Haven't been here in a while. Honestly, I've forgotten about it.
I must've been looking pretty weary on my way to class at Cypress College today because a guy leaning near the doorway asked me if I wanted some weed. I was going to ask him if he meant seaweed and then decided against it after seeing his stature.
Marijuana. The word itself is "dope." Non-native English speakers will definitely pronounce it "mari-jewana." And depending on how forcefully they accent a particular syllable, they could offend some people. Trust me, I saw it happen.
Marijuana, if not the rest of the species of the drug family, seems to be prevalent among teenagers. I have no research findings to back it up, but I think the use of marijuana among teenagers has increased in the last decade.
Marijuana use is only a single outgrowth of the trend of hedonism. Sex, music downloads, and outings to the beach are others. In a society that is ever more capitalistic and competitive, hedonism's only to be expected. Children are getting smarter, schools are getting tougher, and life is getting harder. Why should we put in the time to do homework and study at all, students ask. Society manages to keep us playing this cruel game only by dangling a piece of meat in front of us--future success. But some of the more antsy students will look into the future and realize that a third of their life is spent just for the POSSIBILITY of fulfilling their fantasies. For those of us who lack the superb lyricism of Nas, the world is not ours yet.
Hedonism explains why we procrastinate when we have work to do, why we indulge in wonderful, unrealistic daydreams. But as most of us have experienced, the goal of hedonism is hardly attainable, much less maintenable. The sensation is fleeting at best, and that's only if you let it sneak up on you. Whenever it detects the presence of our consciousness, it vanishes.
Of course, hedonism couldn't be the only dominant force in society. Hedonism could make humanitarianism possible, but rarely innovation and progress. Sure, inventions and new technologies may be the products of men's indulgence in their creativity and yearning for monetary rewards. But I feel that a greater cause must account for their ingenuity and perseverance. It was their sincere desire to explore the world around them and learn. It was their insatiable curiosity about life, its biological, chemical, social, psychological, and philsophical meaning. They observed the world carefully and pored over the works of renowned predecessors to make some sense of the great mystical ball that is life.
Therefore, I believe that the changes that the educational institution has undergone are correlated with the rise of hedonism. Today's cutthroat college admission process and plethora of standardized testing only serve to veer students away from the true process of learning. A pressure-free environment to discover the world and look into oneself is furnished only during our childhood years, when we do not possess the ability to conduct abstract reasoning. A growing disconnection with nature is evident. Learning becomes a loathed activity, a stepping stone that leads to job opportunities but holds little significance in itself. Formal schooling does not let us experience the true joy of learning, that strange flutter that inspired the greatest of human beings.
Add me to the list of angry idealists.
Oh, and for some interesting news in sports... Eddy Curry of the New York Knicks was robbed at gunpoint... Authorities have stated that the conspirators were not members of the Knick organization... Also, in a bold move to reassert his authority, Mitch Kupchak signed the son of Coach George Karl... Later at a press conference with Andrew Bynum at his side, Kupchak affirmed that he was not aware of Kevin Garnett's availability...
I must've been looking pretty weary on my way to class at Cypress College today because a guy leaning near the doorway asked me if I wanted some weed. I was going to ask him if he meant seaweed and then decided against it after seeing his stature.
Marijuana. The word itself is "dope." Non-native English speakers will definitely pronounce it "mari-jewana." And depending on how forcefully they accent a particular syllable, they could offend some people. Trust me, I saw it happen.
Marijuana, if not the rest of the species of the drug family, seems to be prevalent among teenagers. I have no research findings to back it up, but I think the use of marijuana among teenagers has increased in the last decade.
Marijuana use is only a single outgrowth of the trend of hedonism. Sex, music downloads, and outings to the beach are others. In a society that is ever more capitalistic and competitive, hedonism's only to be expected. Children are getting smarter, schools are getting tougher, and life is getting harder. Why should we put in the time to do homework and study at all, students ask. Society manages to keep us playing this cruel game only by dangling a piece of meat in front of us--future success. But some of the more antsy students will look into the future and realize that a third of their life is spent just for the POSSIBILITY of fulfilling their fantasies. For those of us who lack the superb lyricism of Nas, the world is not ours yet.
Hedonism explains why we procrastinate when we have work to do, why we indulge in wonderful, unrealistic daydreams. But as most of us have experienced, the goal of hedonism is hardly attainable, much less maintenable. The sensation is fleeting at best, and that's only if you let it sneak up on you. Whenever it detects the presence of our consciousness, it vanishes.
Of course, hedonism couldn't be the only dominant force in society. Hedonism could make humanitarianism possible, but rarely innovation and progress. Sure, inventions and new technologies may be the products of men's indulgence in their creativity and yearning for monetary rewards. But I feel that a greater cause must account for their ingenuity and perseverance. It was their sincere desire to explore the world around them and learn. It was their insatiable curiosity about life, its biological, chemical, social, psychological, and philsophical meaning. They observed the world carefully and pored over the works of renowned predecessors to make some sense of the great mystical ball that is life.
Therefore, I believe that the changes that the educational institution has undergone are correlated with the rise of hedonism. Today's cutthroat college admission process and plethora of standardized testing only serve to veer students away from the true process of learning. A pressure-free environment to discover the world and look into oneself is furnished only during our childhood years, when we do not possess the ability to conduct abstract reasoning. A growing disconnection with nature is evident. Learning becomes a loathed activity, a stepping stone that leads to job opportunities but holds little significance in itself. Formal schooling does not let us experience the true joy of learning, that strange flutter that inspired the greatest of human beings.
Add me to the list of angry idealists.
Oh, and for some interesting news in sports... Eddy Curry of the New York Knicks was robbed at gunpoint... Authorities have stated that the conspirators were not members of the Knick organization... Also, in a bold move to reassert his authority, Mitch Kupchak signed the son of Coach George Karl... Later at a press conference with Andrew Bynum at his side, Kupchak affirmed that he was not aware of Kevin Garnett's availability...
3 comments:
True that.
high five*
george karl's son is HORRIBLE.
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