It's not the right time
It'll never be the right time
Will it?
Jan 26, 2016
Night by Tony Judt
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2010/01/14/night/
"I suppose I should be at least mildly satisfied to know that I have found within myself the sort of survival mechanism that most normal people only read about in accounts of natural disasters or isolation cells. And it is true that this disease has its enabling dimension: thanks to my inability to take notes or prepare them, my memory—already quite good—has improved considerably, with the help of techniques adapted from the “memory palace” so intriguingly depicted by Jonathan Spence. But the satisfactions of compensation are notoriously fleeting. There is no saving grace in being confined to an iron suit, cold and unforgiving. The pleasures of mental agility are much overstated, inevitably—as it now appears to me—by those not exclusively dependent upon them. Much the same can be said of well-meaning encouragements to find nonphysical compensations for physical inadequacy. That way lies futility. Loss is loss, and nothing is gained by calling it by a nicer name. My nights are intriguing; but I could do without them."
"I suppose I should be at least mildly satisfied to know that I have found within myself the sort of survival mechanism that most normal people only read about in accounts of natural disasters or isolation cells. And it is true that this disease has its enabling dimension: thanks to my inability to take notes or prepare them, my memory—already quite good—has improved considerably, with the help of techniques adapted from the “memory palace” so intriguingly depicted by Jonathan Spence. But the satisfactions of compensation are notoriously fleeting. There is no saving grace in being confined to an iron suit, cold and unforgiving. The pleasures of mental agility are much overstated, inevitably—as it now appears to me—by those not exclusively dependent upon them. Much the same can be said of well-meaning encouragements to find nonphysical compensations for physical inadequacy. That way lies futility. Loss is loss, and nothing is gained by calling it by a nicer name. My nights are intriguing; but I could do without them."
Jan 24, 2016
Dec 30, 2015
Dec 24, 2015
Voices
So lately I've been emailing my roommate as she is in Malaysia with her family and the time difference takes a toll on the communication. It's amazing what the power of an email can have on the way that you arrange your thoughts and think back through things.
My lesson of the year is the following: Don't let voices drown you out. I say this because I found myself listening to too many people at once this year. I found myself influenced by too many voices. Too many opinions. I love having people around me. I'm a social person. I love advice. I love talking. I study psychology for a reason. But I think that there comes a point where it starts becoming difficult to make your own decisions when you start listening to too many others. I don't mean we should all become selfish. There's no need to say fuck it. But every now and then it's okay to let loose and enjoy your own mind, your own love, your own dreams, your own passions. Take that fire and apply it. Don't let it get sizzled out by other people. And most of all, don't let those opinions become so engrained in you that you start believing they're your own.
People's advice are exactly that -- people's advice. It is their own advice. It comes from their experiences, their traumas, their moments of lust, of anger, of drive. Make your own. Come up with your own voice. And listen to it. Because there's nothing more amazing than looking back and knowing that it was you who made this all happen.
My lesson of the year is the following: Don't let voices drown you out. I say this because I found myself listening to too many people at once this year. I found myself influenced by too many voices. Too many opinions. I love having people around me. I'm a social person. I love advice. I love talking. I study psychology for a reason. But I think that there comes a point where it starts becoming difficult to make your own decisions when you start listening to too many others. I don't mean we should all become selfish. There's no need to say fuck it. But every now and then it's okay to let loose and enjoy your own mind, your own love, your own dreams, your own passions. Take that fire and apply it. Don't let it get sizzled out by other people. And most of all, don't let those opinions become so engrained in you that you start believing they're your own.
People's advice are exactly that -- people's advice. It is their own advice. It comes from their experiences, their traumas, their moments of lust, of anger, of drive. Make your own. Come up with your own voice. And listen to it. Because there's nothing more amazing than looking back and knowing that it was you who made this all happen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)