So This Is Christmas...

Well folks, it's that time of year again. Colorful lights fill up the night as friends and families everywhere celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, and/or some of the other holidays around this time. They may have different names, but the one thing they all have in common is a celebration of togetherness.

I promised myself that I would make a post for Christmas day, and usually I don't like to make posts in which I cannot contribute any significant insights or otherwise interesting thoughts; but I guess this can be an exception. Honestly, I don't think I can tell you anything about the holiday spirit that you don't already know, so I think I'll just give a little snippet on how my own Christmas turned out this year.

Let's see here. On the down side it's been almost four months since I've begun my job hunt, but sad to say I still remain in the population of the unemployed. On the bright side, my family is here with me again, just like they have been every year. But unlike in years past, this reunion will be a fairly short one. Since my brother has found a teaching job in London, he is only here in Canada on a two week break. Likewise, my mother will return to Hong Kong after a month's time here. Two weeks really isn't a whole lot of time, and it'll be at least another 6 months before I see my mother again; 7 months for my brother. Because of this, I find myself cherishing our time together more so than in previous years. So my troubles may not be miles away; heck it's not even out of sight, but I'm having a merry little Christmas this year nonetheless because I've already got what matters most. I wish a Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Observations on Love

Here's an article I've written about some things I've learned about love. For the record, I have felt and experienced love in my life, so the title isn't quite accurate...not sure why they went with that. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy!

http://elitedaily.com/dating/6-lessonsobservations-love-dating-virgin/823723/

(Please comment on the site itself if you can, thanks!)

Blog Hop

I really should have made this post two months back, my deepest apologies for the mega-delay. Anyhow, here it is, my little contribution to this Blog Hop!

First I'm supposed to answer this question: Why are you working on the project you are writing now? Why is it important? (to you, or to the world, or…)

Well technically there are several projects I'm working on, but most of them are just small-piece articles so I'll stick with my first original work: this blog. I started this blog in the hopes of refining my writing skills, create more exposure for my writing, and to share topics and thoughts of interest with the world. So far, I'd say things have been going pretty well. Thanks to a blog share group on LinkedIn, I've been able to share my blog with plenty of my fellow writers and bloggers while enjoying their literary works as well. The comments I've received have been very positive and encouraging, so I hope I'm doing at least something right! As for why I think it's important to me, it's probably because of my strong belief in the power of words. To create something from nothing, to convey meaning from such meaningless characters, I think, is a privilege that should be used to its fullest potential.

Next is the honorable mention of the lovely Robin. Many thanks for introducing me to this blog hop and for jump-starting the whole project! You can find her blog here: http://leave-the-frigging-marshmallows.blogspot.ca/

Finally, I'm going to nominate two delightful bloggers I've had the pleasure to meet to continue the blog hop:

Kelly Boyer Sagert is a freelance writer with a great sense of humor.
Chris Rose is a writer who also works as a translator. Naturally he's fascinated with language.

Go check out their blogs! I promise you won't be disappointed.

Existential Struggles

So recently I've become a contributing writer for the Elite Daily and I'm very excited to share my first article with everyone! Hope you enjoy it!

http://elitedaily.com/life/existential-struggles/795250/

Heart So Jet Lagged

Once again, summer has come and gone much too quickly and I am still struggling to process that fact, except...this time it's a whole different feeling.

From elementary school to high school to post-secondary education, students of all ages are guaranteed a summer holiday (though the length of that may vary depending on factors such as part-time work and summer school). The point is, no matter how short summer vacation always seems to be, these students can count on next year to deliver another one. Alas, my time as a student has finally passed me by. Having graduated from university this June, this summer may very well be the last time that I have a guaranteed, official, no-strings-attached summer holiday. What comes next is anybody's guess.

It's been nearly two weeks since I came back from my two months vacation in Hong Kong, and yet I still feel like I haven't fully come back in some way. The jet lag is gone, but it seems like my heart is still jet lagged to Hong Kong-summer mode. It's not just the freedom and lack of responsibility that I miss (though it did feel pretty great), but it was also all my friends and family over there, the atmosphere, the lifestyle, everything. I stumbled upon this quote some time ago by the writer Azar Nafisi that I find to be quite true:

"You get a strange feeling when you're about to leave a place. Like you'll not only miss the people you love but you'll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you'll never be this way ever again."

I guess you can say I'm still recovering from post-summer-stress-disorder, but really, it's more than that. In a sense, this summer had marked the end of my 'childhood', and I don't mean childhood in the conventional sense. By that, I mean it's the end of all my official education (for now at least), the end of having a reason or excuse to hide and protect me from the real world.

What I just said may sound a little familiar, since I did make a similar post about graduating a while back, but it's different in that right now I'm not actually too worried about the future. Instead, I'm feeling a massive wave of nostalgia for my entire life up to this point. Up until now my life has always been more or less structured, with a regular, daily routine to things. Sure, I've had difficulties along the way, but there'd always been a clear, specific goal in overcoming them. Given that most of the problems in my young life has been academic, it was always clear to me what I needed to do in order to solve them. No matter how bad things were back then, there was always an objective, some sort of solution to work towards; an end goal. But the real world doesn't work like that. You're thrown out there after all your learning and somehow, through all the noise and confusion, you have to find your place in it. I knew from the start that it was never going to be easy, but what I didn't know was how woefully ill-equipped I would when the time came. It's a little too late for regrets now, but damn...I sure miss the good old days. I guess that's all the more reason to get my life together, so that I'll have even more good old days to look back on.

Well, I think that's all for tonight. Sorry if my post got a little depressing, but I do feel better for writing it. And to any of my fellow readers/writers out there struggling through life for whatever reason, or maybe just having a bad day, I wish you all good luck, and goodnight.

New Blog!

Just so you know, I have been blogging lots since my last post. It's just taken longer than I thought to publish new posts. Anyhow, here's my little surprise as promised! I hope you like it.

http://keithsguide.blogspot.hk/

Writer's (Lack of) Block

I know it's been a while since I've blogged, again, but I've got reasons...um...well...okay maybe I've been just a little lazy. The truth is I actually was working on this article that I just submitted to the SFU newspaper, but unfortunately I missed the deadline for this semester's submissions, so I'll have to wait until September to try again. I had actually started writing it about 2 weeks ago, not that I worked on it everyday, but every time I did I felt like what I've written so far wasn't quite good enough, and I'd even considered scrapping the whole thing and starting over on several occasions. For some reason I kept revising and editing and couldn't finish the damn thing no matter what I did. And it wasn't only the usual "perfectionists' problem" that was holding me back (I've had plenty of experience dealing with that), but something else as well; something new.

That something, I now realize, was the fact that the article would be my first 'official work' as a fresh-grad, and subconsciously I felt the need to make it different. Different how? I couldn't really say. I just wanted my writing to be more informative, more precise, and more polished in general. I had a strong feeling that this new piece should reflect all the knowledge and experience I've gained during my undergraduate career, and maybe that wasn't a bad thing in itself, but the feeling was so strong that it became paralyzing and hindered my ability to write as well as I could have. Ironically this was not a case where I suffered from lack of inspiration or creativity, but quite the opposite: I had so much I wanted to say and convey to my audience that I couldn't properly translate it onto paper, no matter how many times I reworked it.

Probably due to the factors listed above, my article didn't turn out quite as well as I had hoped. But now that I have another month until resubmission, I'll have plenty of time to resolve all the self-imposed restrictions and expectations that I've placed on myself and just let my writing flow freely. If all goes well, my writing should be able to speak for itself, metaphorically that is.

P.S. Now that I'm feeling back in the game again, I'll be blogging lots for a while, at least for the upcoming month. Plus, I've got a little something special planned for my next entry so stay tuned!

Prolific Readers' Problem

The other day I was walking around a bookstore with my folks and, as usual, I was having a hard time settling on a 'good' book. Like always, the problem was not that I couldn't find anything of interest, but rather it was that there were too many to choose from. Then it occurred to me that this 'problem' was probably universal among serious readers of any genre, so I thought I'd give my two cents on the subject and see how my fellow readers address this challenge.

Primarily dealing with works of fiction, I would usually read the back cover or wherever the synopsis was located and if it piqued my interest, I would maybe skim the forward/author's note before going on to read the prologue or chapter one. If I found myself wanting to read more after that first chapter, then that book would make my list of candidates for purchase. Usually there are at least 3-4 of these, but there were instances where it felt like I wanted to take half the bookstore home with me. As you probably now, a lot of books tend to have its praises displayed on the first page or two, but personally I don't look to them as a major factor for my decision-making since praises are by definition nothing but positive; therefore it doesn't really provide me with any new information. When it was time to make a decision, it usually came down to what I was lacking at the moment. If I was currently reading a physically large book, I would choose a book of a smaller size so that I could take it with me on the road while the big book remains at home; and vice versa if I was already reading a smaller book. Likewise if I was in the middle of a thriller, I would try to choose a book of a different genre to freshen things up a bit. Sometimes, if I was really, really lucky, I would start reading a book and not stop reading it until it was time to leave, and even then I would be reluctant to put it down for long; and that's when I definitely know it's a keeper.

So that's basically my selection process when I'm off hunting for books. Everyone has their own strategies when dealing with book choices, and they're as different and unique as the books themselves; what's yours?

A Little Bit Of Me

So...I'm finally back from my unofficial hiatus, and damn does it feel good to blog again. And this time, I'm blogging from the comfort of my Hong Kong home! But more on that later. The main reason for why I've been away for this long is because I've been experiencing a bit of writer's block (or blogger's block I suppose). I used to draw my inspiration mostly from what I've learned in my classes, but since I've graduated, I guess it was only natural that my ideas dried up after a while. After a review of my blog entries, I realized that I've mostly been talking about intellectual and social topics, which is great and all, but it seems that I haven't actually revealed much about myself other than my opinions on these various topics. So to kick start my blogging comeback, here's a little about myself.

I was born in Hong Kong, but moved to Canada with my family when I was 4, so I'm practically a CBC. I was, however, able to take trips back to my hometown with my family for many of my summers thanks to my mom's job package; which included having our tickets paid for by the company she works in. This incredible deal was in turn made possible by my mom's uncommonly kind (a great understatement) boss; she practically treats us and a bunch of her employees' families like, well, family. Most of my family on my mom's side stayed in Hong Kong, while members of my dad's side lives with us in Vancouver, so it's pretty neat dividing my world between Canadian school years and Hong Kong styled summer vaycays...whatever that means.

All in all, I've been pretty lucky so far in life. I've got parents who love and support me, an older brother who's always got my back, a steady household income, and a small group of close friends I can count on. Don't get me wrong, things weren't always that rosy, especially in my childhood years. Since I was the second born, my parents have always doted on me more than my brother, which has its own pros and cons. The upside was, everything was made easier for me. Whenever there was something new or hard to do, my brother was the one to do it first. I basically didn't have to work much for anything, it was just there for the taking. The downside, as you'll probably expect, is that over time I became too sheltered, and had a harder time adjusting to life than my peers. I wouldn't go so far as to say I was spoiled...but maybe I'm just in denial.

That being said, my parents did do a good job of imprinting in me a set of good moral values, teaching me to show good character etc. The problem was, they might've done too good a job. As an example, when I was in elementary school I was such a sensitive goody-two-shoes that I stopped my friends from stepping on ants; believing that they were actually complex, sentient beings. To add to that, I was born an introvert and naturally short in stature. Because of these traits, I was subjected to my share of verbal teasing from classmates, which obviously reduced my ability to fully enjoy my elementary years.

However, things started to turn around when I entered high school. Maybe it was because I 'toughened up' after elementary or maybe it was due to people being generally nicer in high school (probably a bit of both), but I found it a lot easier to make friends, and to form more solid bonds of friendship. To this day I still have my group of close friends who I met and befriended early on in high school.

And I guess that's all for today, feeling a little jet lagged since I only arrived last night. Good night everybody, and in case I don't see ya, good evening, good afternoon, and good morning!

Changing Paradigms

A few years back my brother introduced me to the great educationalist and public speaker Sir Ken Robinson and his stance on public education. In his opinion, the current education system we have has become outdated and insufficient to properly educate and prepare students for the world that they will be going into. The main points of his view can be summarized in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

I find his arguments to be quite compelling, and I'm more or less inclined to agree with him. However, there are several points that I would like to discuss and elaborate on. Sir Robinson said that the current system of education was designed and conceived for a different age; specifically for the intellectual thinking of the Enlightenment and the economic background of the Industrial Revolution; and I agree. Yet I also believe that it is based on more fundamental human factors that Sir Robinson may have overlooked. Our education system, while conceived during the Industrial Revolution, was also designed to fit into a more broad economic framework; that of making profit. In a sense, the Industrial Revolution marked the beginning of our age of excess, where most people in developed countries had more than they need; more than the bare minimum. Due to the nature of human greed, however, we are never satisfied with what we have and always desire more, thus perpetuating an economic culture that values profit over all else. I believe that the values of the current education system ultimately stem from this profit mindset. What I mean by values here is that the system puts significantly more emphasis on certain (academic) subjects than others, which results in biased, preferential selection of some courses by students while some others are overlooked and neglected.

This point becomes painfully obvious when we look at the essential or required subjects that all students must take; beginning in elementary school. English, Math, and the Sciences; the big three subjects most valued by everyone involved in the education process (i.e. teachers, students, parents, etc.), even though they may not explicitly say so or even deny it. On the other end of the spectrum is Arts, which is usually considered by many to be an interest rather than an actual 'subject' of academic learning. In high school the Sciences are split into the three categories of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, while the Arts are separated into Visual Arts, Music, Theatre/Drama, and other kinds of performing arts. Despite the diversifying of the Sciences and Arts during this time, it is quite clear that the former still holds greater importance, as the latter category is relegated as 'elective' courses while the Sciences are mandatory subjects to a certain point. Besides being seen as classically intellectual, subjects such as Math and the Sciences are highly valued because they serve as prerequisites for post-secondary studies such as Engineering, Business, Economics, etc.; all of which share the promise of better and more lucrative career opportunities than the rest. Psychology, History, and some other social sciences fall somewhere in the middle of the prestige scale, while the Arts are once again put in the back door of education. When it comes to finances, disciplines like Engineering and Business receive markedly more funding than others, and it's not that hard to see why: because it pays to invest in them, because the returns will be greater.

With that in mind, I believe that, besides conformity and standardized testing as highlighted by Sir Robinson, another major problem with the current education system is that it is too focused on trying to mold education into a tool that doesn't educate students for education's sake, but to educate them to fit in and contribute to the profit mindset of our excessive economy. To quote Sir Robinson, "this isn't because teachers want it this way, it's just because it happens that way." In other words, the system is based on basic, fundamental, human greed, and I'm not sure if there's ever a way of changing that. But like all problems, the first step is to try and raise awareness that there is a problem.

Second Publication

So here's my second contribution to the SFU newspaper. Again, it's a rehash of what I've written here before, but I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless.

http://www.the-peak.ca/2014/05/stuck-between-childhood-and-adulthood/

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is Mother's Day, and tonight during dinner everywhere I look people were celebrating with their mothers. My mom, on the other hand, is busy making a living and supporting the family from half a world away, and so I do not have the luxury to celebrate with her in person. However, that doesn't make it any less special. In fact, seeing all those smiling sons and daughters with their mothers has reminded me how important my own mother has been in my life, and how much she has sacrificed for us over the years.

As a writer, I'm of the mind that most things can be adequately expressed in words; and quite wonderfully if the person chooses his words carefully. This, however, is one of the few things that I believe no words can ever be enough to convey fully. There is nothing I can say here that can even come close to how grateful I am for my mother, and how much I love her. Since her job requires her to be in another country, it's always been difficult for her to travel back and forth and make time for us, and when she does come visit, we try to make the best of it. Initially I was devastated having to spend months without seeing my her, but as time went on I became accustomed to this way of life, and especially during my teenage years I began to notice my mother's absence less and less. Looking back now, I realize just how much of our time together I've taken for granted. As she's not always there for me and my brother, my mother's always been trying to compensate for lost time by spending a fortune on us: whether it be clothing or games and entertainment, nothing was ever too expensive for her as long as we asked for it; and a lot of times we didn't even have to!

What I'm trying to say, I guess, is that my mom has been more than generous to us, and there's just no way to ever repay the favor. Whatever she does for us, it's always out of love; truly unconditional love, and I feel it everyday of my life. I don't know how she does it, but she is in every sense of the word a 'Supermom'. So mom, Happy Mother's Day, and thank you for making me the luckiest son in the world!

Extended Adolescence Meets Academic Inflation

I was originally going to post this as two separate topics, but after some musing I've decided that though different, they are related enough that it warrants putting them together.

I was first introduced to the concept of an extended adolescence in one of my psychology courses. I remember my professor commenting about an increasing trend in the newer generations where individuals remain in a prolonged period of adolescence; not physically of course, but in terms of personal development. When one thinks of adolescence, one usually thinks of individuals in their early to late teens; individuals who are still largely dependent on their parents and who have yet to establish an autonomous lifestyle (i.e. moving out, having a full-time job, etc.). However, this period of dependence is increasingly being stretched out into one's early to mid twenties. Many young adults today are living with their parents (myself included), and even those that manage to move out have a higher chance of moving back in than in previous generations. Many people today are also marrying and having children (a cultural sign of adulthood) later in life than their own parents. These and other factors support the view that adolescence, or at least the transition from adolescence to 'full-blown' adulthood, has become a longer process for contemporary generations. However, I believe that the most telling sign that the process has lengthened is that people now remain in the realm of academia longer than ever before; a phenomenon that educationalist Sir Ken Robinson dubs 'academic inflation'.

There are many factors that contribute to academic inflation; some of the more prominent ones include technological growth, population growth, and growth of knowledge. The way I see it, each of these three factors reinforce and encourage the growth of the other two, resulting in a self-perpetuating cycle. New technologies give rise to new ideas and new knowledge, which leads to further technological advancements. These all lead to a more comfortable environment for individuals to live in and to populate while reducing mortality rates. This in turn allows for more minds to discover new knowledge and to improve/invent new technologies. Of course, this is just my own personal, extremely simplified theory, but I think it sounds rather plausible. In any case, I think we can all agree that these three factors contribute greatly to the rise of academic inflation. Graduating from high school used to mark the end of formal education for most, and only the exceptional (and financially well off) went on to receive post-secondary education and diplomas. With each passing generation, more and more people were able to attend colleges, universities, and other post-secondary institutions. Even so, it used to be case that having a bachelor's degree almost guaranteed employment, and having a master's or higher meant you would never be out of a job. But fast forward to present day, and a bachelor's degree no longer holds as much significance as it used to. It has now become necessary, but not necessarily sufficient, for a career. People graduating with a BA is now as commonplace as people graduating from high school in generations past, and today's master's degree is near equivalent to the bachelor's of the past. All this inflation of degrees means that people have to stay in school longer to get the required degree for their desired profession, or just for a better chance at getting the job.

It's not too hard to see why today's youths experience an extended adolescence compared to say, their parents. By remaining in an academic setting for a longer period of time, those extra years serve as an extra buffer or cocoon for the individual against the responsibilities of getting a job, finding their own place of residence, and everything else that comes with being a fully matured, independent adult. Here I must stress that I am in no way trying to criticize this trend, and to be honest I'm still quite on the fence about it, seeing as how I'm living the process myself. I'm merely trying to point out that perhaps it's true that today's youths are less prepared and less certain of themselves than the older generations, not because they're less competent, but because they've been given a few extra years of academic safety from the real world.

Certain of Uncertainty

Today marks my final final exam of this semester, and (fingers crossed) of my undergraduate career as well. That's right folks, I will be graduating from university come June, if all goes well. I don't think it comes off as too surprising when I say that I've both longed for and dreaded this moment, since most if not all undergraduates harbor such feelings (at least that's my understanding of it). What is surprising, at least to me, is how detached I feel from the whole thing. Maybe it's because I barely got 5 hours of sleep last night, or maybe it's because I've all but busted my brain for the exam (more likely both), but it feels like a strange sense of calmness has come over me. Don't worry though, I'm sure it'll all hit me soon enough. That's the one thing I am certain of right now: all the uncertainties, doubts, and worries I have for the future will follow this calm before the storm.

Looking back, I really can't believe it's been almost 5 years since I graduated from high school. Back then, it was already hard to believe that it's been 5 years since elementary school. Many things have changed then, and many things have changed now. Some for better, some for worse; but all were invaluable to my life experience and personal development...My god, where has the time gone?

Now as in back then I say again: But I don't want to grow up...
If you ask me what I've learned from my time in university, I can tell you I don't remember half the stuff that was taught by my courses. And really, there is no one specific lesson that has stood out for me over these years, but somehow the little bits of wisdom I picked up here and there all apparently added up to shape me into a (hopefully) better person. By now everyone close to me is wondering what's going to happen to me from this point on; my parents especially are worried sick about my future. And to be honest, I don't really have a definite, reassuring answer for them. Heck, I don't even know what I'll be doing 6 months from now. I'm a philosophy major with an interest in writing, so my immediate plans for the future is to look for work as a freelance writer. The industry's not exactly booming right now, but with a little bit of luck, hopefully I'll have my metaphorical foot in the door before long. This is all obviously wishing thinking on my part of course, but one can hope. Like I said, I don't want to grow up just yet, namely because I don't feel like I'm ready for the real world, but I've come to realize that there won't come a point in time when I'll ever truly be ready. The best I can do is go out there and give it my all, and hope it's enough. I still don't want to grow up...but I'm glad it's happening.

First Publication!!

Hello everyone. It is with great pride and joy that I share with you here my first published article! Though it is only a publication for my school paper, I'd still like to consider it as my first "official" piece and, hopefully, as a precursor to bigger and better things to come!

The article itself is basically a summary of sorts of what I've been talking about concerning introverts. Don't worry, I promise this will be the last one (at least for a while)!

And now, for your reading pleasure...http://www.the-peak.ca/2014/04/take-it-easy-on-introverts/

Any feedback would be most welcome!

Investing in the Future

It seems that I've gone on a sort of introvert rant in my last few posts, so I'll change things up a bit here. The topic I want to address today is education, or rather, the quality of education. And though I only have a few points to make, I feel that they are of the utmost importance.

Being a teacher is really more than just a job, more than a career; although it is certainly those things as well. Being a formal educator, a member of the education system, is to serve a most vital role in society, one which deserves the utmost respect and admiration. When someone becomes a teacher, he or she takes it upon themselves to teach students not only the contents of various school subjects, but also to teach things that are not covered by the system. Teachers teach you how to be your best, and how to live life. Usually, these lessons are mostly attributed to parents and guardians, and they most definitely do teach such things as well, but the contributions of teachers should not be taken lightly, or for granted. When you think about how much time a student actually spends in school and therefore with teachers, it becomes evident that those educators have a rather important role in the lives of young learners.

The role of a teacher cannot be understated. To be a teacher is to make a solemn vow to society to better the learning and development of a young generation. In essence, teachers are tasked with the incredible mission of ensuring that each new generation succeeds; that we have a better tomorrow. Each and everyday that we send our children to school, we are effectively placing in the teachers' hands our hopes and aspirations for the future. As a high school teacher himself, my brother firmly believes that it is his duty and responsibility to educate students not just on math, biology, etc. but also on life.

Of course, we all know that not all teachers are as serious about their occupation as my dear brother, and the consequences can be dire. My dad has told me on several occasions that a poor education is worse than no education. Now what he means by poor education is not to be taken literally (i.e. underfunded schools and such). It is meant to refer to the quality of the education itself. Having less knowledge may be detrimental, but having wrong or false knowledge can potentially be disastrous. Again I do not merely mean the teaching of school subjects but of the conducts of life. Social etiquette and proper moral conduct is just as if not more important than the various disciplines of formal education. I'll not elaborate on proper etiquette and moral conduct here so as not to stir up any heated debates; I leave them to the reader's discretion. Bottom line is, the education system is an essential and invaluable thing for any society, and the hard-working, endearing teachers that form its basis should be well respected and never be taken for granted.

Introverts in a Social World

This was an early draft for an article I wanted to write for my school paper, but it ultimately went another direction. Still, I would hate for it to just sit  there on my computer, so I decided to share it here. Let me know what you think of it!

Humans are pretty social beings. Out of all the animal species, we are the only ones that are capable of complex language. This has allowed us to efficiently communicate thoughts, feelings, concepts, basically anything, to each other in a relatively short time; pretty amazing when you think about it. As a result, our society has evolved into one which values those who are outgoing and social more so than those who possess a more reserved nature: introverts. As one of those introverts, I feel that I should speak up for those of us who feel stuck in an increasingly social world.

Of course, no one is ever completely introverted or extroverted, but for those leaning more on the former end of the spectrum, communication can be rather difficult. Though this does not apply to all introverts, there are a lot of us out there who feel socially uncomfortable, or anxious, more often than we’d like to be. Unlike extroverted individuals, introverts don’t become energized when they engage in conversation, in fact, quite the opposite happens. The more we socialize, the more drained we become, and after a while we have to be left alone to recharge our batteries before we can get back out there and face other people. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that introverts don’t enjoy company; we just prefer them in smaller doses, and in smaller groups.

A lot of people mistakenly think that introversion is a choice, when really it’s more of a personality trait that you’re born with. People are born with certain preferences for some things and aversions to others. Introversion can either be seen as preference for relative solitude or an aversion of large amounts of socialization. Of course, personality can be ‘molded’ to a certain extent by environmental factors and such, but you can’t really expect people to ‘change their minds’ about being introverted just by exposing them to more social contexts. Likewise, you wouldn’t expect someone who hates broccoli to change their mind about it because you keep shoving it in his face; the most that he could accomplish is develop a tolerance for it.

But society doesn’t seem to care too much about individuals spending time on their own; it would rather encourage and foster people to become more social and more outgoing. Look at the classroom setting, for example. Students are encouraged to raise their hands in class, to speak up or ask questions or participate. And that’s all well and good, but who actually has the advantage here? Is it the student who can barely find his voice, frozen in place, or the one who would gladly announce his presence to the whole class and make a good impression on the teacher?

Building a social network is another issue faced by many introverts. Whether it be making new friends or making those key connections for career purposes, a lot of introverts definitely have a harder time accomplishing those than others. How many students have been encouraged to join a club or some sort of group (on campus)? And how many actively seek out and join those groups? For some, joining those groups is probably a fun and exciting way to make new friends and connections, but for many others, it is a terrifying experience to enter a new and unfamiliar world. In a professional setting, a vast majority of jobs require some sort of human interaction on a daily basis. For those who have a job, chances are it requires you to talk to people at some point during the day, if not most of the day; which zaps more energy from introverts than they can optimally handle.

We undoubtedly live in a very social world. And with our rapidly growing population and technologies, it’s only going to get more interactive. Introverts are going to find it harder and harder to stay within their comfort zone in this brave new world. Basically, our society is giving us two choices: conform to our extroverted standards of living, or fail in life. Now I’m sure most of us introverts will get by no problem, we’ll be able to manage. But the extroverts will be the ones who excel, because that’s what society encourages. I want to make clear that I am in no way saying that what we have is a bad system. My only goal here is to hopefully raise awareness among the public that introverts are up against it. That's just the way it is and it's no one's fault.

Hierachy of Communication

This is sort of a follow up to my last post, in that it is also about human interaction from an introvert's perspective. However, instead of focusing solely on face to face interactions, I will now be addressing some other forms of communication and comparing them with each other. I will go through them in the order of what I perceive to be the most difficult to the easiest level. I call it the hierachy of communication.What I mean by difficulty here is not the speed or efficiency of the particular form of communication, but how easy it is for someone like me to engage in it without experiencing social anxiety. Obviously face to face communication is what I find to be the most challenging, but since I've covered that already let's move on to the second level of communication: conversing on the phone.

There are two reasons why I find talking on the phone to be easier than talking in person. The big one is that when you're on the phone, the only source of stimuli you need to pay attention to is the voice of the other person. No deciphering facial cues, no body language, and no need to maintain awkward periods of eye contact. Of course, even with just a voice, you still have to pay attention to the person's inflections and converse with them at the same speed as you would in person, but it's definitely an improvement from a face to face encounter. The second and perhaps not so pleasant reason is the fact that you can end the conversation anytime you want. I'm sure we've all had our share of telemarketer calls, and doesn't it feel great to just slam that phone (or pressing that end call button) on them and be done with it? If you were approached by those same people in person, it can be a little harder to shake them off of you. If it was a more important call, say from a friend or family member, and you just have to end the call for some reason (e.g. you need to get back to work or you just don't feel like talking) but you don't want to hurt their feelings and all that, you can pretty much make up any number of excuses to get yourself out of there and they wouldn't be able to call you on it (no pun intended).

The third level is messaging. This type of communication is rather broad and includes phone and Facebook messaging, Skype, WhatsApp etc., but you get the idea. This is basically my favorite form of communication, and where I feel most comfortable communicating. The main reason for my preference is the time factor. When people message each other, they generally understand the case to be that the other person will reply in a relatively short amount of time. But as we all know, this 'relatively' is really quite broad in that it is up to the other person's discretion to decide when he or she will reply. Because there's no real demand for an immediate response like in the first two levels, some people will reply in seconds, while others will take half a day or even longer to respond; it all depends on the person and the context. And also due to this lack of pressure to reply right away, we are given the opportunity to choose our words more carefully before replying; naturally, this is something which I take full advantage of. Because of this, a lot of people feel like I am more talkative online than in person. And this might actually be true, but it is only because when I don't talk in person, I am given the time to absorb what the other person has said, collect my own thoughts, and find the proper words to express them without having to feel the pressure of those long, awkward pauses in between.

The fourth and last level of communication I want to address is in the form of emails/letters. I'm sure that there are still people out there who write, I mean literally write, letters, and I applaud them for it; but I'm not one of those people, so I'm pretty much focusing on emails here. Emails are just fine for me, and the only issue I have with this form of communicating is that a lot of times it takes even longer to receive a response than from the slowest messaging people...it's just not that efficient. On the plus side, you can put in a much larger amount of text and information than you can in mere messages (technically you can do so with messages as well, but nobody really likes reading a paragraph's worth of messages or more). Emails are also great as a more formal means of communication. I really don't have much else to say about them...sorry about that.

Thanks to a comment I've received on this post, I realize that it sounds like I'm solely advocating for indirect communication, but of course that's not the case. I'm merely voicing my opinion about my own preferences for communicating. The thing is, there is a trade-off with these other forms of communication. One one hand, they take away the unwanted pressure of face to face talk, but on the other, they also rob us of the rich and complex interactions that come with that. So the trick is to find a healthy balance between them.

Introversion, Not Isolation

So I came upon this neat little post today:

http://themetapicture.com/how-to-interact-with-the-introverted/

As an introvert myself, I think that it's pretty accurate in its representation. It's true that unlike extroverts, introverts lose rather than gain energy during social interactions. It's also true that because our energy is constantly being zapped away by social encounters, we require a certain amount of time to recharge after socializing (the recharge time depends on the length of the encounter). The last and most important thing I would like to point out from this post is that while introverts are often seen being by themselves, that doesn't mean we don't enjoy some company now and then. I think the author of the post puts it best when she said that interaction is expensive, and that introverts don't like to waste it on annoying/wasteful things (namely small talk for me).

I consider myself a fairly introverted person, therefore I always try to limit my small talks to a minimum because I really don't have that much energy to expend, and the sooner I get to the matter at hand the better. In other words, if you have something to say, just say it; no need to smooth it over with comments about the weather or how the day is going. However, I do realize that small talk has its place in the day to day interactions with others. For example it is often used to ease the transition from initial greetings to a topic of interest, and I understand that there are many who are uncomfortable with skipping that part of a conversation.

I think the post does a pretty great job in explaining that introverts are exhausted by social interactions by giving their energy, but what it doesn't explain is why we actually lose instead of absorb energy like the extroverts; so that's what I'm going to do here. From my personal perspective, engaging in successful conversation is actually a rather difficult task. There are so many things to be mindful of, especially if it's in person, and all the while you have to try your best to be charming and pleasant. For one thing, body language/facial expressions are often key to deciphering the intentions of the other person; often going hand in hand with that person's tone of voice. For example, someone might have said something seemingly offensive or otherwise negative, and you have to pay attention to how they look and sound to discern if maybe it was meant as a joke or sarcasm. Next there's eye contact. Stare at them too long and everyone gets uncomfortable. But if you keep looking away, you might be seen as rude or inattentive. I am aware of the 'look-at-forehead strategy, but somehow that has never worked for me; it still makes me feel uncomfortable. And then there's the actual content of the conversation. If your attention span is especially low or if the topic just isn't interesting to you, it can be rather hard to concentrate on what the other person is saying for a prolonged period of time. And to top it all off, you also have to effectively manage and choose your responses. You'll want to sound witty, but not overly smug or offensive. You want to be engaging and interesting, but if you overdo it you'll end up looking like someone who likes to hog all the attention. Conversely, if you don't say enough, people might perceive you as dull or boring.

Holding a conversation is really like driving a car in some ways. But instead of navigating through roads and traffic, you're navigating through the conversation. Often times the talking can become really fast paced, therefore reaction time is also important. As a driver you have to be mindful of a multitude of signs and traffic lights, and as a conversationalist you have to be mindful of a flurry of facial/body language as well as tones of voice and other social cues. So my question for the extrovert is this: How can you NOT be exhausted?

The Wonder of Words

For all intents and purposes, this can be seen as part of my introductory blog, but I decided that the topic itself was too important to not have an entire blog dedicated to it. So here it is.

As the title suggests, I wish to express my respect and fascination with the phenomenon known as words; or more broadly speaking, language. Many of us take this for granted, but out of all the diverse species that we know of, humans are the only ones capable of communicating through language; through the use of words. Of course, many animals are capable of communicating through sounds, such as the barking of dogs or the chirping of birds. However, when you really get down to it, there isn't a single species besides humans that can effectively communicate all our thoughts, feelings, concepts, ideas, or anything else really. Words, by their very nature, are symbolic. When we say something in any language, it represents something in the real world, and we are able to express its meaning to each other in a relatively quick way. It really is a profoundly powerful phenomenon unique to us. Imagine a world where language was never invented; all the words I have written here will be as meaningless to us as color is to a blind man.

I have come upon this realization years ago and it is in large part due to this realization that I have decided to become a writer (and blogger). As a member of the only species on the planet capable of such a powerful form of communication, I feel a certain obligation to use it to its fullest potential. I'm not a man of many talents, but I have discovered that I do have a certain way with words, especially when I'm able to write them down. Therefore I have made it my life's mission to refine this talent, to use it to make this world a better place however I can. Hopefully in the course of my blogging and writing I will be able to help others through comfort, encouragement, inspiration, and however else they may be of service to the world.

Happy S.A.D.!

Hello everyone, I'm sure we all know what today is. That's right, it's Valentine's Day. But just as importantly, or perhaps even more so, it is also Singles Awareness/Appreciation Day or S.A.D. The reason I'm saying that it might be more important than even Valentine's Day is not to undermine romantic love and all its goodness, but for the simple fact that there are a lot more single people out there than there are couples. And as one of those single people, I feel like I should remind those of us that have a bitter attitude towards love or those who have simply given up that it really isn't so bad to be single. I know what you're thinking, but hear me out.

Maybe you've (recently) gone through a break up, or had feelings for someone who didn't reciprocate them, or maybe it's just that you've never really had much luck in this particular department; but the fact remains that there are a lot of us out there who feel less than overjoyed when Valentine's Day comes around. It's the one day of the year that encourages (happy) couples to display their happiness and rub it in your face with all those flowers and chocolates and what not; at least...that's what it seems like to those of us who feel miserably lonely on this one day of the year. But guess what? Love can be found in many places other than in a significant other, just not the romantic kind. I'm talking about with your family, friends, and even yourself. I mean, romantic love is nice and all, what with all those butterflies in your stomach and that emotional high whenever you're together with that special someone, but there's also a flip side. For every emotional up there has got to be an emotional down, it's just humanly impossible to remain at such a consistently high level of happiness (a.k.a. the period known as the honeymoon phase for couples), and in the case of a break up, the damage can be quite severe. Now you might be thinking: there's also emotional ups and downs with family and friends, so we're not really that much better off. Yes there are times when we argue with family and friends, and sometimes we might even have a falling out with one of them. But the thing about family is that, you can't choose which family you're born into (something my dad told me when I was a kid); you've only got the one. So no matter how bad the falling out or how much you think you might hate that person, eventually things will work themselves out because they have to; that's what a family does. Friends are a different matter; you might really end up losing that friend for good. But the thing about friends is that you have more than the one, so even if you do lose one the damage wouldn't be as terrible as losing your partner; and chances are if that friend didn't stick around, didn't put in the effort, then they probably weren't that good a friend to begin with. So yes there are still ups and downs with family and friends, but compared to those of a romantic relationship, things feel pretty stable. Family and some select friends are permanent and always there for you, but the person you're dating may not be.

I mentioned earlier that love can also be found with yourself, and I meant it. A little self love now and then is a tremendously good thing to have. I'm not saying worship yourself to the point of narcissism, but a healthy dose of self love can go a long way. So let yourself take a break once in a while, buy yourself something nice if it catches your eye, or just treat yourself to an especially nice meal every now and then; because you know you deserve it.

And with all that said, I would like to wish all my single friends out there a very happy Singles Appreciation Day. Make sure to celebrate with other singles if you haven't this year!

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to Keith's Corner, my designated little spot in the vastness of the internet. It is here that I will be blogging about my life, life in general, and any other topics of interest that come to mind. But first, I suppose some introductions are in order.

As you can tell (hopefully) from my blog title, my name's Keith. What can I tell you about myself? Well I'm just your average Chinese-Canadian university student trying to survive school and life. That, and I have a special love for words.

Anyhow, I'm currently in the middle of my (fingers crossed) last semester of university at SFU, with a major in philosophy and minor in psychology. Many of you probably don't associate philosophy with any pleasant memories or thoughts, and I won't blame you; it's not for everyone. But for those of you who don't mind the at times tedious reading and confusing language, philosophy is actually a pretty delightful discipline in that it opens the doors to many interesting (but mostly unanswerable) questions. I'll bet that most if not all of you have thought about questions such as these at one time or another: Is there a god? How do we know? How do we know that we know anything? What actually exists in the world or what is real (Matrix reference)? Some of these questions even have real life applications, such as most questions involving ethics (e.g. is it ethical to sacrifice one hostage to save the other five?)

Clearly these questions hold great interest for most of us, and philosophy allows us to explore these themes in depth. Not surprisingly, many of these have no right answer, or at least not one that everyone can agree on. But that doesn't mean exercising philosophy is pointless. By engaging in these topics, especially with others, you come to appreciate that many problems can be approached from many different ways, and that each point of view has its own merits, even if we do not agree with the view as a whole.

I was planning on making this introduction short but it looks like I've already gone over my limit. It definitely feels good to be writing (or typing) again and I hope you enjoy reading it as well. Don't be afraid to leave a comment or two if you're so inclined. Until next time.