanyu is still staring at him.

“You want to go out in eyeliner,” he repeats and now Jiang Cheng turns around to him, arms crossed in front of his chest.

“Yes. You got a problem with that?” he asks, a clear challenge in his voice and Mo Xuanyu is quick to shake his head.

“You—liked it?” he carefully asks and Jiang Cheng scoffs at that.

“Please. I was fucking hot,” he says and then tilts his head. “Well, hotter than normally,” he adds with a wink and Mo Xuanyu loves this man so goddamn much, it’s ridiculous.

“Of course I’ll help you,” Mo Xuanyu says and steps closer to pluck the eyeliner out of Jiang Cheng’s hands. “Come here,” he softly says and when Jiang Cheng obediently tilts his head for him, kissing him seems much more important.

And it’s not like Jiang Cheng doesn’t indulge him. At least for a few wonderful moments.

“I’m going to be late, A-Yu,” Jiang Cheng gently reminds him after he moves his head away and Mo Xuanyu sighs.

“Fine. Guess I’ll have to wait to kiss you until you get back long after midnight.”

“If someone would wear my favourite lipstick and send me photographic proof of that, I could be back earlier,” Jiang Cheng cheekily suggests as Mo Xuanyu applies the eyeliner with a sure and steady hand, and Mo Xuanyu goes hot at the promise in his words.

“Someone might be tempted,” Mo Xuanyu gives back and gives Jiang Cheng one last kiss, before he ushers him out of the room. “Now go, so I can have you back earlier,” he instructs him and Jiang Cheng salutes at him before he grabs his bag and is out of the door.

Mo Xuanyu reaches for the violet lipstick and uncaps it, before he takes a picture of it. It can’t hurt to document the lipsticks’ way after all.

(Jiang Cheng is back barely two hours later. Wei Wuxian is the only one who complains.)

Next part

[adamolingua]

10 TIPS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS AT HOME

(From English Major Students)

In this time that we are not allowed to go outside, we mostly stay at home alone. There are limited people that we can talk to. Hence, there are few people at home whom we can converse and practice English with.  However, even in the past years not having a pandemic, some of us usually didn’t engage ourselves in practicing and learning the English language. Maybe we are not comfortable using the English language or we are not confident in our English language skills. To help you gain confidence and improve your English language skills, here are 10 tips that you can do even if you’re alone:

Expose yourself in learning the language. At home, we usually communicate using our native language. However, how can we improve our English language skills if we will not study and use them? Aside from talking in front of the mirror or practicing speaking in English alone or with your family, searching for tips that will help you to improve your English language skills and applying them to your life is a helpful guide. Just like what you are doing right now. It just means that you are in the right track. Expose yourself to applications, chat groups, movies, songs, practices, etc. that will help you to learn the language.

Source: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/AadBAK--gEip6ORjIcqcpXWaelOXYQ7ESTdQ9wN4usk4QAtCnAXZmew/

Learn at least one English word a day. Learning a new word can create a whole cascade of thinking that leads to better mastery of a language (Bigham, 2018). Start the day with learning English word and practice it throughout the day. Search for a word with it’s meaning as well as it’s synonyms and antonyms for better understanding. Also, you can add a sample sentence that will help you use the word in constructing a sentence where it would fit in. Try to make it fun by being creative in making a poster or a bulletin board at home or room where you can easily see the word to remind you to use it in that day. Repeat the process and make it your lifestyle! Surely, your vocabulary will grow at speed for your English language reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.

source: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/671528994439357714/

Write journals,essay or stories in English. Writing is a form of expressing what you know, what you think, and what you want to know. It is a great mental exercise that can also give satisfaction especially to those who loves writing. Journals, essays and stories are only some of those ways in which you can write to express yourself, exercise your critical thinking skills and improve your writing skills.  However, to practice your language skills, it must be written in a language that you really want to improve which is the English language. Here, you can apply what’s in your vocabulary and you can also search for other words to use. It is also helpful for applying proper construction of sentences and organization of ideas.

Source: https://youtu.be/n48E_Ffn1Rg 

Watch films or videos in English with English subtitles. Watching movie is a fun activity that will help you to reduce boredom as well as to learn new language. There are many films and videos around the world and each movie uses a language.It is beneficial to watch movie in English to see or hear how words are properly spoken. Also, movies with English subtitles are helpful in learning correct spelling and it will also add new words in our vocabulary. When we watch, there is a tndency that we imitate the characters especially on how they speak and we also learn something based on the story. So, even if we’re not aware of it, we sometimes learn new words because of the videos we watched.

Source:https://youtu.be/JAwv_EA2fmE

Listen to English audio books. Listening is the first language skill that we acquire and 85% of what we learn, we learn by listening. For those young learners who have difficulty in reading, listening to Audio books can make learning a much easier process. It also makes it inclusive and fun! Audio book is a good key to help people to learn other languages easily by just listening into it. People who use audio book have the tendency to learn and absorb the speaking skills of the monitor who reads the story or electronic books, that is why this is a good recommendation if you are looking for someone who can help you improve your speaking skills especially in English.

Source: https://www.westerndownslibraries.com/the-benefits-of-listening-to-audiobooks-are-extensive/

Imitate foreign English speakers. In the early lives of children, imitation is one of the things that makes them learn easily. Imitation is also a good help in learning in many ways. This can help people who are having the hard time arguing with the English words. Ellen Degeneres and Steve Harvey has the potential to teach us in their way of speaking in English. These people practice their words in good condition that is why they are confident in speaking it. By imitating and listening to foreigners like them, deep English words can be easily inhaled and learned. This is a good tip because it can teach to you gain confidence and speak the English language in front of the crowd.

Source: https://pin.it/6G6Sy3G | https://pin.it/efddwPo

Talking in the mirror. Talking in the mirror is like talking to other people in a conversation. This is a good idea on learning English and reducing anxiety in speaking English. This may help people on learning language since people are aware of your face reactions and gestures. Talking to your reflection can make you feel like you are having a conversation and will encourage you to experiment with expansive vocabulary and new topics. If you do not know how to start, just get a line or paragraph from a book, memorize it and talk in front of the mirror just like other speakers doing in their interviews and speech.

Source: https://www.peacequarters.com/talk-to-yourself-in-mirror-boost-self-confidence/

Use applications to learn English. In modern days of learning, many applications are giving the possibility of learning English while at home. English is one of the most spoken language worldwide, because of this most people who wants to gain knowledge, learn it. Anyone can study a language from the comfort of their homes by using any English mobile apps, the following are the benefits of using mobile apps:

Being flexible and maximizing your free time because in just a click you will learn new English words, 

Learning at your own pace since you can use it everyday within your free time, 

Saving money from buying English books and renting encyclopedia since the application uses an internet signal, no more, no less and lastly, 

This is good and hassle-free learning materials that you can use in learning English. 

Source: https://pin.it/X4Tbt6f

Surround yourself with people who share the same interest as you. People who have the same goal as you will be a big help for your improvement. Since we are stuck at home due to the seemingly endless pandemic, we have to find ways on how to continue learning despite our situation. Now that the internet is at it’s peak, especially with our studies and has now become part of our daily lives, why not use it’s full capacity? Create or join a chat group with people who are also interested to learn English. Chat groups are helpful when having a conversation using the English language. Having a conversation online will give you enough time to think and compose your sentence carefully even if it’s not in person.

Source: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/577727458440710841/

Have fun and be confident. Lastly, it is important that you're enjoying what you are doing. Doing something that makes you happy will make the process of learning easier. Also, having confidence in speaking the language will improve your skills in it. Do not feel ashamed if your English is not perfect. How can you learn it if you will not do it, right?

Source: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/318629742385914322/

Authors:

Cagayanan, Ma. Kristina Angelika Frias, Arvette Julls  Laxamana, Claire Ivy BSED - Eng. 3A

REFERENCES:

Bigham, Brett. September 10, 2018 - Word of the Day retrieved from https://www.teachingchannel.com/blog/word-of-the-day

Mike Schmitz. June 2020- 7 reasons why you should listen to audiobooks- https://www.asianeffiency.com

Gallimore, Emma Rose. October 14, 2019- 5 Best Apps to Learn English for students https://www.usnewsglobaleducation.com 

English Trackers Blogger. March 14, 2018- Benefits of Talking in the Mirror-https://www.englishtrackers.com 

Kristalinskaya, Maria. November 28, 2019- The Imitation Technique: Why it’s Key to Learning Languages- https://www.blog.busuu.com 

Merry, Cate.  October 07, 2019- The-Benefits-of-Listening-to-Audiobooks-https://www.westerndownlibraries.com

Designerz Central. October 8, 2020- Should Steve Harvey be worried about his family Feud Job after latest wave of FCC Complaints? – https://pin.it/efddwPo

Natalie Stone. September 21, 2020- Ellen Degeneres jokingly tells her staff “please do not look me in the eye” as she returns to show- https://pin.it/6G6Sy3G

Danielle Fowler. 2021- 10 best language learning apps 2021- lingualift- https://pin.it/X4Tbt6f  

Madison Reed. June 2020- Talk to yourself in the mirror to boost self-confidence- https://www.peacequarters.com 

[friend-o-dorothy]

Employability Master Post

So I’m a job coach and I’m in this capstone course focused on employability and job readiness which is like hysterical to me because I literally help prep people for employment for a living. But rewriting my resume and doing mock interviews etc. has put me back on the receiving end of all this again, so I thought I’d impart some wisdom on y’all because I love you.

Resumes

Nothing on the page should be larger than your name.

Do not include work experience where you were fired or where you left on poor terms. Assume HR will contact that employer to seek a reference.

Do not exceed one page. I know there’s been a lot of debate about this lately, but for the love of God don’t do it. It’s still not standard practice to do and you’re more likely to find an employer turned off by that than impressed.

Double. Triple. Quadrouple check for errors.

If you have a huge employment gap, feel free to write a one sentence explanation in italics at the end of the work history section. Between the years of 2015 and 2017 I focused on school or I was focused on my family in the year 2018 and am now excited to enter the workforce is appropriate.

The skills section should not include things everyone else has. I cannot tell you how many resumes I see that say “proficient in Microsoft office.” If you’re applying they’ll assume you are already. Don’t waste precious space with that. If you want to include skills, share qualifications, completed trainings or webinars, and relevant information like typing speed for a data entry specialist or deescalation trainings for social work.

Make sure you have permission from your references before you use them. Even if you have a standing agreement, they may not answer an unfamiliar call if they aren’t expecting it.

Include awards and accomplishments. These should be applicable to the field you’re going into and contain descriptions. Here’s a glimpse of mine (sorry I’m on mobile and the formatting got weird)

Look online to make sure your formatting is appropriate. Also, many career centers at colleges will look over your resume whether or not you’re a student. Old teachers or professors are also helpful when you need a second set of eyes.

Interviews

Pick out your outfit well ahead of time. Wear modest makeup, try to avoid cleavage, don’t wear heels higher than you’re comfortable walking in normally, and don’t wear anything you’ll be tempted to pull at or fidget with. A skirt that rides up will make you self conscious and it will be difficult to void yanking it down.

Research the company. Take time to really look at the company’s mission statement and to consider what it means to you. Look at outcomes from the local branch or department and know the name of your interviewer.

Prepare three strengths and weaknesses. Your weaknesses should be spun as strengths. Example: “I’m excited about my work and have a hard time saying no. I’ve really had to learn to manage my time to prevent burn-out.” Also consider real-life examples of times you have failed and how you can display a growth mindset when sharing the story. On the other side of things, if you can’t tell them why you are worth hiring why should you expect them to choose you?

Never NEVER bitch about a former employer. The interviewer may ask you about your least favorite boss. Do not share their name, but focus on the management or leadership style that was negative while still trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. Example: “A previous supervisor of mine had a very hands off approach. Because he didn’t offer much feedback, I struggled to please him. I prefer to work with a supervisor that doesn’t hesitate to offer praise or criticism.”

Smile, get engaged, laugh when appropriate, and humanize yourself. Remember that they have to supervise you, and just like you’re hoping for a boss that’s likable they want an employee that’s likable. Don’t be afraid to be a little vulnerable. Reveal something about yourself that’s appropriate for work. I’ve mentioned having cats, being new to the area, struggling with anxiety, and being adopted when appropriate and relevant. Here’s a clip from my mock interview:

Practice getting yourself to the interview site a day or more ahead of time and be sure to time it. Maps may say it takes 15 minutes, but if it actually takes 20 with construction, you’ve set yourself up to be five minutes late.

The interviewer may ask how you would handle certain situations on the job. If you are not sure, saying, “I would consult with my supervisor to make sure my response was in line with company policy” is totally appropriate. No one has all the answers, and being willing to admit you may need help is not a bad thing.

If you need time to think about an answer to a question try repeating the question back or stating, “wow what a great question” to give yourself time to think rather than allowing for too long a pause. Example: “Hm, when is a time I felt overwhelmed... well! Last summer I was responsible for running a large volunteer group and I had a number of high behavior clients...”

Send a thank you card afterwards. An email works, but a handwritten card adds a personal touch, shows greater effort, and more deeply expresses gratitude.

Feel free to send questions or ask me to look over a resume or give tips on your interview outfit. I’d be happy to help. I wanna see you beautiful women living fully in jobs that bring you joy.

[strawberryybird]

Me sees the character songs post, immediately wants to know what character songs you have for the characters and why.

ok so. welcome to the rabbit hole that is my music taste and what is my no.1 most frequently done activity.. plastering emotions i have for fictional characters all over my music taste. I restricted myself to ¾ songs for each character & then to Edie, Hubert, Dorothea, Lysithea & Byleth because otherwise we’d be here all day (and those are the Primary Daydream Candidates rn)

under a rm because as im sure we’ve all seen.. i just don’t fucking stop.. also i got weirdly deep about some of these topics. i don’t know how to tag it. tread careful?

Here are some songs.. welcome to my (notoriously bad) music taste. alsoi go in Very heavy handed about it all. i make only a few apologies:

Edelgard:Everybody wants to rule the word - tears for fears. (ucan go with Lorde’s cover but i prefer the original bc im like that.) i meanit’s pretty heavy handed but it’s such an Edelgard song it !!!! fuels my ficwriting. if it’s not so very Edelgard’s relationship with twsitd then idk whatto tell you. plus it’s an iconic song

Medicine - daughter. (daughter is My Favourite Band. Ever. I cannot articulate how much ilove their (and ex:re’s) music!!) anway. this is a hegegard song & i don’ttake constructive criticism. I’ll reiterate this better in other descriptions,but please don’t take my inclusion of a song about such a topic as adevaluation of it in any way, that’s not my intention. The reason I go so feralfor Hegegard is because im no stranger to watching someone you care about hurt themselvesin a way you can’t stop, and that’s what the AM ending evokes in me. Hence: asong I love that one can read the same story in. And then the lyrics ‘You couldstill be / What you want to / What you said you were / When I met you” just !! parallelsEdge of Dawn’s lyrics about regret & overall I’m very feral about this.

(Don’t Fear) The Reaper - blue oystercult. this is PRIME Edelgard telling freshly-awokenbyleth she’s been waging war for 5 years. also !!!! “Seasonsdon’t fear the reaper / Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain, we can be likethey are” >>> “The Edge of Dawn (Seasons ofWarfare) (フレスベルグの少女～風花雪月～,lit. Girl of Hresvelg ~Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon~)” .. the link is tenuous but coincidence?? is it, fuck.

Seneca - Novo Amor. this is another one of those songs that could mean something different to everyone. very easy to project onto, is novo amor. I like the story of being prepared to run and break ties at any given moment, but ending up - emotionally or physically - in the same place one always was. apart from the glaring tie of how Edelgard returned to garreg mach, this song is a lot of me trying to repatriate Edelgard’s lack of emotional arc in the game by saying . well. this song. 

You can call me Al -  paul simon. am i projecting edeleth thoughts onto my favourite song? it’s morelikely than you think!!! but also i like the chorus and all the exasperating ‘call me el’jokes i can make.. i may be half writing a fic based on this song.

Dorothea:Agnes - glass animals. so i have significant emotions about edelthea at the best of times !! and this song !!! really bloody hits it home !! yes I knowit’s got a really heavy and real subject matter and I’m not trying to devalueit or minimise it.. but the story - about watching someone close to you hurtthemselves/get hurt, and doing so in ways you can’t stop them from - is adamn real one. And a Lot of why I love Dorothea’s character in the gamebecause she’s the one who can’t stop her friends from getting hurt – through exposureto warfare .. or  stopping Edelgard becomingthe monster at the end of the story. Even though she’s one of the healers onthe beagle’s team. And I feel that.

Ex’s and Oh’s – Elle King. So you know that one spn fanvid featuringthis song about all of dean winchester’s relationships? That, but for my flirting Queen Dorothea Arnault. (and I have the dumbest most fun little headcanon thatonce Dorothea and Sylvain derailed a lgbt+ society meeting whilst Edie wastrying to go over the budget by blasting this song and dancing on the table.The idea makes me laugh)

Hold My Girl – George Ezra. The whole thing about wanting just that onemoment to cherish the people you love for one moment more before you have goout face the world? If that’s not the timeskip’d Dorothea Arnault Aesthetic, Idon’t know what is.

(Call Me Out – sea girls. On a much lighter note, this song is fueling the later half of mydrafts of road trip au. And it’s literally because of that one verse. im gayshut up.)

Hubert:Red Right Hand – nick cave and the bad seeds. Is it on the nose? Is itheavy handed? Oh u fuckin bet but that won’t stop me!!! A) it’s a good song. ItIs. B) I like narrative songs. C) Any ‘red right hand’ symbolism in Anycharacter has me love them immediately and also plonk this song in the middleof any playlist about them. sure, the artic monkeys version might be a bit more on hubert’s brand.. but my mileage varies about it lmao

I had fortress by bear’s den earmarked for Hubie, as I think it’s easilyread about boundaries and a one sided intense relationship & that’s! Hubiebaybee! But I can’t possibly cover unhealthy relationships without shoving thealbum Hospice by The Antlers into every which way of it. It’s by no meansdirectly translatable to Edelgard and hubert’s relationship and it’s arguable ifI should even mention it in the same sentence as a bloody fictional character… that beingsaid, I’ve been having emotions about:Shiva – the antlers. This song specifically reads to me to be a really goodarticulation of my own thoughts about Hubert’s perspective of Edie getting experimentedon. heavy but damn. I like that. I just see a lot of what their teen years togethermust have been like in Shiva.

Time – Pink Floyd. Ok so.. it’s like Hubert in parallel bc I think thissong is a lot about searching for a purpose/reason or a quote unquote bloodyred path in life. And I may have been listening to it when I watched Hubert/DorotheaA support & now it’s just permanently associated with it bc it complementedit so well. And I like it. So . it stays. It’s very much a beagles song to meas well.

Lysithea:The Beautiful Dream – George Ezra. Ok so I read this Edelysithea ficwith this on repeat bc the title reminded me of it, and then I stuck it onrepeat because it worked too well and now.. im crying.. and i like the inflection of Lysithea’s bitterness over the titular lyric. (but also, it remains one of my steadfast edeleth songs.. sorry lys)

Secrets (Cellar Door) – Radical Face. Another Edelgard&/Lysitheasong!! I really like their relationship ok. And given the song itself can beread straight or an allegory for whatever you particularly want, but the storyis just too on the nose for me not to mention it here.(also general advocation of listening to the whole of radical face’s musicbecause I’ve loved it for years now & the work is beautiful.) (also it’swonderful for fe awakening projection. Or ur own.)

Oh Children – nick cave and the bad seeds. there’s a million different interpretations of this song, but to try nail a few onto Lysithea.. there’s the harry potter use of making/finding a light in the depths of tragedy & i love that for Lys. there’s the whole ‘the kids aren’t alright’ theme and it’s various depths. and i like narrative lyrics to plaster my large fictional-character-caused-emotions onto, so make of this one what you will.

Marianne (and Lysithea too if you like)Bad Blood – Radical Face. Ok so. This is one of my favourite songs in bloodyexistence, and it’s so loaded with meaning & it has a metric tonne of it. Icould wax lyrical about how much I love Radical Face’s work. I don’t want myinclusion of this song (specifically this one) to in any way devalue it. Butmusic is ofc incredibly subjective, and so is my reading of a lot of threehouses – in case it’s not bloody obvious by now. There’s a Lot of stories onecould take from Marianne’s character (and none of them are More Valid^tm thanany other), and I do see a very personal story in her – as I do in this song. Hgghhghive just spent 10 minutes trying to find an impersonal way to talk about twovery personal and relative stories, which naturally doesn’t work. That, and theway I read her story is Real Fucking Dicey for tumblr.com. so if this song is about accepting rejection because of parts of yourself so deep they’re in your blood, i think.. y’all can see.. where my neurodivergent gay self is going with this..

Byleth:Something to Believe In – Tom Walker. Yeah. You’re bloody welcome. If this isn’ta completely on the nose Byleth song, I’ll eat Dorothea’s hat.

Don’t Let the Man – Fatboy Slim. ~ And the sign said green-hairedpartially possessed emotionally void mercenaries need not apply for aprofessorship at the country’s most prestigious academic centre… ~

Emigrate - Novo Amor. this just fucking Got Me in the ‘actively choosing crimson flower’ feelings. im an emotional wreak but its aight. the lyrics just matched up too well for me to let it go !!!

Alps - Novo Amor. this hit me in the ‘i miss the gremlin child sothis’ feelings one day and now it’s permanently stuck that way.

Make Them Gold – chvrches. (this is very much associated with awakening’sfuture past kids and also the Carmilla series in my mind But!!) I love a story about‘if we’re all falling, we’re going down together’ and the magical power of teamwork, and how it brings out the best in people.. & that’s what this song& Byleth kinda bloody stand for ya know??

woooh.. oh my god . i need another cup of tea.

[andrewdburton]

How to Ace an Interview With These Psychology-Backed Tips

While landing the interview is rewarding, the job interview is where you win or lose the offer. It’s time to impress. 

Even the world’s best resume and cover letter won’t save you if you commit some common critical mistakes. The REAL way to win an interview is by taking just a few extra steps before it even starts.

With some simple job interview preparation, you can get in the right mindset, reduce your nervousness, and also improve your confidence. To be fully prepared, you’ll want to cover all bases, such as:

Research on the company and recruiter

Preparing for the types of questions they’ll ask and how you’ll answer them

Working on your body language and voice

Here, we share some top ways to prepare for your interview, beyond just thinking of the questions. 

Bonus: Want to know how to make as much money as you want and live life on your terms? Download my FREE Ultimate Guide to Making Money

1. Research your interviewer

The first step in how to nail an interview is to research, research, research. Make sure you’re doing plenty of research on your interviewer and the company you’re applying for on sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google.

It’s one of the top job interview tips, but most people only research the company itself. The problem is this might not give you all the information you need, especially if it’s a huge company. While it’s a good place to start, if you have the name of the interviewer, dig into their background a little as well. Get to know them before you get in a room with them.

The goal is NOT to stalk them or memorize everything they’ve ever done. Instead, it’s to learn:

Their background (What schools did they go to? What clubs have they been a part of?)

Their position with the company (Are they in a new role? Were they recently promoted?)

Common interests you both share (Are they into volunteer work, sports, hobbies, etc?)

With these details, you can spark deeper discussions and stand out by subtly bringing them up during the interview — you’ll position yourself as someone who goes the extra mile, who’s proactive, and who cares. What’s the result? 

A great job offer.

2. Find the question behind the question

When someone asks you, “Can you tell me a little about yourself?” it seems simple and very straightforward, but the reality is, “tell me about yourself” has dozens of questions behind the question.

A great way to uncover the question behind this question is to think:

What do they need to know about my background?

What would they be concerned about?

How will this answer reflect what type of worker I am?

Are they testing to see if you’ve done your research on the role?

Always take time to pause and think about what they want. If you jump into answering their question or trying to sound good, you can miss what’s really being asked. 

Remember, the interviewer isn’t interested in your dog’s name or your favorite flavor of ice cream. They want to know more about you as a professional. And the best way to do this successfully is to think of the answer before you step in the interview room.

Make some notes on potential answers, such as your educational background and how it led you to this industry. Add in some color when you describe this, mentioning the skills and experience you picked up along the way. Bonus points if you can describe a specific situation that made you want to pursue this field/learn more/train for a new role. 

To recap, don’t just give a random answer, think about the question and:

Figure out the question behind the question

Write out a plain English answer

Polish your answer and give it some color

Once you’ve got that down, practice giving the answer in a mirror. Do it a few times, and work on making it seem less robotic and more conversational. It still needs to sound natural, especially when you’re talking about yourself. 

To help you search for the true meaning behind the question, come up with a list of 10 potential job interview questions. Run them through the criteria above to uncover the hidden meaning behind what the interviewer could really be asking. 

While you won’t be able to always guess what questions they will ask, this exercise can help you disassemble what questions are really asking. This is all great practice for when you sit in front of an interviewer.

3. Avoid using too much jargon

If we try too hard to sound smart and professional, we end up sounding like idiots: “Yes, the occupation filled me with immense joy as I interacted with my supervisor on a day-to-day basis to execute the financial…”

HUH?

A better strategy is to first translate what we’re trying to say into plain English. Then, if our response is compelling, we can polish the exact language to make the answer interview-worthy.

Imagine the interviewer asks “Why do you want this job?”

Before blurting out something about how you really “love their corporate values” or how you’re “so passionate” about the job, come up with something more realistic.

Here are some real reasons you might want to work at Company X:

The company does great work

There are a lot of smart people here

I think I can do a good job

So here’s what your answer might look like in plain English:

“I want to work here because the company does great work in the local tech community and I’d love to be a part of a growing industry.”

Tip on how to use this in your interview: With the questions you deconstructed earlier, come up with your plain English responses to them. Be sure to also address the question behind the question.

Take some time to write these down. But don’t worry about sentence structure, finding the perfect words, or sounding smart. Just keep it simple and natural. 

An answer in plain English is already better than most. Why? Because interviewers aren’t looking for a robot who can give a perfect, rehearsed answer. They want something genuine, an insight into your personality. They want to see how you explain complex issues and your approach to communication.

Remember, these are people you may have to work with every day. They want someone they can get along with, someone who is professional but also has a personality. The plain English answer shows that you’re not simply reading from a script or memorizing what the internet told you was a great answer. You’re explaining things in a simple way that people understand.

Another thing to think about is using jargon. Before jumping into a jargon-filled monologue about why you’d be the perfect hire, take a step back. The interviewer may or may not know what you’re talking about. 

If it’s the first round of interviews, you may not be interviewed by someone from the department you’re applying for. It may be someone in recruitment or HR. If you start mentioning technical language they’re not familiar with, it could go over their heads. 

A good rule of thumb is to listen to how the interviewer speaks. You can usually get a good idea of whether someone’s on the same page by their job title, the questions they ask, and whether they use jargon themselves. 

For example, say you’re applying for a digital marketing role. If they mention things like AdWords, SEO, and bounce rate, you’re safe to use that same type of jargon.

Bonus: Want to work from home, control your schedule, and make more money? Download my FREE Ultimate Guide to Working from Home.

4. Master your body language

Your mouth may be moving and saying all the right things, but is your body saying something different?

Interviews are nerve-wracking experiences for most of us, and that can cause us to tense up. With hunched shoulders, crossed arms, and eyes on the floor, your body language can use some serious work. 

There are tons of resources, studies, and books out there to help you master your body language, but here are some quick tips.

Show your palms

According to the authors of “Crazy Good Interviewing,” John B. Molidor, Ph.D., and Barbara Parus, showing your palms is a simple way to show sincerity. This gesture signals to the interviewer that you are honest and open. 

Press your fingertips to each other

This gesture makes your hands look like a church roof. It’s considered a way to show confidence and you may recognize it from speeches that politicians, CEOs, or lecturers give.

It’s also a good way to steady your hands if you’re nervous.

Don’t conceal your hands

One thing to avoid is to conceal your hands. Putting your hands in your lap, beneath the table may feel most comfortable for you. But body language experts suggest that this unconsciously signals that you have something to hide. More likely, it’s just because you’re just nervous but we don’t want a hint of doubt in the interviewer’s mind.

The same goes for if you place your hands downwards. Instead, keep your palms facing up to show you’re open and honest.

5. Speak with enthusiasm

It’s not all about what you say, it’s about how you say it. Interviewers don’t want to hire someone who sounds bored to be there. They want someone who is enthusiastic and full of energy. 

Being monotone can, at best, mean you don’t stand out, or at worst, put the interviewer off the idea of hiring you at all. Passion and enthusiasm help you stand out. 

If you know your voice is a bit monotonous or nervous during interviews, spend some time practicing speaking. Stand in front of a mirror and practice answering questions. Maybe even record yourself doing it and play it back. Try repeating it with a higher inflection and more enthusiasm so it won’t feel as weird or fake when you come to do it for real. 

6. Dress slightly better than the job you want

It doesn’t matter where you’re interviewing, play it safe and dress slightly better than the job you want. 

Lots of companies now have casually dressed employees. T-shirts and jeans are the new suit and tie in some places. 

But does that mean you should whip out the old Levi’s for your interview? Probably not. 

Figuring out the dress code can be a bit tricky. You may have to do some investigating or just straight up ask. Once you know the dress code, aim to dress slightly smarter than that. You’re aiming to impress, not just with your words but also with a non-verbal first impression. Interviewers can already tell a lot about you as soon as you step through the door, so make that first impression a good one. 

Bonus: Want to finally start getting paid what you’re worth? I show you exactly how in my Ultimate Guide to Getting a Raise and Boosting Your Salary

7. Use a story whenever you can

A common style of interview question is the “tell us an example of when you handle X” or “tell us about a time you handled a challenging situation at work.”

Before blurting out a factually correct (yet boring) answer, take some notes from the novelists in the world. Show don’t tell is the number one rule in any kind of fiction writing. And you can apply that to interview questions as well.

Instead of telling the interviewer what you did, try to show it instead. Illustrate a more detailed picture of the situation, the challenge, the steps you took, and then the result. This works with any type of question the interviewer asks, including the dreaded “tell me about yourself,” question.

A story, when told well, is the easiest way to deconstruct an answer and elevate yourself in the eyes of the interviewer.

Here’s what to say in an interview when you’re asked, “Why do you want to work here?”

Start with a broad opening: Set the stage with some high-level background to let the interviewer know what you’re going to talk about before diving into the details. For example: “I want to work at ACME Company for three key reasons. First, you’re doing amazing, life-changing work in the field of X. Second, I’m confident I can make a huge contribution, given my experience in Y. And third, you have some of the smartest people in the world working for you. That really excites me from an intellectual perspective.”

Then, get really specific. Now, transition into a short story with only the relevant details. For example: “Working with the smartest people is a big deal for me. You’ll notice that I have a history of actively seeking out and working with the top people in my field, such as John Smith and Jane Doe, who really pushed me to accomplish Z.”

Highlight the important takeaways. Lastly, get broad again and highlight the key takeaways. For example: “The bottom line, I thrive in environments filled with smart, ambitious people, and that’s why I’d love to be a part of the ACME team.”

Notice how different this is from what most people say in interviews. It’s crisp and concise with no fluff and packed with details that are engaging and impressive.

Filter your responses to common interview questions through this step-by-step system and you’ll give the perfect answer every time.

8. Don’t trash talk your current workplace

It should go without saying … but don’t trash talk. Anyone. If you’re asked why you left your previous job, you may be able to rant all day and all night. But resist the urge. It’s not a good look. 

Honesty is the best policy in job interviews, but when answering the question “Why are you looking for another job?” it’s safer to give a more filtered answer.

The best way to spin it is to deflect and say something positive about the job you’re interviewing for and (if you can) say something positive about your current/previous role. You could phrase it like “I learned a lot in my current role, but I’m looking for a new challenge/the next step/a bigger team.”

This is a much more professional response that also highlights why you want this role, not just that you’re desperate to leave your current one.

Do you know your earning potential?

Take my earning potential quiz and get a custom report based on your unique strengths, and discover how to start making extra money — in as little as an hour.

Start The Quiz

How to Ace an Interview With These Psychology-Backed Tips is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Finance https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/3-tips-to-dominate-your-job-interview-and-give-the-perfect-answers/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[regisumbra]

C/P HELPFUL GUIDE FOR WRITERS:

HOW TO PUT YOUR THOUGHTS INTO WORDS: THREE PROVEN STRATEGIES

Has it happened to you, too? In your mind, you’ve composed your next article. Perhaps while walking your dog or on your commute. You feel excited, because you know exactly what you want to write, and you think your readers will love it. Yay! Brimming with enthusiasm, you arrive home. But it’s your turn to cook, and when, after dinner, you finally sit down to write… You can’t put your thoughts into words anymore.Where have your words gone? You had such a bright idea, but now you feel lost.How did that happen? Was your idea rubbish? Where did it go?

Writing isn’t like assembling a flat-pack bookcase. A flat-pack comes with instructions on how to turn a collection of parts into a bookcase. While it may seem like chaos at first, the outcome is pretty certain—as long as you follow the instructions step-by-step. But writing? Not only do you need to collect the “parts” yourself, you also have to find your own method of assembling those parts into a shiny piece of content. And what’s more, creativity means stepping into the unknown: The outcome may be a little uncertain or completely shrouded in mist. Writing is laborious: 1. Writing is thinking; and thinking is tough. 2. Writing is communication; and communication with clarity is hard work. 3. Writing is a creative process; and creativity seems a fickle beast. Many writing coaches may advise you to follow a specific process—as if an IKEA method for writing exists. But what might work for your writing coach, might not work for you and me. We’re all different. So how can you get rid of writing frustrations? And how can you turn yourself into a productive writer? How can you put fleeting thoughts into solid writing? Well, it depends. Are you a carpenter, a knitter, or a free spirit? Shall I explain? 1. The Carpenter’s Method: Like many writing coaches, Jack Hart recommends the Carpenter’s Method in his book A Writer’s Coach. He quotes one of his workshop participants: ”Years ago I used to futz with every sentence, but then an editor told me something that really made sense. He said that when a carpenter builds a piece of furniture he doesn’t first make one side, perfect that, and then construct another side and perfect that. He must build an entire frame and then go back and put the finishing touches on each section. Even when I am on a deadline, I think of what I write first as an imperfect frame that will be improved later.” This is probably the easiest way to produce content relatively fast: 1. Choose an idea. 2. Outline your post. 3. Write a rough draft. 4. Revise your content. 5. Edit sentence-by-sentence. Steven Pressfield applies this same method when writing fiction. He calls it the “clothesline method”. On his clothesline, he hangs a series of scenes and sequences to decide what’ll happen in his book. Some people find this process too structured; they’re afraid it might kill their creativity. But an outline is not a straitjacket. Your outline might be a short list of questions you want to answer, a list of steps your readers must take to solve a problem, or a detailed list of arguments why readers should hire you. As a writer, you’re in charge. You can make your outline as detailed or brief as you like. You can follow it meticulously or remain open for new ideas. It’s often a matter of personal preference and how familiar you are with the piece of content you want to write. For instance, when writing sales copy, I plan meticulously. But for tutorial-style articles (like this one) I’m more open for fresh ideas and my outlines are brief. For a book, I outline what goes in each chapter, but I might write the chapters themselves more loosely. 2.  Freewriting: With freewriting, you start writing without quite knowing where your content will end up. You write as fast as possible to uncover new ideas. The process usually works as follows: 1. Write down your ideas as fast as possible. 2. Find the essence of your content. 3. Revise your content to build on your key idea. 4. Edit sentence-by-sentence. In his book Accidental Genius, Mark Levy recommends freewriting as a method to boost creativity: ”[Freewriting] pushes the brain to think longer, deeper, and more unconventionally than it normally would. By giving yourself a handful of liberating freewriting rules to follow, you back your mind into a corner where it can’t help but come up with new thoughts. You could call freewriting a form of forced creativity.” And in his book Writing Without Teachers, Peter Elbow recommends freewriting as a way to overcome writer’s block: ”Practiced regularly, [freewriting] undoes the ingrained habit of editing at the same time you are trying to produce. It will make writing less blocked because worse will come more easily. You will use up more paper, but chew up fewer pencils.” As Elbow suggested, freewriting also helps discover your voice and write with more energy: ”In your natural way of producing words there is a sound, a texture, a rhythm—a voice—which is the main source of power in your writing. I don’t know how it works, but this voice is the force that will make a reader listen to you, the energy that drives the meaning through his thick skull.” I use freewriting when writing more personal posts. I often have an inkling of what I want to write about, but the post often turns out completely different from what I had in mind. 3.  The Knitter’s Method: While the carpenter works from the big framework towards the nitty-gritty, the free spirit just starts and sees where her piece of content will end up. The free spirit often does a lot of revising to create focus and flow. Both carpenters and free spirits tend to leave editing last. They first get the content right before polishing each word. The knitter is different. He makes each part of the content perfect before moving on. As Mark McGuinness writes: "One of the sacred cows of the creative thinking industry is that we should operate idea generation, execution, and evaluation, so that they don’t interfere with each other. But my experience as a writer and coach suggests that this isn’t how many creative professionals work. When I’m writing, I’m reading, evaluating, and tweaking as I go. I’ll write a few sentences then pause and go back to read them through. Sometimes it’s immediately obvious I haven’t quite captured the thought or image, so I’ll make a few changes before I go on. If I get stuck, I’ll stop and read through the whole piece, trying to pick up the thread of inspiration where I lost it. Once I see where I got tangled up, it’s a relief to untangle it and get going again.” Experienced writers may thrive on the Knitting Method. But for beginning writers the risk is spending a lot of time knitting perfect paragraphs that may later need to be cut. The process may feel more organic and creative, but can take longer, too. When I feel stuck writing, I might turn to knitting. Instead of finishing a first draft, I polish what I’ve already written. While editing, I might get an idea on how to write the remaining parts. So what’s the best way to write? No perfect writing strategy exists. And most of us mix strategies depending on what we write, how the writing goes, and perhaps even depending on our mood. Sometimes you may find yourself mixing all methods for writing one piece of content. What’s important is to pay attention to what works for you. When do you get in a flow? What triggered this flow? Can you repeat it next time? Writing requires both planning and an open mind. ”There is a fine line between good planning and over-planning. You never want the planning to inhibit the natural evolution of your work.” - Twyla Tharp (The Creative Habit) We all need a process to keep producing and to pull us through when we feel stuck. But we also need room for surprise. When we’re open-minded, we discover unexpected nuggets of wisdom, fresh ideas, stories, or metaphors. So find your own balance between planning and openness. Because that’s how you find your flow, quieten your inner critic, and discover the joy of writing.

source: https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/writing-strategies/

[autoirishlitdiscourses]

Discourse of Tuesday, 09 March 2021

I think, is the connection between romance and the poor male subject who is planning substantial areas of thematic overlap, it's no inconvenience for me to assist me in an abusive marriage although I think that putting V for Vendetta at the end of the Gabler course edition. Thanks, Mary Rae! I'm trying to put these two. But what I think you would benefit, educationally and personally, from the same time, I realize. Since you two is going to be including a screen capture, etc. If little Rudy had lived. Another thing that leaves me feeling unsatisfied about your topic might be worth 50 points 10% of your task that you've accepted responsibility. One less paper and saying so is to focus specifically on the final, but I'm hesitant to dictate terms on a technicality. Turbary p. All of them, and some broader course concerns and did a very strong essay in a productive way to go over, but I'll let you know how GOLD looks for undergrads, I'm happy just to pick fewer, but rather because you have any questions, OK? Thank you for doing such an exaggerated form as, say, because there is a scholar's job to make sure I have to define your key terms construct meaning, and talk about is how I grade the first half of the pageant-master and the marketplace, and must not look at it if you feel that there is a useful fallback plan. To answer your question? There will be none. These are all very small number of bonus points you get to everything, I think that there will be there on time. Hell, bandwidth's really cheap these days. It's been a good sense of the landscape, Beckett may also find it necessary to start participating and pick up points for section on 27 November. You'll want to go down the Irish nationalism, the American judicial system, forensic science, technology, the more interesting task. I'm quite glad that it can be determined beyond a reasonable expectation that the overall result of curving grades, which may have noticed that there is a way of providing and resolving complexity in the way that the writer engages. Synge's descriptions of his identity look at the structural schema given to friends: Carlo Linati; Stuart Gilbert J. Too, how is this connected to your topic, and students can find these types of responses to suffering. Failure to turn in for class must represent your thoughts in more detail. I hope you feel good about yourself, then left my office door SH 2432E, provided that you will have an appointment to discuss and haven't quite punched through to being perceptive. Let me know if you go over, and some of the more poignant parts of the criteria that I'll be looking through as I said before, to be, or any sheet music during a quick note to find that giving texts, and what is short-sighted or otherwise just want the TAs to have a week when we're discussing the work you've already lost on the syllabus. This is true for us don't show that there are some comma splices, sentence, phrase, and to relate Ulysses to cubism as the major ones for the final under ordinary circumstances. You picked an interesting contemporary poet.

Have a good narrative path suggests itself to me, but it's also OK to set next to each section that I've gestured in margin comments is quite strong and confident in your paper in several places in my office hours open for nominations from students: You added a just in line 657; dropped the sentence Pleasant to see how much effort is required to send them along a proposal from, in practice, a heavy course load this quarter is over remember that essay. Truthfully, I didn't get any positive feedback and stopped responding later during your discussion in your section who has not removed the price tag from his angry moustache to Mr Power's mild face and said so at this point would be to examine the presuppositions that the passage in question doesn't make its way into your recording. I'm sorry about that form of communication, electronic or otherwise just want to know in San Francisco, who served in some ways in which students commonly make errors, if that person is reacting? I qualified it by email to answer questions that were open-ended questions intimidating or not I apply the late 19th and early 20th century. This means that a lot. Here you are also very well done here let me know if any of these bonuses, which was key in getting into the final.

Excellent! If plans change for any other electronic communications device s during lecture, and extreme claims require very strong essay in a reduction of ⅓ letter grade. Hi, Marlee! Those who are interested in getting into the material to think about how you're using as an obvious set of readings here—and you've remained fair to call on you first, second, and you met them at their relationship and about nine billion other things that people were very engaged and passionate and a server error on the make-up culture: A-range. In the meantime or have a final letter grade, you probably just need a middle A, if your paper, you're welcome to propose alternatives, but all in all, though not the same part of the passage in question by repeating something you address directly as you point out, when the book deals with family relationships: disturbed youth Francie Brady in The Plough and the argument that is faithful and accurate down to thanking the previous week's reading. Something else entirely? Let me know. Which path you choose and why that connection, and the problem with the poem and the ideas of others, because right now your primary payoff is—and then don't follow through in enough depth in your essay, and getting hardware serviced costs a fucking arm and a bit lopsided. —You have a basically fair reading to me. I've gestured in margin comments is quite perceptive readings of the things that would benefit from more concreteness and directness, though I wouldn't gamble on it. What is his point? I will try hard to let me know as soon as possible when you haven't yet written it, I think that the hard part for you would not have to have going on here that you make in your paper being more successful. Part of me wanted to talk about authors other than that they should not be digging deep enough into the midterm; c you can find one here. I'll provisionally see you in section as a person will avoid gaining an advantage. I want to examine the presuppositions that the site is created, so a film adaptation would certainly be one of them has held your grade, divided as follows: Up to/two percent/for/excellent delivery and then map those letter grades is as close to their paper topics, and you connected it effectively to questions from less abstraction to more specific about how readers respond to any emails by Monday night. I think that what your other questions. I would like to see the outline for the temptation offered to the novel reward? This is the issue, but rather to think about propaganda and/or not effectively support the writer's argument. Your recitation score was 46%. Let me know and we'll work out a number of points and provided a good student this quarter, so if you have any questions, OK?

I think that they're integrated into it—it is difficult, but you are not currently counting the boost from your responsibility to ensure that you need to be more than you expect. Hi! I'll answer your other email in just a little bit happier: if you'd like though you're certainly capable of doing an amazing recitation, and an honest and mostly very well.

I think it should be careful about the ever-recurring celebration of the Triffids, Cormac McCarthy's The Road, which is one possible good way to deal with the Clitheroes are less-intelligent and read well, overall. Hi, I try very hard to get your recitation/discussion assignment, Bloom discusses the funeral itself is sensitive and impassioned and showed this in your selection within the absurdist movement Harold Pinter, Paul Muldoon, Extraordinary Rendition Wednesday 4 December 2013 To-morrow the rediscovery of romantic love, since we follow Bloom and/or describing it in a comprehensive list. I don't yet see a specific point about McCabe having a different direction. I hear back until the very first paragraph in the past, the opportunity to see how much you knew about the way that I provide an estimate of participation. They've been getting quieter and quieter in section tonight, and has children, and is also in the sanctity of gun ownership have their prices quoted in guineas, for the quarter. /This may be again, let me know which date you want to deal with. I feel that it's not necessary to call it a try! I will be much much more quickly. Your ultimate guide and final later on for you, because under any circumstances engage in a comparative manner over time, I may overlook it if you have a chance to turn your paper in on time, I just think I can meet you at the logical chain you're constructing—I will distribute your total grade for your research paper will be worth winnin'; only one of their material. Well, and on all sides and develops according to the text. Scoring at least represents itself as a single goal. Remember that you wanted to meet downtown at a time in a close-reading exercise of your discussion. You picked a good selection, in turn, based entirely on attendance for your attendance/participation score is calculated. All but two students attended at least give a more critical attitude toward your larger-scale issues that came up effectively to larger-scale stand on what the paper. If you believe the section a total B-range grade on your part. Also, it was in the morning of the poem.

If you are not major, it's weird. The last two weeks have had difficulty answering any questions as you can get the group as a way of understanding the world? 47: A county in western Ireland, regardless of race, gender identity, and getting a why you think it's important, because sixteen minutes can go a long way, or similar phenomena. P/NP and letter-graded options on GOLD. Let's face it: A very strong job of putting the details of your outline. Everything looks basically good. But rather that being in an automatic non-passing grade but make sure that there are enough similarities there that I suspect, on the final will be worth 50 points for section this information allows them to get back to issues that I've given it another way: It's often that the beginning, though. However, the opportunity to demonstrate this to me, I will be held tomorrow SH 2635. 73-74 3.

You have some good topics buried in there what I'm really saying here is that one thing, you did: Perfect. I think that a few things that are slightly less open-ended questions is the MLA standard will negatively impact your paper until you have questions or themes that you can tie it closely in it according to social structures, gender, religion, and don't remember it in without hurting their grade. In case you didn't hurry through your texts, how does this in your order of preference, when all of your material very effectively this can be a more specific way would help—there are places where you need to have practiced a bit of lingering. Think about how you're going to be prompted on line 14; changed answered to said on 1. So, no rush I'll respond with a C-range, I think, though, so you may have required a bit nervous, but this is worth/an additional five percent/for leading an insightful, focused discussion about the symbolism of motherhood has affected him as a good move to show my hand in this direction would be found here on my section guidelines handout, which is entirely plausible if you assert it, though, #3, what you want me to. 420-22, p. Crashing? I really mean to be perhaps more flexible, is a strongly motivated choice. One option that you look for cues that tell us about the relative value of the text you plan to recite part of that chapter from the rest of the topic further, if you don't. If you get from the same day as another person, and the other side of the values currently seen as most important by the section website, and I'll accommodate you if you get behind. There are a couple of things that we've read this poem. Hi! But you really have done some very good job tonight! I haven't yet posted a copy of your paper,/not/that you were not too late to propose this, here is that I have defined an A or A is out of that first term at a time, but the Latin phrase Introibo ad altere Dei also occurs, of course grade, so it hasn't hurt your grade back this time. Hi! Etc. Your Grade Is Calculated document I do feel free to skip to the next week. I have to ponder each category on the paper is due, and have already missed three sections results in an Eton suit. The iconic X-ray of his other published work. Remember that there are several things that we read though you could talk about why they think it will result in an in-class recitation except for the text in it and let me know if you let me know if you do not accept work after the midterm to pass' policy is documented in the actual amount of reading the few I haven't read; it's of more benefit to introduce some major aspect of the term. You did a good student, and you structure your presentation is unlikely, you have nowhere to store your luggage to section and are comfortable discussing with the how this construction of sympathies works in The Walking Dead, which I scribble notes about things like nationalism and the fact, you really have done quite a difficult selection, in South Hall 3421 as soon as you travel through your selection but were very articulate paper here. I'm trying to crash. If you do something that keeps it from paying off as much as doing an excellent set of ideas in a way of providing and resolving complexity in the text. Just bring it to get people to speak to me about them with more detail if you would have most needed in order to be on the assumption that you select, I think that your topic needs more attention to the course material, and more than nine students trying to suggest that there are some quotes tagged philosophy of history on my comments on it before you they will have consulted any works that you're not sure how much it is not in your home you poor little Rudy wouldn't life. You're welcome! I necessarily believe these things not because you clearly have excellent things to focus on the student's ideas. Grammar and mechanics are mostly solid, and that you will need to already know that a close-read it closely in it. I felt like you have a fantastic opportunity for me to file an incomplete for the term; b write an A-before your presentation out longer, I think one of the play, contemporary politics, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or by email today, actually. Remember what we now call in English X-ray picture is Roentgen's own X-ray of his travel on the first to get a C and have sophisticated and interesting thoughts, and seemed to warm up quickly. The new absolute theoretical maximum. Again, very good ideas here, and keep you at eight lines, and giving other people talking about a particular race is? You are welcome. Your writing is quite excellent work here in a grading daze and haven't quite punched through to an X and/or symbolism of the discussion was more lecture-oriented. The Playboy of the text that you are absolutely capable of doing this on future assignments, either in linking to it than on the midterm as a whole. Take care of yourself, then go ahead and confirm that no one has enough space to examine your thoughts have developed a great detail simply because it prevents me from carrying annoyance at a time in a lot of things is he willing to grade your paper and make sure that you're constructing. Let me know. Let me know you've got a good student this quarter. You might profitably think about how movement, leisure, power, and you met them at you unless you manage to pick up absolutely every point available is 96%, a giant hawthorn tree in England to we in England to we in England, was supposed to have some very solid job here. Thank you.

[skipygmod]

One time, David Hume articulated the word: "Beauty in things exists in the mind which contemplates them." That sentence means that there's no such thing as an objective quality of beauty. That phrase has been used countless times to disagree with other maxims without thinking about an argument, to support modern relativism, postmodernism and basically to say that they're no objective requirements on criticism. Everything is opinions based on subjectivity because in the end "Beauty exists in the mind which contemplates it".

No one from these people has read Hume, as he was the opposite of a liberal who thinks critiques are opinions.

It's funny how they use a decontextualized phrase of an author, who was considered brilliant as a dogma, but at the same time won't use nor accept other quotes by the same author.

David Hume believed that something's beauty wasn't something objective and establish what is beautiful or not depended on the individuals' perception. That doesn't mean he believed that every artistic critique was subjective or in other words; they didn't have a substantial value, nor there was no rule or guideline.

While David Hume thought that beauty was a work of perception, he also believed that we had a good reason to think that something was beautiful. For him, some things are designed to be beautiful. Thus, it's normal that we sense them as such.

If you let me interpret the author; I believe that beauty is found in things sensed as biologically favourable and healthy. Someone can indeed consider the disease as something beautiful, and in the end, it's something so subjective as somebody who thinks that a sunset is beautiful. But that doesn't mean that the disease is something harmful, and the person who founds it beautiful is wrong.

David Hume also considered that superior tastes exist, even though, many aspects of critique are subjective and they're a matter of taste, to Hume; we should trust in some whose taste is superior.

It sounds contradictory for a postmodernist. Why trust in something subjective like the taste? Because if something subjective, A is as valid as B because Hume A wasn't as valid as B, even though they came from the perception.

Even if Hume, beauty comes from the perception and perception comes from the individuals, individuals are superior. A more intelligent, cultured individual with a higher spirit has the qualities to perceive reality. Thus, whatever they comprehend, as subjective it could be, is preferable and probably more beneficial.

Even inside subjectivity are hints; the colour you prefer is something subjective. And if you like blue is as valid as liking red, but in the end, that question has a null impact. However, if you prefer to spend your time in X way instead of Y, while it can be a subjective question, it impacts your life. It's a justified taste with valid reasons, and as subjective your preference can be, it doesn't change the fact that it could be harmful to society if it's being promoted.

I stumbled across many shoddy critics on YouTube that repeat like parrots, how I promote dogmas, that I think that criticism is entirely objective. Everybody should think the same when it was never the case.

I never said that criticism is objective, I pronounced objective guidelines, subjective guidelines, and the values of all these rules are something relative. Improving critical thinking doesn't have to do with just following a couple of steps. It doesn't have to do with JUST studying and memorizing some rules.

It has to do with – obvious to say- reasoning. And improving your life can achieve better logical thinking, turning you into a better person, because the criterion of a better person is one we can trust.

I can't entirely agree with everything said by Plato, David Hume or some philosopher about critique. Still, in the end, I can appreciate that many of them have certainty and they're conclusive. A philosopher or thinker who is not conclusive is garbage and doesn't deserve your time. And guess what? We're full of those thinkers on YouTube. They won't tell you you're wrong for thinking that X is Z nor liking Y. How many of these critics do you know that they're making clear this topic for you? Or make an effort to explain their criteria. They're so busy creating an image or trying not to offend anyone with their opinions; besides being subjective, they never try to justify with a solid reason.

So, back to my ideology about critical pragmatism, the quality of work is defined not only by its purpose and if it fulfils it but by the purpose's nature. Many thinkers throughout history have argued that there's no fixed goal on art, while many things have a clear intention, art does not. Traditionally art is for transmitting beauty and inspiring, but the understanding of art has changed for better or worse.

Some art pieces are looking to provoke the opposite, to show you that life has no meaning, to feel fear, disgust, anger, or to cause any negative emotion in general.

Alright, something that is just trying to entertain is that; entertainment, it's not art.

I'm not expanding on this again, and I already made an entry about the nature of art.

What I'm going to say with this is that the purpose is still the same. To invoke, to inspire and to reflect on. The thing is that the method has changed, now you can inspire with a tragedy or think about the negative parts of life.

Expressing yourself that way is not an unconnected concept to the ancient world; it always has been that way, it's just our understanding of it has distorted with time due to cultural subversions.

What makes cinema distinctive as art is handling time, the footage; alright, it means that the footage is the most important thing, the footage is essential and indispensable. It makes cinema what it is, but in the end, the goal of a film is to tell something, thus writing is the most important.

This principle applies to animation, comics, or literature. All these mediums use different methods for the same objective, to tell something.

The objective of a videogame, on the other hand, is not to tell something, but to entertain and cause a thrill, also videogames that are telling you something have them as a supporting feature. That is why I won't take them as a serious artistic medium.

The objective of every work of art is to invoke, inspire and be thought-provoking. The last statement is true for dance, painting and literature; what are they trying to invoke or transmit is an entirely different story, and it's something that I already mentioned before. Certain messages are better or more important than others.

After bothering to clarify my criterion, what we can expect from my opposition are edits about me, memes, insults to my family; to my persona. And we can expect content creators will ignore my post because I'm a polemic figure because of ad-hominem and so on. They got no serious way to respond because I'm one of the few who take these subjects seriously.

[craigrcannon]

Employee #1: General Assembly

A conversation with Mimi O Chun, General Assembly’s first employee.

Employee #1 is a series of interviews focused on sharing the often untold stories of early employees at tech companies.

Mimi O Chun was the first employee at General Assembly, an education company operating in 15 cities with over 25,000 graduates worldwide. She is currently a founder, advisor, investor, and consultant for a number of early-stage startups.

Discussed: Switching From Consultant to Employee, Career Paths for a Designer, Being Older Than the Founders, Being the Only Woman at a Startup, Working With Four Founders, and Determining Where You Can Have the Most Influence.

Craig : So how did you meet the General Assembly guys?

Mimi : I met Adam [Pritzker] while I was working at IDEO. He was at a bit of a crossroads—simultaneously applying to business school, thinking about starting something, and applying at IDEO.

He ended up withdrawing himself from consideration because I think he realized entrepreneurship was his calling. He comes from a family of entrepreneurs so I think he knew, even though he was looking at these other paths, the lure of entrepreneurship was too tempting for him to do anything else.

We ended up staying in touch. When you meet someone at IDEO in general, whether you’re a candidate or an employee, the conversations tend to be around what inspires you and what you’re drawing your references from. Adam and I very quickly developed a rapport because he could make business references AND fine art references. We just had a common dialogue, so we ended up staying in touch, getting drinks from time to time.

When he told me more about what he and his partners were planning to do with General Assembly—which at the time was called Superconductor—I was like, “Oh, this is really fascinating. I know nothing about this. I’d be happy to help you with brand strategy and design.”

Craig : As a friend or contractor?

Mimi : Kind of both. I did it for a really reduced rate. I would have helped anyway, but then the scope became big. By that point, once I was producing a lot more stuff, we had to formalize things a bit more.

I never presumed that I would leave IDEO to join General Assembly. I like to describe it as waking up in Vegas with a wedding ring on my finger by the time I finally joined full-time. I think there were a lot of life events for me that happened—I was getting a divorce and I was moving out of my apartment. I was doing a bunch of things that also made me a lot more, I think, open. I knew I needed change and I’m not a good tweaker, so I just kind of changed everything and ended up leaving IDEO to join General Assembly full-time.

Craig : Okay, just so I get this timeline right, when did you meet Adam and when did you join GA?

Mimi : So Adam came into IDEO in February of 2010. I think GA launched in January of 2011. We didn’t start collaborating until the summer of 2010. I remember we would have drinks at the Standard Biergarten in the Meatpacking District. We started talking in earnest about developing the brands. I was helping on nights and weekends while I was working at IDEO and then I ended up leaving formally in October of 2010.

Craig : Okay, so it wasn’t very long at all between meeting and launching.

Mimi : It all happened in stages. We were at 902 Broadway, doing the build-out on the fourth floor.

Matt [Brimer] and Brad [Hargreaves] had essentially built our inaugural class of startups who would form our membership—participating in the community and renting desks. When construction ended up getting delayed, we rented a temporary space on the seventh floor of the building in November of 2010, but we were under a press embargo. Nobody could post anything on social media about it until we did our official launch for the Times in January of 2011.

Craig : Okay, gotcha. All right, it initially started out with renting desks. Was that the very beginning?

Mimi : When the founders first started GA, it was initially structured as an LLC — it was supposed to be everybody’s side job. It was primarily coworking, but specifically designed for people working on startups.

The founders had looked at the market and at the time there were a bunch of coworking spaces popping up in Dumbo and whatnot, but in those scenarios you have an accountant sitting next to a freelance writer with absolutely nothing in common, and GA was about creating a tighter community with a lot more in common.

I don’t think anybody really thought of it as coworking because the benefits of being in a space like that were really about knowledge-sharing. It wasn’t really a real estate play, I’ll put it that way. We were breaking even on the desks at the time. It was about creating something bigger and a more sort of osmotic transfer of knowledge between teams, but also to have teams that are in various stages of their growth, all in a shared space.

In the beginning, everyone who joined the community would be asked to contribute back to the community in some way—whether it was writing a blog post or teaching a short class or doing a quick fireside chat. It was really about trying to instill those values from the get-go.

The formalized education happened later, not that much later, but later. If you look at the actual footprint of that first space in 902 Broadway, I think it was 16,000 square feet. And of that 16,000 square feet, we designed one classroom that was relatively small. It was a small fraction of the total space.

This is the thing with creating non-tech startups. If you have an actual physical space, you can really only iterate with your next campus. That first campus, yeah, you can see how it evolved from there. And now I would say that with most of the other locations, 90% of the footprint is dedicated to educational space.

Craig : Okay. What’s Adam’s relationship with the other guys? Who grabbed who?

Mimi : Adam initially met Matt and Brad at New York Tech Meetup, I believe. And Matt brought Jake [Schwartz] in.

Craig : And so how did it go the first time you met all of them?

Mimi : That was probably when we started the brand development process. I worked most closely with Adam but I spent a lot of time with all of them (Adam, Brad, Matt, and Jake) in the beginning because I was trying to synthesize many different perspectives on what this thing could be.

We all came to the project with a certain bias or a certain passion or a certain conviction, and that was very evident from the beginning. And so one of the first things I did with the team, with the founders, was articulate the brand values and craft the value proposition. We weren’t exactly sure how to talk about General Assembly, so I ran them through an exercise. This was me putting my consultant hat on, running an exercise to get at what was the one- or two-sentence way to describe General Assembly. So that was the first thing.

We basically repeated those exercises to name it and design the identity—the visual, verbal, and spatial identity. All of that was culled from numerous conversations that I had with all of the founders.

Craig : What hooked you in the beginning about GA?

Mimi : I think I had thought about it specifically through the lens of a designer because I’d been on the board of AIGA, I’d been a lecturer and critic at schools, and so I’m always thinking about career paths that are available to young designers.

At the time I think I thought of the design profession as having two paths: client services or in-house. I guess working for a startup is in-house, but as we both know, it’s a totally different beast to be involved from a foundational level as a designer. There’s a lot of authorship and a lot of opportunity that young designers have by pursuing a path of entrepreneurship. So that was probably my primary motivation.

Craig : Just to pause you, you liked the idea of helping other people follow this path? Or you’re doing it for yourself or both?

Mimi : I think it was both. I was also curious about this New York tech community that I had no idea existed.

This is the curse of the consultant, having been one for pretty much the majority of my career prior to GA. You work on projects in really weird industries that you would never before consider. It’s like light embedding. And when you lightly embed into that industry, you can learn a shit ton about them. And so for me, it seemed like a natural way, by helping GA’s founders with brand strategy, I could simultaneously learn about the tech industry. It’s a natural way to do research. Just do a project and it’ll be interesting and productive at the same time.

Craig : When does it become like, “Oh, maybe I want to do this for real?” Was that at a particular meeting or anything like that?

Mimi : I left IDEO not because I was necessarily thinking that GA was going to become what it eventually became, but more because, in the early days of GA, with all of those inaugural startups there, I was like, “Oh, I can consult for the inaugural startups that are in GA.” I think our realization that there was a need to really build out GA as an educational company happened later.

Craig : So you were thinking, “Okay, this is a very cool project that I can leave IDEO for and essentially run as my full-time job. And in this project, I can potentially garner even more projects as a startup consultant.”

Mimi : It’s like Inception.

Craig : [Laughter]

Mimi : It’s the first time I’ve actually talked about it. It’s funny, because yeah, there is a realization attached to it that I wasn’t super risky and prophetic in seeing what GA would become. It very much happened in an incremental way. I was not about to take a lot of financial risks at the time.

Craig : So back to when you were working as a consultant. How did the name come about?

Mimi : At the time, the working title was Superconductor and one of my caveats to working with Adam was, “I will totally help you with brand strategy and design if you let me change the name.” And Adam was like, “Okay, I think I can do that.” But he said it without realizing necessarily how attached a couple of the other founders were to the name. They had already been talking about it within the tech community and people liked it.

The reason why I was adverse to the name Superconductor was because it sounded almost like an accelerator program. It sounded more like it was about us rather than about our community. I knew that it had to be about our community in order for people to feel welcomed and to feel like it was their home and to take ownership of the community themselves. So General Assembly came out of three inspirations. One was the idea of factories and places where things get made. The second was around schools, like when you have your school-wide assembly. And then the third came from self-governing bodies. Could you create a community where those three ideas were prevalent? So that’s where the name came from.

Craig : Did the risk of startups kind of lure you in at all when you were at IDEO? What was interesting about the startups?

Mimi : I think I can say this about IDEO designers in general, but there’s a certain type of person who goes to work there. They’re designers whose greatest priority is impact. I always believe you can create impact at scale with market leaders at a place like IDEO or you can create impact at the other end of the spectrum as a startup. The middle is less interesting. It’s a little bit more incremental. They’re thinking a little bit more near-term.

In other words, you can have massive impact if you’re innovating at Walmart or you can have massive impact if you’re creating a startup, right? Those two ends of the spectrum have always been far more interesting to me than the middle.

And New York startups—in the beginning and probably still to this day—are different from the Valley’s in that there are a lot more non-technical founders in New York. A lot of people who come out of media and marketing, a lot of people who saw a problem and wanted to solve it versus a tech-first approach of “How can I turn this innovation into a viable business?”

You have these legacy industries in New York, whether it’s publishing, fashion, art. And we started seeing these startups pop up, like Artsy or Of a Kind, trying to disrupt these sort of New York legacy industries. And I think that’s what was interesting to me.

Craig : Let’s talk about what it was like working there as the first employee. How did the interpersonal dynamics work out between you, the founders, and the rest of the team?

Mimi : For a really long time, it was the four founders plus myself. I had a non-trivial piece of equity, so technically I guess that made me a partner, which meant that I would join the founders for some of the early planning meetings once we were actually in the space.

Dynamic-wise, I worked primarily with Adam on stuff. I don’t know if I actually reported to Adam or if I reported to Jake. No, I must have reported to Adam technically, though it never felt that way. I think not having a founder title was actually really good for me.

Craig : That’s what I was wondering.

Mimi : I didn’t need the accountability, but in many ways, I had the most tangible skill set. I think having four founders is actually pretty rare for a startup because there can be too much overlap. Each of GA’s four founders are so distinctly different in terms of both their personalities, their passions, and what they’re all individually good at, that it’s pretty evident to me where their energies naturally went, but I don’t think it was always that way in the beginning.

Craig : Do you think that not being a founder made your work more satisfying?

Mimi : I definitely looked at it as a really positive experience. My perspective is I’ve always been more comfortable behind the scenes than out in front. It’s not that I would be unwilling to take on that role, and I certainly subsequently have, but I think, for my first introduction to a startup, it’s definitely good to be first employee.

Craig : So how did that play out when you started hiring more and more people?

Mimi : When you’re at a high-growth company and somebody’s been there for a long time, you can go to that person for a lot of institutional knowledge that your colleague who was hired three months before you were doesn’t have. I felt a certain responsibility being an early employee to welcome new hires. And I was also the only woman.

Craig : Yeah, I was holding out for that question.

Mimi : I was also the oldest by a good margin. I think Jake is around seven years younger than me and he was the oldest of the founders. So there was definitely a little bit of a mom, den mom sort of thing. Tiger mom? I don’t know.

Craig : [Laughter] Yeah, that’s a tricky role. I’m interested in how you viewed both that dynamic and the dynamic of the company at the time. Were there any moments when you were like “I don’t know about this?”

Mimi : Yeah, there were. A lot of designers want to have palpable impact. As a consultant, you do a lot of these vision decks that get thrown in a file cabinet somewhere. One of the first things that happened was when we had built out the space, we had a press embargo, we knew the New York Times story was gonna come out January 26th or whatever it was, and so everybody was walking around on eggshells. Everybody was super stressed about this launch. The space was pretty much finished but there was a lot of glass in that inaugural campus and people kept running into the glass, like literally running into the glass.

One of the startups [renting space at GA] had a friend come over and he literally smacked his head on a glass wall. It happened a number of times. I would hear people talking about how other people were running into glass and then two seconds later they themselves would run into glass. So I eventually got this frosted adhesive to put on the glass but for a good day or two, I was freaking out, putting Post-Its on every single glass surface. I remember having this oh shit moment of “I wanted to have palpable impact on users and this is what it means to be accountable for it.”

Craig : [Laughter] Was there anything that surprised you about the experience of being a first employee?

Mimi : As a first employee, for better or worse, the thing about joining a startup is that it’s not a meritocracy, right? If you’re disappointed in a decision that’s made, or if you feel the founders aren’t leading the way that you would lead an organization, it can be incredibly frustrating. It’s actually tricky to be a first employee because you identify both with the founders and the employees.

Craig : And so I wonder how you start to reconcile that, assuming you get a fair equity deal, how you feel about ownership, how you feel about managing people.

Mimi : I think you do feel some ownership. I think you do feel some accountability, but I guess, for me, being pretty functional in my role and pretty discreet around what was my domain probably helped with that.

I stopped being operationally involved a good number of years ago, so when I go back and step into a GA location now, I’ve actually been really pleasantly surprised and at times proud of how well the brand has managed to weather.

Craig : Yeah. Do you think that makes you feel better about the experience as a whole because you have a tangible legacy?

Mimi : As a designer, it would be so easy for me to go into straight-up marketing. One of the reasons why I’ve never chosen that path is because I’m not interested in putting lipstick on a pig. I’m not interested in creating spin for a sub-optimal product experience.

For me, product, environment, experience, and the communications and design around it are all so interwoven that I could create the most beautiful brand in the world, but if it’s a sub-optimal experience for people, it doesn’t mean anything. It just means we’re really good at fronting.

Craig : So kind of closing things off, since leaving GA, how do you think about it?

Mimi : I think in some ways I’m more comfortable in the role of a first employee than I am as a founder. But I’m not personally interested in joining a startup late. I guess it depends on what you’re motivated by or what you’re looking for in your job. I have always known that I identify with early stage startups.

New was always much more interesting to me. For me, I’m most interested in taking a nebulous idea, taking a very fuzzy hypothesis and turning it into something concrete, whether that’s for P&G or whether that’s for this as-of-yet unnamed startup. I like figuring it out.

I think that the tech community in general is so overspecialized for mid-stage or mature companies. I remember meeting a designer from Apple whose job it was to design icons, day in and day out. And I was like, “Wow, okay.” He was this lauded designer and obviously very skilled at it, but I think I was spoiled in my career in that I felt like I had license to weigh in on anything from product to marketing to brand. I can have opinions about all of those things and try and prototype ideas around all of that stuff. And that’s one of the benefits of being an early-stage employee that you wouldn’t get if you joined as the 800th, right?

Craig : Yeah, definitely. That autonomy is huge. All right, so do you have any general advice for someone who’s a first employee?

Mimi : I think if there’s anything, it’s having a good amount of self-awareness and a fair amount of clarity. Ask your founders where the buck stops in decision-making. Find out what you own and ask yourself, “Am I comfortable with this? Am I comfortable with this part of the pie?” Just getting clarity around that, I think, will be helpful. It sets the stage.

[poweredbydietcoke]

Favorite books of 2019

A *very* late continuation of my annual tradition … finally got a push to finish this in case you’re looking for book ideas while we find ourselves with plenty of extra time during quarantine. I read a little less in 2019, maybe because I’m working on something new (and have a new kid) or maybe just because I’m getting lazy as I get older? 48 books total, of which 4 were tree books and 23 were audiobooks—I did spend more time in transit last year (yes, it’s possible to listen to audiobooks and talk to ATC at the same time!), but it felt more productive. 

Without further ado, my favorite books. (affiliate links get donated to charity at the end of the year). I’ve included some highlights from Kindle books, but many of my favorites this year were audiobooks, where I haven’t found a great solution to highlighting (especially those I get from the library on a variety of crappy - but free! - services).

Destiny Disrupted, by Tamim Ansary - this was probably my favorite book of the year. I liked it so much I cold-emailed the author and invited him over for dinner, and we had a wonderful time with he & his wife and a bunch of friends. Fundamentally, the book is a history of the world told from the point of view of Islam; the point he makes, quite compellingly, was that there are really two (and probably more) different histories of the world, with the same facts, that just depend on your narrative. This is starting to play on a lot of things I’ve been trying to understand recently, including Ben Hunt’s Epsilon Theory and specifically, his idea of the Narrative Machine, and all of the theory of Common Knowledge that includes. And he does all this with an easy-to-read but well-researched writing style. If you like this one, I’m still working my way through his next one, The Invention of Yesterday, and so far so good.

A ruler can never trust a popular man with soldiers of his own. One day, Mansur invited Abu Muslim to come visit him and share a hearty meal. What happened next illustrates the maxim that when an Abbasid ruler invites you to dinner, you should arrange to be busy that night.

On the Sunni side, four slightly different versions of this code took shape, and the Shi’i developed yet another one of their own, similar to the Sunni ones in spirit and equally vast in scope. These various codes differ in details, but I doubt that one Muslim in a thousand can name even five such details.

Let me emphasize that the ulama were not (and are not) appointed by anyone. Islam has no pope and no official clerical apparatus. How, then, did someone get to be a member of the ulama? By gaining the respect of people who were already established ulama. It was a gradual process. There was no license, no certificate, no “shingle” to hang up to prove that one was an alim. The ulama were (and are) a self-selecting, self-regulating class, bound entirely by the river of established doctrine. No single alim could modify this current or change its course. It was too old, too powerful, too established, and besides, no one could become a member of the ulama until he had absorbed the doctrine so thoroughly that it had become a part of him. By the time a person acquired the status to question the doctrine, he would have no inclination to do so. Incorrigible dissenters who simply would not stop questioning the doctrine probably wouldn’t make it through the process.

If a man commits a grave sin, is he a non-Muslim, or is he (just) a bad Muslim? The question might seem like a semantic game, except that in the Muslim world, as a point of law, the religious scholars divided the world between the community and the nonbelievers. One set of rules applied among believers, another set for interactions between believers and nonbelievers. It was important, therefore, to know if any particular person was in the community or outside it.

Range, by David Epstein. Thomas Layton recommended this to me (he was reading a derivative work on how to coach basketball while applying this theory), and it was fun. The fundamental thesis is that you can split environments into “nice” and “wicked” learning environments. In nice environments, feedback is quick and accurate, and rewards specialization early (eg golf ... you can practice every possible shot by yourself). In wicked environments, feedback is delayed (if available at all), and the rules — let alone the situation — are fluid. This rewards “range”, or a variety of experiences (Epstein uses tennis as an example, but much of life is even more obvious). The return of the Renaissance Man (or Woman) — yay!

When I began to write about these studies, I was met with thoughtful criticism, but also denial. “Maybe in some other sport,” fans often said, “but that’s not true of our sport.” The community of the world’s most popular sport, soccer, was the loudest. And then, as if on cue, in late 2014 a team of German scientists published a study showing that members of their national team, which had just won the World Cup, were typically late specializers who didn’t play more organized soccer than amateur-league players until age twenty-two or later.

A recent study found that cardiac patients were actually less likely to die if they were admitted during a national cardiology meeting, when thousands of cardiologists were away; the researchers suggested it could be because common treatments of dubious effect were less likely to be performed.

Whether or not experience inevitably led to expertise, they agreed, depended entirely on the domain in question. Narrow experience made for better chess and poker players and firefighters, but not for better predictors of financial or political trends, or of how employees or patients would perform. The domains Klein studied, in which instinctive pattern recognition worked powerfully, are what psychologist Robin Hogarth termed “kind” learning environments. Patterns repeat over and over, and feedback is extremely accurate and usually very rapid.

...

In wicked domains, the rules of the game are often unclear or incomplete, there may or may not be repetitive patterns and they may not be obvious, and feedback is often delayed, inaccurate, or both.

When younger students bring home problems that force them to make connections, Richland told me, “parents are like, ‘Lemme show you, there’s a faster, easier way.’” If the teacher didn’t already turn the work into using-procedures practice, well-meaning parents will. They aren’t comfortable with bewildered kids, and they want understanding to come quickly and easily. But for learning that is both durable (it sticks) and flexible (it can be applied broadly), fast and easy is precisely the problem.

Programs like Head Start did give a head start, but academically that was about it. The researchers found a pervasive “fadeout” effect, where a temporary academic advantage quickly diminished and often completely vanished. On a graph, it looks eerily like the kind that show future elite athletes catching up to their peers who got a head start in deliberate practice.

Hilariously, predictors were willing to pay an average of $129 a ticket for a show ten years away by their current favorite band, while reflectors would only pay $80 to see a show today by their favorite band from ten years ago.

In the spring of 2001, Bingham collected twenty-one problems that had stymied Eli Lilly scientists and asked a top executive if he could post them on a website for anyone to see. The executive would only consider it if the consulting firm McKinsey thought it was a good idea. “McKinsey’s opinion,” Bingham recalled, “was, ‘Who knows? Why don’t you launch it and tell us the answer.’”

There was also a “perverse inverse relationship” between fame and accuracy. The more likely an expert was to have his or her predictions featured on op-ed pages and television, the more likely they were always wrong. Or, not always wrong. Rather, as Tetlock and his coauthor succinctly put it in their book Superforecasting, “roughly as accurate as a dart-throwing chimpanzee.”

Deep Work by Cal Newport - this was an easy listen while on a couple of long runs in Palm Springs during Indian Wells weekend, and definitely worth it. Like classics such as How to Win Friends And Influence People, there’s not a lot fundamentally groundbreaking here, but he articulates some really fundamental principles well enough that you stop and take notice and ask, “I know that ... why am I not doing that?” Now I just need to review my notes...

Age of Ambition, Chasing Fortune in China - Evan Osnos. I think Scott Cannon originally recommended this book to me, and it was fascinating. It’s a bit of a long, slow read but a lot of insight into China’s evolution over the last few decades. I’m not sure what I’ll do with this knowledge (or the many other China books I’ve read recently) but it feels important for the coming decades. If only I could learn Mandarin like Matt MacInnis 

Every country has corruption, but China’s was approaching a level of its own. For those at the top, the scale of temptation had reached a level unlike anything ever encountered in the West. It was not always easy to say which Bare-Handed Fortunes were legitimate and which were not, but political office was a reliable pathway to wealth on a scale of its own. By 2012 the richest seventy members of China’s national legislature had a net worth of almost ninety billion dollars—more than ten times the combined net worth of the entire U.S. Congress.

But unlike Zaire, China punished many people for it; in a five-year stretch, China punished 668,000 Party members for bribery, graft, and embezzlement; it handed down 350 death sentences for corruption, and Wedeman concluded, “At a very basic level, it appears to have prevented corruption from spiraling out of control.”

The Central Propaganda Department let it be known that reports that suggested a shortage of happiness were not to receive attention. In April 2012 my phone buzzed: All websites are not to repost the news headlined, “UN Releases World Happiness Report, and China Ranks No. 112.”

Over the years, the risk of being blamed for helping someone was a scenario that appeared over and over in the headlines. In November 2006 an elderly woman in Nanjing fell at a bus stop, and a young man named Peng Yu stopped to help her get to the hospital. In recovery, she accused Peng of causing her fall, and a local judge agreed, ordering him to pay more than seven thousand dollars—a judgment based not on evidence, but on what the verdict called “logical thinking”: that Peng would never have helped if he hadn’t been motivated by guilt.

At one point, Chinese programmers were barred from updating a popular software system called Node.js because the version number, 0.6.4, corresponded with June 4, the date of the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

he vowed to punish not only low-ranking “flies” but also powerful “tigers.” He called on his comrades to be “diligent and thrifty,” and when Xi took his first official trip, state television reported that he checked into a “normal suite” and dined not at a banquet, but at a buffet—a revelation so radical in Chinese political culture that the word buffet took on metaphysical significance. The state news service ran a banner headline: XI JINPING VISITS POOR FAMILIES IN HEBEI: DINNER IS JUST FOUR DISHES AND ONE SOUP, NO ALCOHOL.

...

It didn’t take long for the abrupt drop-off in gluttony to affect the economy: sales of shark fin (de rigueur for banquets) sank more than 70 percent; casinos in Macau recorded a drop in VIPs, and Swiss watch exports dropped by a quarter from the year before. Luxury goods makers mourned.

Economists point to a historic correlation between “world’s tallest” debuts and economic slowdowns. There is no cause and effect, but such projects are a sign of easy credit, excessive optimism, and inflated land prices—a pattern that dates to the world’s first skyscraper, the Equitable Life Building. Built in New York at the height of the Gilded Age, it was completed in 1873, the start of a five-year slump that became known as the Long Depression, and the pattern repeated in decades to follow. Skyscraper magazine, a Shanghai publication that treated tall buildings like celebrities, reported in 2012 that China would finish a new skyscraper every five days for the next three years; China was home to 40 percent of the skyscrapers under construction in the world.

Billion Dollar Whale by Tom Wright & Bradley Hope - Mike Vernal told me to drop most things to read this, and he wasn’t wrong. A well-written account of the 1MDB scandal that I’d only vaguely followed, and tries to put it into context when it basically can’t … something like $5.XB stolen over the course of a few years.

Heads in Beds by Jacob Tomsky & Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain - I put these two together, both recommended by Robert MacCloy, because they’re quick and fun. I listened to both on audio and they were both “mindless” but interesting…sort of the inside baseball of both the hospitality and restaurant industries. Don’t use a UV light...anywhere.

Smokejumpers by Jason Ramos - recommended by one of our fire captain neighbors at Oxbow and figured it would be good to understand a little more about wildland firefighting … this took me down a long digression of firefighting books that were interesting but if you want one, this one’s fun.

American icon by Bryce Hoffman - great audiobook that Scott Cannon recommended about Alan Mulaly’s turnaround of the Ford. The single most memorable part — after a couple of years working on turning the company around, a reporter asked him what his priorities for the next year were, and he responded with the same three things he’d said from the beginning. The reporter said something to the affect of “I can’t write about that again, it’s boring, you need something new!” And Mulaly responded “when we’ve got these three things done right, then we’ll have something new. We haven’t finished them yet."

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou - my wife raved about this book after she listened to it, and it was all the rage, so I did too…and it lived up to the hype! Fascinating but managed not to be a tabloid-y gossip-y tale of excess so much as a “yeah, each individual step was only a little over the line, and look where it lead them.” A surprisingly poignant reminder about how “fake it til you make it” in Silicon Valley can be idealized until it’s not. This is the next generation in a line started by Barbarians at the Gate and continued by Smartest Guys In The Room.