Feeling pressured to not procrastinate
Outside temperature is 4' Celsius and it's sunny
I'm inside the Main Library again
Outside temperature is 4' Celsius and it's sunny
I'm inside the Main Library again
Before I begin to say what I have to say, let me tell you that this applies to other real world situations and other college communities. And even though I have been here for only a brief amount of time, these are just interpretations of what I'm seeing so far.
And let me tell you: that I admit that I myself am a victim of my own words that I am going to spill out here, so that you don't have to call me a hypocrite.
Self-awareness is the half-way milestone of self-correction.
Anyway.
Middlebury College has a variety of kinds of people, but there is a commonality that connects many of them together.
Middlebury College is loaded with people that lack self-confidence, self-esteem, pride, and guts. Most of those that do actually have their inner strength stem from their academic greatness (aka intelligence) or from the small social group that they hang out with (aka clicks, cliques, gangs).
Studying at a liberal arts college is like coming out of a bubble, but these people are just putting themselves back in them again by not taking steps out of their comfort zones.
They are too scared to offend others.
They are too scared to say what's on their mind.
They are too scared to express themselves.
They are too scared to take a stance.
They are too scared to make enemies.
They are too scared to be humiliated.
They are too scared to make errors.
They are too scared to take risks in so many things.
They are too scared to be alone.
They are too scared of too many things.
And personally, these kind of people are a turn off for me. Have some guts. Have some balls. You can't please everyone in the world, and a lot of people don't want to realize that yet. In fact, you know who your real friends are when you take a stance against values and ideas that are contradictory to you, and you know who your enemies are as well. The good that comes out of this is that you are taking a stance. And it's not an easy step to take - I hope you know that already.
Here I will finish with a quote. I hope you get more out of your life by doing things you wouldn't normally do.
And please, being drunk while doing "brave things" does not count. Never. Ever.
"If you don’t have the guts to step outside of your comfort zones, you will never grow and change as a person. If being well liked is more important than being yourself, then you will never say anything of value and you will never have true friends. If you don’t have the balls to be hated, then you don’t deserve to be loved."
-Blogger "Elvis"
Seriously? A liberal arts college is THE place where people will speak out. "Think Wide Open" is our motto anyways. People always speak their bloody minds here and the words that come out can be almost appalling.
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I discovered recently that I need to come out of my own shell.
Liberal arts college or what not, it's the people, not the education.
ReplyDeleteSome thinking students here have conflicting views about whether students exposed to liberal arts education have a choice to be in a bubble or not.
And I say yes: if you want to shield yourself, then go ahead. It's perfectly possible.
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Ryan and I run MiddBlog (http://www.midd-blog.com), a student-run Middlebury alternative news blog. You have some great opinion pieces on this blog about Midd and I'd like chat with you about possibly writing for MiddBlog. I think a lot of people would get a lot out of a fresh perspective.
Interested or maybe just want to try something new? Email: tips@midd-blog.com
Ryan for MiddBlog
Yo! Bobin! I've been reading your blog, and I've greatly enjoyed reading your provocative thoughts ;) and fresh opinions.
ReplyDeleteI'm also personally challenged by what you said here as well. As I've eventually settled down here in chiang-mai, i find it hard to actually express myself openly to people here. I was afraid that i'd look stupid in those people's eyes, though I knew that they wouldn't do that. This is one of those reminders for me. Thanks.