For Christine

When prompted on nature vs. nurture via Facebook chat, with terrible grammar and some attempt at paragraphing:

i think there's enough empirical evidence from an infinite variety of different cases
where growing up in a certain environment or having an event happen to someone has impacted them to act in a particular way. people are born with different levels of potential, but it's like this: http://zenpencils.com/comic/94-the-two-wolves/ as to how they are ultimately shaped.

the empirical evidence isn't what i would base my entire argument on, but i do think each person has their natural inclinations and, as discouraging as it sounds, limitations. However, no matter which is more or less correct at the end of the day, I still think living by the belief that environment can help you realise that potential is the most constructive way to live. person A might never have as high of an IQ as person B, but by always challenging themselves to be better and think differently, at least leads a fulfilling life.

I think that our environments really dominate in this way tweaking and bringing out whatever in our personalities it 'feeds' while other things we have a capacity to be lie dormant. doing my political ideologies subject this semester, especially the essay, made me realise that the very crux of an ideology depends upon what interpretation of human nature people are willing to employ. so for the sake of simplicity, when we limit it down to whether humans are naturally social beings or competitive i.e. collectivist vs. individualist, communism goes to one extreme and liberalism to the other and neither of them are really quite right... altruism can and does exist, as well as the ability to cooperate, but at the same time, competitive interests are equally there and can help spur on progress. it'd be too easy, for example, for a communist to take everything i've said so far and make a case for themselves that if both cooperative AND competitive spirits exist within a human being, then by nurture we can spur on the cooperative side and quash out the competitive... but I highly highly doubt that's possible. it's the attempt of doing so which has brought so many disasters to countries that have attempted to reach the true state of communism.

interpretation is paramount, and it helps keeps your line of argument consistent if you can always come back to what you think a human being is like, and capable of.

"An assertive reaction to bullshit"

I have no patience for people who publish these carefully constructed posts which painstakingly outline an inkling to a thought that they're trying to present as so original, something you couldn't have possibly thought of before. This sounds very mean and snobby, because who am I to scorn the attempts of people trying to be different? We've heard from countless sources in our lives (if we're lucky enough, that is) about how wonderful being creative and original are and these are definitely things I think we should strive to be. I go on and on about how much I love innovation and positive progress, and what do they even mean when people are too afraid to go beyond boundaries?

What I'm more specifically trying to condemn, I suppose, are those who have deep phobias of being the slightest bit 'unoriginal'. This, surely, is what gave rise to hipster, indie, alternative or whatever cultures that avoid 'mainstream' trends and activities at all costs. What are you really trying to achieve by automatic opposition of what is 'popular'?

Again, I don't think I'm quite getting to my point... what's the use of being so intensely fearful that something you think or say has possibly been thought or said before? I find it fascinating that two people from different eras, locations, cultures and circumstances can be linked by nothing whatsoever but their thoughts alone. It's somewhat comforting, these recurring ideas that bind us humannnssszzz. Do I sink into and hide behind ironic speak out of fear? Most likely.

At the very least, as long as you don't allow this attitude to degenerate into a need for validation, it's a more optimistic way to face that disheartenment when your perceived way of 'paving the way forward' has already been established before - marvel at the commonality and at the same time, question it. Find out what's different about yours. What's better of the lot. Swallow your pride and use it. Keep moving.