I remember exactly where I was and what I was thinking when the word "corpulent" was spoken to me. My sister, embroiled in the turmoil of junior year, and attempting to understand her English lesson by teaching me, described the denotation and connotation of the word so clearly I remember each vividly to this day: "Corpulent means fat, but not just fat. It means extremely obese, corrupt and evil, even. I mean, the root of the word is corpse." I immediately imagined a corrupt 19th Century British judge, fat from overindulgence in himself, skin pasty white, and a smile that showed his erection was not from lust towards women- it was for himself. I imagined something you might see Sweeney Todd murdering, in revenge, in the classic macabre musical. In effect, I imagined the demon of gluttony.
Corpulent isn't just fat- it is the extreme of fat, beyond obese or swollen. Corpulent doesn't only describe your weight, it describes your personality, your trustworthiness, and your self-indulgence. The ultimate power of the connotation of the word "corpulent" is that it describes a whole person completely, while still only commenting on one trait.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Blog #10
Walking through the halls at school, you can see them out there. They are the social pariahs of the hallways, with their nose stuck in a book, or with their headphones in their ears. They are the type of people who rush home after school with nothing to do. They are-in effect- nobodies.
But what exactly causes these lonely outcasts to appear so lonesome? The social structure of our school can have some effect- anyone not participating in a sport or club is an outlier- but anyone can find at least one friend, or meet one acquaintance in the course of a year. The real reason is because these "nobodies", "outliers" and "paraiahs," as I have labeled them, know they are different. They are the extreme introverts that realize the supreme knowledge a good book can bring. They are the self-declared outcasts who relish seeing others steal their lime light. They are the people who thrive in the shadows and back corners of the room, observing, without judgment, the trials and tribulations of extroverted life.
Armed with this knowledge, and choosing to ignore the ignorant extroverts, these "nobodies" realize that being a nobody isn't such a bad thing. If any extrovert who tries to pull them from their sanctuary of self-reliance can't deal with a cold shoulder, it isn't the nobody's fault- everyone else simply doesn't understand. It isn't our fault, as extroverts, that we don't understand. We just don't know what it's like to be a nobody because it's not who we are. It's who they are.
But what exactly causes these lonely outcasts to appear so lonesome? The social structure of our school can have some effect- anyone not participating in a sport or club is an outlier- but anyone can find at least one friend, or meet one acquaintance in the course of a year. The real reason is because these "nobodies", "outliers" and "paraiahs," as I have labeled them, know they are different. They are the extreme introverts that realize the supreme knowledge a good book can bring. They are the self-declared outcasts who relish seeing others steal their lime light. They are the people who thrive in the shadows and back corners of the room, observing, without judgment, the trials and tribulations of extroverted life.
Armed with this knowledge, and choosing to ignore the ignorant extroverts, these "nobodies" realize that being a nobody isn't such a bad thing. If any extrovert who tries to pull them from their sanctuary of self-reliance can't deal with a cold shoulder, it isn't the nobody's fault- everyone else simply doesn't understand. It isn't our fault, as extroverts, that we don't understand. We just don't know what it's like to be a nobody because it's not who we are. It's who they are.
Blog #9
Tuesdays with Morrie truly touched me- I can see why many people cry after reading Mitch Albom's memoir of Morries life, and, while I did not, the moral of the story struck a chord in my heart. The story of Albom's abandonment of Morrie's ideals after college for the sake of money, and his gradual epiphany at the hands of Morrie's lessons showed me that living life fully does not consist of only I, it consists of we. Without many different types of we's- groups of loved ones, friends, family or colleagues- life has no meaning.
Anyone can indulge in self worship through drugs, sex, or alcohol, then die a lonely meaningless death, but truly living for yourself through everyone around you begets a truly different type of happiness. Rather than the momentary happiness of drug abuse or the climax of sex, living for yourself through others brings meaning to your life by allowing you to help everyone around you to the fullest extent possible. Morrie Schwartz succeeded in doing this. The end of his life overflowed with love, joy and affection from others because of the love, joy and affection gave throughout his life. His loved ones just succeeded in returning the favor before Morrie died.
I learned a lot from Tuesdays with Morrie. I learned that you should cherish the everyday things in life. I learned I want a teacher like Morrie someday. But most of all, I learned that you should be kind and love all of the people around you, and tell them how much appreciate them before it is too late.
Anyone can indulge in self worship through drugs, sex, or alcohol, then die a lonely meaningless death, but truly living for yourself through everyone around you begets a truly different type of happiness. Rather than the momentary happiness of drug abuse or the climax of sex, living for yourself through others brings meaning to your life by allowing you to help everyone around you to the fullest extent possible. Morrie Schwartz succeeded in doing this. The end of his life overflowed with love, joy and affection from others because of the love, joy and affection gave throughout his life. His loved ones just succeeded in returning the favor before Morrie died.
I learned a lot from Tuesdays with Morrie. I learned that you should cherish the everyday things in life. I learned I want a teacher like Morrie someday. But most of all, I learned that you should be kind and love all of the people around you, and tell them how much appreciate them before it is too late.
Blog #7
No one has everything they need. Everyone has needs they need fufilled. Poor people need money, and rich people need meaning in life. Some needs are a little more immediate than others, but the point is that everyone needs something. No one is complete and whole by themselves, or surrounded by material possessions. Scott F. Fitzgerald reveals this concept to the readers of his book, The Great Gatsby, by writing about the rich, spoiled gentry of pre-Depression 1920's America in New York City. This was the golden age of Republican ideals- money was in the hands of a few, select, extremely rich families, and the rest of the population lived under the soles of their feet. Jay Gatsby, an extremely rich man who earned his money through illicit sales of bootleg alcohol, shows the contradiction of these ideals and real life- he has all he would ever need in life to be "happy," but he is not because he doesn't have the love and companionship of the woman of his dreams. Juxtapose Gatsby to any poor person married to someone they love wholeheartedly, and you would see the poor person is happier, despite economic difficulties. The real argument of The Great Gatsby is that money and material possesions don't make us happy, love does.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Blog Number 6
Many people believe that being smart is a blessing, but I know it is a curse. Being the only one to raise your hand, you think it's strange. Earning a one hundred percent on a test, you know you're different. Realizing you are the one people come to for help, and you're sure: you are smart. Many people look up to you because of your smartness, many people hate you for it, but, most importantly, many people fear you.
Being intellegent and being smart are two similar, yet extremely distinct things. On the one hand, if you are intellegent, you are trusted by your friends as a foundation for help, but if you are smart, you are a foundation for everyone. Intellegence is natural, you are able to grasp concepts or ideas and remember formulas easier, but smart is branded upon you. Once you are smart, there is no turning back, and the trouble is it's completely out of your control.
All my life, I have been the smart kid. I have higher test scores, greater knowledge of literature and history than most of my peers, but I also have the burden of maintaining all of these things. If my scores slip, my parents are troubled, and my peers are suprised. If I answer wrong in class, teachers frown and think for a second before moving on, and I simmer inside, wishing it would never happen again. The pressure is great, and the rewards are few. I have many more enemies and rivals than the average person: every other "smart" person is a threat. We're the type of arrogant, proud people who are willing to fight for the honor of valedictorian until death, because it is what is expected of us, and there are no holds barred.
This existence, in reality, is meaningless. Intellegence is the thing to be prasied- smart is just the ability to do well on tests. But tests don't really mean anything. How quickly you are able to figure out what 1+2 equals, or how well you write an essay isn't a proper gauge of your innate intellegence, because intellegence is a life long endeavor. Smart is permanent, yet superfluous. I didn't choose to be this way, my peers branded me as smart, and I have remained so ever since, unable to stray from that path.
Being intellegent and being smart are two similar, yet extremely distinct things. On the one hand, if you are intellegent, you are trusted by your friends as a foundation for help, but if you are smart, you are a foundation for everyone. Intellegence is natural, you are able to grasp concepts or ideas and remember formulas easier, but smart is branded upon you. Once you are smart, there is no turning back, and the trouble is it's completely out of your control.
All my life, I have been the smart kid. I have higher test scores, greater knowledge of literature and history than most of my peers, but I also have the burden of maintaining all of these things. If my scores slip, my parents are troubled, and my peers are suprised. If I answer wrong in class, teachers frown and think for a second before moving on, and I simmer inside, wishing it would never happen again. The pressure is great, and the rewards are few. I have many more enemies and rivals than the average person: every other "smart" person is a threat. We're the type of arrogant, proud people who are willing to fight for the honor of valedictorian until death, because it is what is expected of us, and there are no holds barred.
This existence, in reality, is meaningless. Intellegence is the thing to be prasied- smart is just the ability to do well on tests. But tests don't really mean anything. How quickly you are able to figure out what 1+2 equals, or how well you write an essay isn't a proper gauge of your innate intellegence, because intellegence is a life long endeavor. Smart is permanent, yet superfluous. I didn't choose to be this way, my peers branded me as smart, and I have remained so ever since, unable to stray from that path.
Blog Number 3
Human history has tended to be biased towards Eurasian soceity for thousands of years, and, lately, Western Eurasian societies, or those of Europe. Why could this be? Were the people of other continents inferior to their White counterparts,as racist, Eugenicists of the Imperial Age often claimed? Or was it a deeper, less racially based reason? These are some of the questions Jared Diamond attempts to answer in his book, Guns, Germs, and Steel.
Diamond uses the intense power of statistical analysis and an overwhelming abundance of evidence to support his claim that Eurasian societies grew into promincence because they possesed Guns, Germs and Steel, while other cultures did not. The preface outlines what his four sections of the book pertain to: the account of the Diaspora out of Africa (an inferred analysis based on archaeological findings) and the eventual Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in 1531, the rise of food production around the world, how food production affected societies, and finally, the history of the people of seperate continents themselves. All throughout these four sections, Diamond cites archaeological, linguistic, and other historical sources, to support his idea.
This book has a deep meaning attached to it, because it accurately explains why history turned out the way it did. Everyone has wondered at one time or other why did the Europeans "find" the New World, and not the other way around? Diamond uses his great knowledge of different peoples of the world, and their history, to prove that it wasn't inadequacy in the indigenous peoples of a given area that caused them to obtain guns, germs, and steel, and that geography had the biggest impact on the history of the world. It is a great read for anyone interested in analyzing why history turned out the way it did, but I reccomend it to all.
Diamond uses the intense power of statistical analysis and an overwhelming abundance of evidence to support his claim that Eurasian societies grew into promincence because they possesed Guns, Germs and Steel, while other cultures did not. The preface outlines what his four sections of the book pertain to: the account of the Diaspora out of Africa (an inferred analysis based on archaeological findings) and the eventual Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in 1531, the rise of food production around the world, how food production affected societies, and finally, the history of the people of seperate continents themselves. All throughout these four sections, Diamond cites archaeological, linguistic, and other historical sources, to support his idea.
This book has a deep meaning attached to it, because it accurately explains why history turned out the way it did. Everyone has wondered at one time or other why did the Europeans "find" the New World, and not the other way around? Diamond uses his great knowledge of different peoples of the world, and their history, to prove that it wasn't inadequacy in the indigenous peoples of a given area that caused them to obtain guns, germs, and steel, and that geography had the biggest impact on the history of the world. It is a great read for anyone interested in analyzing why history turned out the way it did, but I reccomend it to all.
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