I was wrong all along.
That game was never meant to become reality.
But still, I thank you for the most intense surge of emotions since long.
Too bad we can’t play together again.
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That being said, I could finally put down much of my mind clutter.
I need to write something; anything that resembles an essay.
Sometimes we don’t like the story, sometimes we don’t understand it. But I’ll read it to the final page. To uncover the truth, is worth the suffering.
Mass random rants:
Some people tell me I have changed, a lot. Is change good or bad? Am I different? Different denotes neither good nor bad; it means ‘not the same’. Indeed I have gone through a lot of mental and physical changes, but is that not me? My perception of the world changed, thus I changed. Perhaps, I have remained the same all the time, relatively.
You call me insane, yet you believe in talking snakes and seas that disobey laws of physics.
Is looking like a whore now acceptable in the 21st century?
Psychological egoism was a depressing school of thought, but what about the person that has to feed himself such thoughts in order to sleep at night?
I enjoy my solitude, my time alone. Actually, I get cranky when I don’t get enough. I don’t have to deal with social anxieties this way. The vast amount of interactions that require constant body and behavioral checks taxes me. I had to function within the accepted norms, get used to thoughts in the general prescribed way. My thought deviance alienates me. Then again, my sense of individuality was sharpened by the time I spent alone.
It dawned upon me of my own mortality and powerlessness in this world. It depressed me how small I am and how short my life would be. Then I realized these thoughts were not unique to me; they are ancient thoughts, tread again and again by ancient men.(and women. lulz.) That’s right, I’ll definitely live and die like all the rest. There’s no time to be depressed in this short life of mine. I shouldn’t weep for those that passed away, but be happy that they once lived.
My mom frequently complains that her hearing is slowly deteriorating. Yet she continues to trim the lawn without ear protection or similar benefits.
It’s not that I have no morals, I just have a different set of moral constructs that seemingly conflicts with the general moral construct frequently.
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It’s 3am. And there is still a lot more here not being spelled out. My head is overloaded.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m perfectly fine with MOST female gamers. I do regularly play with a few, and some of them kick butt in tf2.
There is simply too much to say, and simply too difficult to organize in the way an essay should be. So…
F.A.Q(KINDA)
Why do girls(most) refuse to play games?
Ever since the gaming industry grew up, it has always been a male-dominated industry. Sure, today we see most of the companies having at least 30-40% of female programmers/engineers in their workforce.
So, whats stopping majority of females in the general public from enjoying these games boys and men seem to love so much?
Look, gaming industry had it roots in that half of humankind, and hence it always morphed itself to meet male tastes. Admit it; sex sells. Boys with their ubercharged(YEAHTF2) hormones are aroused by such titles and their covers.
If you’re a girl, perhaps the gameplay could be enjoyable, but whatever its showing is just. ew.
The amount of armour points missing: OVER 9000!
Games like Lara Croft have tried to increase female-awareness and promote the female gaming community, so why is it not very effective?
Not effective? Yes, most girls still shudder at the idea of playing games. Admit it, Lara Croft was quickly transformed into a sex symbol soon after her debut. What gender equality?
Why are there more and more females in the gaming community then?
Include indie and online flash games and you have about 51%(omgwtfbbqsauce) of the gaming community to be females. According to some sources that is. That being said and taken as true, well, obviously girls get bored too. And most don’t play with dolls till adulthood or at work.
Why do these girls not go on and play in the “big boy’s club”?
I.e, games like BF3, MW3 or even not-so-big-boy DotA and alike franchise? To be honest, it doesn’t take long to realise most of the people in such gaming communities are egoistic males that commonly rage at each other with their keyboards. Sit around on a DotA game and its not surprising to find the opposing teams throwing hate-comments at each other. Things get heated up so much it could serve as a power generator to power the earth. I’m sorry for making this comment to the very community I belong to, but standing outside for a moment really piques me that much to say it.
Sure, some girls do play such games (PMS-the clan, etc), but most of them just stand by in a corner and wonder if they want to be part of such a vulgar community.
Overall, what are my thoughts?
I’m perfectly fine with girls playing video games. Why not? Anyone with a PC and a console should be able to enjoy these games.
Remove the social stigma, guys.
And a message to you girls out there:
Play for all you want, I don’t care. But using games as an excuse just to get yourself popular amongst guys is just pathetic. Believe me, it makes you look like a slut. If not a slut, then perhaps a charitable prostitute. It’s not going to help in whatever relationship cause you’re going for.
And for girls that do this:
It’s not fucking helping. Sure, it sells the game through sex. All business. But in consequence potentially destroying another half of the market? Totals into a dick move, bro.
Finally, I can start moving.
More posts to come, but there are things to settle.
“Nothing distracts from life’s purpose so much as the events following birth.”
While both the pen and the sword have no intrinsic might or power on it’s own, they are capable of granting it’s wielder a heightened ability to achieve his or her aims. They have no impact whatsoever without a wielder that unleashes its potential. Nietzsche has influenced many with his writings, while my 8 year old nephew may have influenced close to none.
The power of language depends on the ability of its writer, but as one evaluate the potentials of the pen, one would find that it offers much more than the sword.
A sword may be capable of instantly pulverizing a person as a direct effect, or any indirect impacts a threat may bring. The pen may not be a top choice in a gladiators’ arena, but it is capable of influencing thousands of sword wielders. The pen’s ability of influencing others is much more than that of the sword. Written language have shaped our world indirectly, and with much more impact than the sword. It has moved and influenced others. With the sword, one can get his way by threatening others – if they value their lives. But the pen can shape and distort the people’s minds, values and personality. The sword merely arouses basic survival instinct.
The pen can both be constructive and destructive. A single declaration can spring start military action, death of thousands and the destruction of lands. Yet, writings like the Holy Bible have encouraged people worldwide to nurture good moral values and positive qualities in oneself. This effect is not only limited to the bible, of course. Other benefits of writings would include classical works from Shake spear, etc. Their work continue to influence, impress and entertain us this very day.
However, the pen would be ineffective by itself and it’s wielder. Our early ancestors did not fight off hostile creatures and predators with stone and bamboo carvings, but with stone clubs and wooden sticks. Wars in the past were propelled by the use of weaponry, and would be impossible with only the pen. The impact of weaponry itself can be huge too, as demonstrated by numerous wars and genocides. Eg, world wars and the Jewish genocide.
Also, without weaponry, some of these wars could have never been put to an early end. It is inane to think that mere words could shake the perseverance of Adolf Hitler or persuade him to stop the war and genocides. Both the declaration of war and the treaty of Versailles were signed and written in ink, but the consequences and benefits they bring wouldn’t be met without the existence of weaponry.
In conclusion, although the pen is much mightier than the sword, the two are tightly knitted together and most of the time, both are essential to create an impact in the world. We cannot ignore the fact that the sword had and will continue to play an important role in shaping our world.
Random rant:
I always prefer to believe the best of everybody–it saves so much time.
– Rudyard Kipling
Language have existed as a tool of communication since time immemorial, from earliest grunts and snorts of cavemen to the diverse and complicated language system we have today. We have evolved drastically to better make use of this tool. The average human possesses the ability and capacity to acquire and use such complex systems of communications, something our early ancestors would be unable to. Through such tools, we gain the ability to cooperate, impart knowledge and better express ourselves. It has given us countless advantages and benefits, allowing us to outsmart physically stronger animals and to form strategic alliances. If everyone shared the same tongue, language barriers would be eradicated and thereby easing communications. However, choosing a language above others would undoubtedly deem the others inferior. Such a change is bound to come with some conflict. Furthermore, language contains many its culture and through it’s unique traits, distinguishes itself from other languages.
The irony here is that language seeks to bond individuals, yet one language is capable of discriminating one group from another through the use of different languages. A Czech proverb goes by saying learning a new language gains one a new soul. Culture has influenced the growth of a language so much that each language in the modern world shows a tint of their culture in the way it is used, and provides some insight to how it feels like to be part of the society. The Japanese language, molded by their peace-loving character with their gentle cadence(well, aside from the Kansai dialect.) embodies their closeness with nature as well- the peaceful sounds of cherry blossom trees rustling in the wind, and the chirping of cicadas in the summer. The slightly nasalized French hints their pride in oneself as well as their elegance. A language provided an identity to its speakers, and that is something a shared language would be unable to provide.
Language is also different throughout the world to better cope with out communication needs. Asians, generally more conservative, tends to use more delicate and softer terms when communicating, while Westerners tend to more creative and employ wordplay to come across in a less precise way. Also, the Japanese poems would probably sound rather inane when translated to English. Having a shared language would be unable to cater to the different needs of each society, it falls short when it comes to allowing people to communicate in a way they are more comfortable with. One man’s frankness is another man’s vulgarity.With such intangibles lost, the only advantage a shared language brings seems to be the ease of communication.
Without the need for somewhat inaccurate translation and transliteration, many wars and deaths could have been averted. Johann Rall, Colonel of the Hessian troops at the Battle of Trenton received a letter from a spy. The letter warned of the Washington’s forces attack one day before the siege. Unable to read English, he put the letter into his coat pocket, unread. The Hessian troops lost the battle and Colonel Rall himself died. The consequences of language differences also obstructed communication amongst countries and alliances. Interpreters are human, flawed. With a shared language, diplomatic meetings can proceed steadily and any activity, be it charity, rescue work or economic activity can be carried out fluently and efficiently.
Arguably, problems cannot be solved by just talking. The common language merely provides a common platform. It is taken as an assumption that if everyone were able to communicate better, the problems that rose in the past due to miscommunication could be adverted. That is just simply ignorant of the other factors that perpetuate such conflict and disasters. Man is aggressive by nature, and fueled by greed and ambition of sorts, many find themselves in warfare and simply talking would not work. Think social Darwinism.
In short, communication cannot be a major factor in building a better world. Furthermore, the countless intangibles we lose as and sacrifice to make way for better communication cannot be worth it. There are other alternative methods that should be played out to create a better world. If one can dream a better world, one can build it. But I assure you that having a common language is the least recommendable.
Random quote:
“The banality of evil shares much with the banality of heroism. Neither attribute is the direct consequence of unique dispositional tendencies; there are no special inner attributes of either pathology or goodness residing withing the human psyche or the human genome.”
-Phillip Zimbardo from his book “The Lucifer Effect”
Taken down permanently as of 24th January.
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Does advertising encourage a desire for products which people do not actually need?
“Advertising is the fine art of making you think you have longed for something all your life that you never heard of before”
-Anonymous
In the factories they make various facial products, calling them the “Miracle Cream”, etc. But in advertisement, they sell confidence. That is but the basic of advertising. Advertising is an art of persuasion; not a list of unattractive, dry information. Taking a closer look, one might realize most advertisements never do include detailed product information.
Instead, they blind the viewers with flashy computer-generated graphics, show users of the product in joy and thus successfully persuading them to purchase the product. Watch a few advertisements and look how people seem to be in bliss or in love with their product. They advertise a false sense of happiness through their models or actors with the bazillion voltage smile complete with snow white teeth. These images tend to elicit similar feelings in their viewers, which people start to associate such emotions with the product. In order to achieve such emotional satisfaction, the public are hoodwinked into purchasing the products. Many of these items are thrown aside a few weeks after acquisition. The purchase itself had filled the consumer’s emotional hollow. The process repeats again and again around the world.
In the present day, we are so inundated with the new that we don’t find it weird to buy iPhone after iPhones, estimated to come up with a newer hardware version every 2 years. While their old phones are still working properly, they buy what the newer and better has to offer. While the original intent of buying a phone is to communicate across long distances, mobile phones have evolved so much that they no longer resemble their counterparts 10 years ago. Industries have changed our views and slowly coaxed us into buying and accepting such devices into our lives – but is it really necessary to keep in contact with the world every minute by updating your status?
Advertisements are not the only driving force. As human beings, we tend to have this underlying pride that pushes us to keep purchasing fashionable items so that we don’t look bad or outdated in the society. If clothes were initially invented to keep us warm, fashion should not play a huge role. Through some particular kink in human psychology, we are inclined to look the best we can as we know it. Do we actually need to look the best we can everyday in fashionable clothing? But isn’t looking presentable one of the earliest things we learn in life taught by parents and teachers alike. The industries need not step in give it a push.
Children learn since young in schools. However, our schools are set up in systems that teach our young people to be the workers and consumers of the future, they don’t have to teach us to become creative and observant human beings that are able to think for themselves. We have grown to accept everything the mass media throws at us, do what our employers and superiors command and buy what advertisements tell us to.
In conclusion, advertisements are not the only one contributing to this situation. The way our community had evolved to boost economic growth have also played a part in it. Furthermore, there are more factors that modify the response of public to the advertisements of individual companies. Such factors include brand reputation, quality of advertisements, product quality and pricing. However, it is not wrong to say that advertisements do encourage products which people don’t really need.
P.S: It’s my first time choosing such a topic…
