Category: General

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Personal Boundaries and Selfless Participation in Community-Building: Not A Dichotomy

January 26, 2013

An increasing number of my friends have been focusing on learning more about creating harmonious communities in which each individual can fulfill the purpose of his/her existence, that is, to know and to worship God. As the number of people involved in the process of community building increases, so do the various point of views… Read More Personal Boundaries and Selfless Participation in Community-Building: Not A Dichotomy

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These are Not the Tiaras You Would Want Your Toddler to Wear: Why the Sparkle of TLC’s Toddlers and Tiaras Worries Me

December 29, 2012

Until a couple of weeks ago, I had never even watched a single one of its episodes, and was already horrified by its central concept: TLC’s show Toddlers and Tiaras documents pageants in which little girls, some as young as one, dress up (or down, at times) and, their faces caked with makeup and bodies… Read More These are Not the Tiaras You Would Want Your Toddler to Wear: Why the Sparkle of TLC’s Toddlers and Tiaras Worries Me

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Living Our Life to the Fullest: Choosing What to Focus our Thoughts On

November 10, 2012

It feels like an increasing number of my friends are battling the blues. Having the privilege of being a confidant to many of them, I have had many occasions to reflect on what causes said blues. Reflecting with my friends, we realized that often, they become blue because they dwell on unpleasant things. We know… Read More Living Our Life to the Fullest: Choosing What to Focus our Thoughts On

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How Religion Does Not Restrict Freedom, or How Nasty Would it be to Drive without Traffic Lights in Manhattan?

October 22, 2012

Rigidity and narrow mindedness are not good, but moral laxity isn’t, either. While religious fanaticism is wrong, it doesn’t mean that religion in itself deserves to be demonized. The current demonization of religion is often an excuse people use to allow themselves, in the name of freedom, to do things that run completely counter to… Read More How Religion Does Not Restrict Freedom, or How Nasty Would it be to Drive without Traffic Lights in Manhattan?

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Am I Actually Being Mean? Not Judging Our Actions Solely by Other People’s Reactions

October 14, 2012

So-called nice people are usually considered a pleasure to work with, because they will rarely, if ever, say something that makes others uncomfortable. They will often do everything they can to not intentionally insult anyone or bring up sensitive topics that might upset others. But this niceness can be superficial, and create festering passive aggressiveness,… Read More Am I Actually Being Mean? Not Judging Our Actions Solely by Other People’s Reactions

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The Multiples Meanings of a Single Word, and the Importance of Eloquence in Community Building

September 30, 2012

Sometimes, we say things that take us completely by surprise. While recently driving on a brand new highway in an area known for its tight winding roads filled with cars parked where they shouldn’t be, I sighed a blissful sigh and said: “Ah, civilization.” I immediately realized just how insulting my comment was, and it… Read More The Multiples Meanings of a Single Word, and the Importance of Eloquence in Community Building