The biggest waste of our time

I had not too long ago made the claim that Facebook is the biggest waste of our time... until I realize it's not so much the social media itself, but it's our own self that make it as such.

I know a few people who have seemingly drop out of their usual circle of people, having their mind set on bigger things in life. Sure some of them are pretty antagonistic towards others, with some being quick to be described simply as being assholes. Their own behaviour is something that it is up to them to decide how it'll benefit or hurt them, but their decision to change is something that most have indeed failed to take notice.

And I see a lot of people having a false sense of self-worth online. It is as if they really show their shallowness and idiocy there, and it gets worse when they join up with like minded people. I find it funny how despite the various possibilities offered in expanding their minds and knowledge by connecting with the rest of the world, most seems to spiral downward into total mindlessness and foolishness, preferring to stick to their old mindset, being narrow minded, thinking they are that important to everyone else.

Which is why I can see how some of them decide to really distance themselves from some circle of people. Because really, as someone has put it - albeit in much direct and perhaps crude word - his job is not to please others. And it's true, really - why should we let ourselves be held back trying to be accepted by these imaginary circles of people which we created in our mind?


We should really learn to take control of our lives. And we can start doing that by trying to filter out all these noises - unnecessary as they are - that we get here on social media, Facebook inclusive. Because too many people are all just talk, or are just complaining, that you find it easy to dance around the same beat and go on complaining without any real action. There's just so much you can do through socializing, we forget that we have your whole life ahead of you.

And why are we acting as if our life resolve around these social media? Why is it that we would spend the bulk of our time 'socializing' that we forget the bigger thing: One day, we're going to die.

So it's puzzling why we have to waste so much time entertaining all those people who we don't really care.

Being offended

Even with your best intention; even if you worded your words with careful thought; even if you said it without meaning any harm - the fact is, some people would certainly be offended.

There are of course people who seemingly talk nonsense, in what appears to be an attempt to offend others. They try to come up with some stupid or tasteless joke... which they might not realize doesn't sit well with others, and how some might find them offensive.

The point with those two situation is this: you certainly can't stop people from saying things which you might find offensive. Notice how I emphasis on the you part? I think it's pretty telling, judging from how we would say 'I am offended!' rather than 'your words are offensive!' (And even if it's the latter, to whom? To you, that's who!).

So am I saying that it's pointless in trying to fight to stop people from saying offensive things? Not really, just because being offended is a personal thing, it doesn't give license for you to shoot your mouth off. What we could do though, is choose the way to how we react to what others say. We have a choice in that - whereas we can't control the words which come out of others.

On a similar note, here's a post on how we get the concept of being offended wrong (Cracked article? No surprise there mate)

Foreground Eclipse and 回路-kairo-: an overview

I've seen a few comments already on the comparison between these two circles. Foreground Eclipse is definitely more well known compared to 回路-kairo-, with the latter usually tauted as being an alternative for those who have been listening to FE.

Continue reading the rest of this post>>

How are you spending?

Sometimes you really have to stop and look back at how you spend your money, and just think:

How does your spending goes to make you a better person? 

Or is it all merely following others, in perhaps an attempt of trying to impress others?

I can't help that most of us doesn't really think of how we should rather spend in making our life better, instead of trying to play 'catch up' or impressing others. We might not admit it openly, but deep down there's just that urge to get acknowledged by others.

We are fools.

Gin no Saji 

Why I view Facebook as a big waste of time

The reason why I decided to really cut down on Facebook recently is because I realize how it is a big waste of my time.

Because truthfully, I realize that most people would really put up contents there more for the socializing aspect (which is why they call it social media in the first place, innit?). It's a really vicious cycle: any content we put up (post, picture, events) would inevitably get some sort of recognition (comments, like, share) which could really get to your head in terms of instant gratification.

And the fact that it is much more longer lasting and easier to access compared to, say, Twitter - which is more of a real time communication rather than the long lasting one on Facebook... but I'm getting ahead of myself here - means whatever stupidity you've mindlessly put up are going to be there to state back at you.

I'm not saying it's inherently bad - it's just that I personally have some issue with how people use the site. I view it as a big waste of time for us - especially if we're out to get some kind of 'recognition', whatever form it is. I'm specifically referring to those who abuse the media to drone on and on purely out of attention grabbing. It is completely understandable for young people, but when you have other priorities with life - well you don't have time to put up with those, man.

And that is the keyword to really explain why I decided that it's a waste of time: that I have other priorities in life to be bogged down with those things. And that, really applies to others who would decide to cut their time off social media. It might seem unthinkable to those who spend their time exclusively at the site, but that's okay. Everyone have different priority, right? And if they decide to spend most of their time there, then that is their choice for them to deal with the consequences.

I'd have to say, for me one aspect about the site that I'm alright with is how easy it is to connect with others - seeing as practically everyone uses it. It is convenient, put it that way.The problem is when you're overwhelmed by the most mundane and even downright annoying rambling and rants from some people who truthfully, you don't really care about.

So of course we have the choice to either completely cut down our 'friends' list (another misgiving I have with the feature of the site), or you could just simply cut down your time spend there. Some people might think, 'what would I do without opening Facebook?', or 'how do I get myself out of Facebook?'

Simple: you just do it, and no excuse. Maybe one day we realize our lives doesn't have to seem so meaningless unless if we make itself known.

Maybe.

The existensialist librarian

Anxiety may be compared with dizziness. He whose eye happens to look down the yawning abyss becomes dizzy. But what is the reason for this? It is just as much in his own eye as in the abyss, for suppose he had not looked down. Hence, anxiety is the dizziness of freedom, which emerges when the spirit wants to posit the synthesis and freedom looks down into its own possibility, laying hold of finiteness to support itself. Freedom succumbs to dizziness. Further than this, psychology cannot and will not go. In that very moment everything is changed, and freedom, when it again rises, sees that it is guilty. Between these two moments lies the leap, which no science has explained and which no science can explain. He who becomes guilty in anxiety becomes as ambiguously guilty as it is possible to become.

The Concept Of Anxiety, Søren Kierkegaard 

On hindsight, I felt that I've been through several existensialist situations so far in my life: the first clear instance which I could remember is when I was talking with someone who claimed he had a terrible depression and mental condition, on the sensation of wanting to throw yourself away when standing on top of a building - not to realize that a philosopher in 1844 had used this analogy to describe the choice and the anxiety of having the freedom to control your life.

The idea certainly interested me, how we are actually very much responsible with how we shape our life - and the fear and anxiety of being given the freedom, which would perhaps be why most would no sooner conform to the values held by the masses.

The first time I've came across the term 'existensialism' is actually a preface in a local comic - as well as 'nihilism' - alongside the mentioning of books such as Fight Club and Catcher In The Rye, but I haven't really thought much of it at the time. I've since actually stumble across several existensialist situation, although I have never realize how these could be tied down to the rather complex sounding term that is existensialism: most of these are several anxious moments I faced when I had reached critical decision making moments, as well as several cases which have involved death or accidents. The first time I've ever heard someone using that word in a conversation is when I had a discussion with one of my cousin on some topics on life.

What I understand from the philosophy of existensialism is how we are all responsible for our decisions in life - and how we must strive to give meaning to what seems a meaningless life (for we are to die eventually). It's quite a central philosophy that I've subscribed to for quite a while without me realizing it - and it is from the revisiting and further understanding that I've decided to embrace that notion and reflect that in this blog, marrying the philosophical term with Patchouli Knowledge, the introverted intellectual librarian. It just felt very fitting, not to mention reflecting the recent changes and resolves which have taken place.