Truth, and lies...

Where's the "Virtue Vs Sin" you ask. I did not put it in because this topic is not an installment of the Virtue Vs Sin series. Its a normal, usual philosophical topic, that is all.

Today, I was having dinner with my mother when we went into a debate. (Albeit in an informal, chinese manner) She was, as usual, insisting I eat more rice when I didn't want to. When I didn't NEED to. (Need and greed was touched on my last entry... quite a couple of weeks ago. Scroll down to read) Thus, I sorta explained that concept to her in terms of practicality (Not that I'm putting down my mother, but the philosophical concepts I argued in my last entry would probably be too "chim" for her.)

I told her the reason why I'm eating less rice (and other foodstuffs of course) was because I was trying to lose weight. Her response was, as usual, "Rice don't make you fat."

Now, I couldn't stand for that, could I? I had to stand up and put my case! Espeacially when she makes such a statement. It took me some time, but I finally established the fact (not only established, but actually convinced her, which was sorta miraculous. She almost never agrees with my arguments.) that carbo-hydrates are a major make up of our fat. I had to quote examples from around the world before she was willing to consider the fact that foodstuffs like rice and potatoes gave us energy that, if we didn't need or use, would be converted into fats.

Then, in my usual style, I started to digress. That's when I (somehow or another) started talking about truth, and perception, and what it consists of, to her. And so, here we are, finally, after all those crappy, unrelated stuff above, at the real meat of my entry today.

What is truth, what are lies? Is there any such thing?

To be able to understand why I actually came into such a subject while eating, we must first understand my thought-train. I first started talking about tricks and lies cormecial circles use to promote and sell their products. Even hawkers at the market. I quoted the example of "final minute, sell cheaper" scam. Did you ever had a time when you went to the market near noon time, and everyone was packing up? The meat sellers at that time, would be pulling down prices.

"You buy from me, I'd give you extra 1 kg!"

"You want some of these? Last few, I sell cheap cheap, cost of 1kg, I give 2kg."

In fact, these things could be seen even in your secondary school homecoming day, the funfair, that is. Don't you think this is just a stupid, elaborate scam?

If the price of a good doesn't change, and the seller gives you more... is this called selling cheaper? The answer is no. What is selling cheaper then?

Obviously, is when the seller sells you the same amount of product, but at a cheaper price. That's selling cheaper. For example, if a hawker normally sells his goods at $1 per kg, but sells you at $1 for 2kgs, its a scam, and is not called selling cheaper. If a hawker sells you at 50 cents, for 1 kg, that is selling cheaper.

Isn't it the same thing? Isn't the good still sold at 50 cents per kg in both cases? Whats the big deal?

The big deal has been touched on my last entry: YOU DON'T NEED THAT EXTRA 1 KG!!! You do not need to buy an extra kg of chicken breast meat for tonight's meal, but when he tells you he'll give you more, you say, "Okay." Is that a need? Is that not greed? If a hawker is preying on your greed factor, simply so he can sell his goods, is that not a scam? Is that not exploiting your greed factor? You have been exploited. Is that not a scam?

What about the other case then? If he sells at 50 cents for 1 kg, and you buy 1 kg at 50 cents, then he's selling cheaper. That's my stand. How about, then, when you buy 2 kgs, at 50 cents each? Its still not a scam, isn't it?

Wrong again. It becomes a scam now.

Same argument. Do you need that extra kg? If you do not need it, but are buying it simply because it is cheaper now, is that not greed? And even if the hawker did not mean it, he still did prey on your greed, and thus, it is a scam.

Are those arguments stupid? Frankly, if you'll think about it, they are not. The world out there is full of sharks. One way or another, you'll get bitten. The only thing that matters is how you were bitten.

I delved deeper into the subject the same way I delved deeper into the meat of the curry chicken I was disecting at the dinner table. Let's talk about comercial tactics then. A great example is McDonald's. I'm simply sick and tired of Mickey Dees and their stupid scam of lowering prices. One day ago, fish 'o' fillet is selling at $3.95 per piece. The next day, it's a SPECIAL OFFER at $2 only.

Grab it while it lasts!

Based on my earlier argument, that's not a scam. Its simply selling cheaper. After all, they're still selling you one piece, but at a lower price. If you buy more than one simply because it is cheaper, it becomes a scam, but otherwise, its not. Correct?

As usual, you are wrong. Really, you have to do more about your IQ. Anyway, I digress.

Even if you buy only one fish 'o' fillet, at $2, it is still a scam. WHY? Why is it a scam here and not a scam in my hawker example? I'm just contradicting myself, right? (I don't need to tell you you're wrong again, do I?)

Wrong. I'm not contradicting myself. (Heh)

Think about it. Mickey Dees is a company out to make profit. How does it do so? It sells at outrageously expensive prices which, after a while, we're all used to. So when it suddenly drops prices, or "sells cheaper" by quoting myself, what do you think will be the response? Yes, some people will buy more. What about others, other greed-conscious people like you and me? Most likely we'll just simply switch from Burger King to Mac's every time we have an urge for fastfood. We do need that energy. We did not buy extra just because its cheaper. Why is it a scam then?

Mac's is making more of a profit than it usually does.

It has, by dropping prices, successfully poached countless students from Burger King and KFC to eat at their place instead. They have exploited our practicality. We're eating there because it is cheaper. (We need the energy, and we're not buying extra, but it is cheaper than in BK's, which would provide the same amount of energy.) We're being practical. And because we are, thus we are exploited.

Thus, it is a scam.

Sounds like a joke doesn't it? I agree with you. In fact, I think it is. The whole bloody, convulated, screwed-up world we live in is one big, ugly joke. But anyway, I digress again.

Like in all philosophical discussions, we must always go back to the basics of the topic.

My point is, even in everyday life, we're being lied to. We're being cheated. We're having our legs pulled. We're... you get the picture, right? (I ran out of words to describe 'lie' anyway.)

In fact, lies are packaged in such a way, it doesn't feel like a lie. Even a lie-expert like me gets conned once in a while. By simple, everyday things. Not by an elaborate consipracy, but by simple everyday normal things. Do I still need to stress that? No? Then do you get the picture? That the whole damn world is ONE BIG LIE? What we perceive as truths may be lies. What then, is the real truth?

Does it even exist?

I used to define "truth" as each person's perception. Thus, truth is not something that can be put onto paper. The "fact" that the sun rises everyday from the east may not be a "truth". A caveman, when turned around, would perceive the sun as rising from the west if he does not know otherwise, thus the "fact" that the sun rises differently each day is the "truth" to him.

But if the "truth" that we perceive is also a lie... then what is truth? Is there any such thing then? Thinking along the same line, (but in the opposite direction) the lies we come up with may become the truth to the victim whom we've successfully convinced. So... is lie truth? Do they two absolutes even exist then? Can they be defined? Are they, like in Maths, termed as (N.A.) ?

Are we all lying to ourselves now? Are we going to school and lying to ourselves that we are studying? Are we going for GP lessons and lying to ourselves that we are learning more about this cynical, lying world? Is our life a huge lie?

Or is, like I used to define truth, everything we see, the way we see it, the truth? Are we going for lectures, and perceiving that we are learning something, thus we did? Are we going for GP, and, having convinced ourselves we're learning more about this cynical, lying world, learn the truth?

A negative sign, -, times a negative sign, -, is equal to a positive sign, +.

Its a mathematical "truth".

What about the saying, "Two wrongs don't make a right."

Isn't it the same concept of two negatives put together? Which one is correct? If the first one is correct, then there has just been a new lie added to our "truth"ful perception. But if the second one is, then that implies exceptions DO exist, thus, after doing a million times of (-) times (-), one of them might be the exception and not be equals to (+), right? No? Then... isn't it another lie?

My last question posed you, to end off this entry:

Was my entry the "truth", or is it one big elaborate lie?

Have fun figuring it out. Byez.

Looking to the future~
+ + +


Virtue or Sin: Greed vs Need

GP lecture today was about, in general, the depravity of humankind, (even though it wasn't put across to us in that manner) and one of the issues we touched on was consumerism.

What is consumerism?

It is the idea or perception that the more items/luxuries/things/materials we "consume" or buy, the happier we can be, or the better our life is.

So yes, it set me thinking, and today's episode of Virtue or Sin is the topic of greed.

Oh yes, we all know about greed, no? We all understand what it feels like to stand outside a handphone shop and stare, salivating, at the newest, best, most desired for nokia/samsung/sony ericsson/O2 phone. But... it doesn't seem like greed, does it? Greed is so... negative a word. Why, we're only allowing ourselves to dream of possessing a luxury. What's the negative in that? Is that really greed? How do you define greed?

IMHO, that is greed.

Oh, but who cares about my opinion? Who am I anyway, to insist everyone follow my opinion?

Well, let's make it simple, shall we? Let us now look at Greed, against Need. Let us now define greed with respect to our needs. Which is a neccessity, and which is greed?

I was having dinner a couple of hours ago, and my mom was asking me whether I could finish part of her share for her, for she was too full. Now, she barely eats any dinner, and I am usually angered when she tries to push more away from her already diminutive share. I've had the argument with her before, why I should not eat part of her share for her, and why she should eat all of her share.

My reason was that I had enough already.

I was full myself. Why is she still pushing things to me? Doesn't she understand that I cannot have anymore than what I'm already eating? Doesn't she understand that, thats all I need? Her counter argument would be that because I'm eating noodles, it would be "digested very quickly" and that I would feel hungry very easily, thus, I should eat more. Now, is there any truth in that? Does eating noodles make you more hungry than rice? Does it mean we have to eat more to have the feeling of being full? Is it what our body needs? Or is it enough?

My stand on the matter is that it is not what our body needs. Noodles is is made from flour, wheat, which is also what rice is made of. Essentially, they are the same things. I have heard nothing to the effect that noodles are made up of significantly less wheat or flour than rice, and would thus supply less than what our body actually needs. Eating rice and eating noodles will supply your body with nearly, if not exactly, the same amount of energy/carbohydrates/or-whatever-it-is-noodles-and-rice-supply-your-body-with. Whatever feeling of hungriness we have is purely psychological, and is greed at work.

What do you think of my argument? Is it true? You argue, perhaps, that the feeling of hungriness, since it is not voluntary, is not exactly greed. But well, like the case with the handphone, it is just greed in a new package. Wolf in a sheep's clothing, to quote the cliche. You may think very highly of your ability to control spending power. But small victories in deterring you from buying trinklets or saving from buying an extra curry puff is nothing beside the inevitable spending on greed that hits you without even you knowing.

Examples? Well, take studying for example. What information do we need to survive? Maybe how to cook? Maybe how to get food? Maybe how to eat food? Thats about all. Sustenance is all that is needed to keep our bodies going. A constant drive to learn more, to find out more about the world around us. Some people call that curiosity, but in the context with Need, is it not Greed?

What about more material wants. Do we not want more now? Like explained in the GP lecture, we want more of everything. We want better technology. Is whats availible now not enough for us to survive? We want more luxury items. That in itself is not a neccessity. We want more of everything. More of entertainment. More of money.

Is that not greed?

But... look at it this way.

If we were to eliminate all greed, what would the world be like? We would all be eating just enough to survive, without additional gourmet appetizers and everything. We will not be bothering to study anything beyond what we need to survive. We will not be having luxuries items. In fact, we'll just be cavemen, not bothering to live under a roof at all.

Greed is the driving force for progression. Greed is what pushes humans to surpass previous highs. Greed is... a virtue?

Unbelievable? Maybe, maybe not.

Ironic, isn't it. That what truly drives us to progress is seen as disgusting, a sin, a trait to be disliked, to be ostracised. Something we revile, something we hate. Something we would never want to be, but cannot shake off. Isn't that typical human behaivour? To hold dear to heart what cannot be acheived, and scorn what we have, and must have.

Or is it?

Is greed a must have? Do we need it to survive?

Maybe we need it to progress... but to survive? To that extent?

Haha, is your head spinning yet?

Well, it was fun while it lasted. I'm tired now. I'll leave you to your deliberations. Have... fun.

Looking to the future~
+ + +


First Time-table Day

Today's thursday, the first day nyjc J1 students are finally following the confirmed timetable. The first day, in otherwords, of a normal, official JC life.

But if things are going to go the way they did today for me, JC life is going to suck more than this blog.

Well, for starters, we have PE. Not that I'm still surprised at the toughness of JC PE, I'm not surprised anymore, but PE just isn't as fun as it used to be. Yeah, I used the word fun. I mean, for a guy like me, the chance to have a real work-out and attempt to work off those spare tyres and extra chins is... enjoyable. (Not so much that I'd like going into TAF club that is) For the first three months, PE have been a sort of weekly de-toxification for me. I've always felt like I've been sweating out those unhappiness, darkness along with my fats. Today's PE wasn't really tough. Its been tougher, but its just not as fun.

For lessons, I had econs tutorial today, which was absolutely disastrous. Well, at least it was, from my point of view. When I first found out who my Econs tutor was, I was absolutely jumping for joy that it wasn't Mr Soh, or Mr Soo or however his name is spelt. His lectures were so slow, I wanted to run up the theater to slap him.

However, today's Econs tutorial, the 'first official tutorial', turned out to be just as slow and time-wasting. I can't say I hate my current econs teacher, at least she talks at an average speed. But the content she was teaching was "essay writing skills", which in itself, wasn't too bad. But she had to go through every single line as if we had reading disabilities. We're not babies. We're not primary students. Maybe by reading to us, we can understand better, but I don't believe in wasting a perfectly fine tutorial for that.

Shit you. Get some real work done! Or at least go through those homework assigned us! For goodness' sake.

Next up was CT, with the same teacher (yes, she's my civics tutor too) and what was she planning to do with us? Take pictures. Oh for goodness sake. Maybe you're alittle slow at recognizing names. But did you have to, again, waste another perfectly fine hour for that sort of thing? If not let us do something civics, then spend that time getting to know a few of us better by talking to us or something while letting us do some self-reading, self study, self revision.

Did I sound pissed? Let me tell you something. I wasn't. I was mildly irritated. Because the worst parts are coming.

A freaking 3 hour break.

Okay, so maybe that freak up in the timetable was our fault. That we had to be, as Yvonne would say, "kiang". So kiang that we, as Arts students, who are generally looked down upon, even by teachers (but that's another story all by itself) are taking 4 As and even cross-combi.

Dear school admin. If you guys were so unhappy that we are taking such combis and making it hard to make a timetable, and are now whining about it, why the hell did you give us the choice in the first place? And now that you have, you'd better jolly well swallow that resentment and shut the fuck up.

Sorry, I digressed. I was talking about the 3 hr break. It wasn't too bad, I actually managed to do alittle work in that time. So yeah, it was the brightest spot in today, I guess.

Chinese was up next, and I was alittle, (no, actually, I was a-freaking-lot) tired by then. I was hoping for a real lesson. Late though it might be, at least a real lesson. When the teacher walked in and caught us playing poker cards while waiting, I was kinda surprised and happy. He was quite a good teacher, at least, from the impressions I've had of him. Kitson seemed to like him, and that's always a good sign. Kitson has a good teacher-sense.

He closed one eye for the poker cards and didn't look like he was going to mention it. In fact, he looked downright amused. He was young, which means he understands us better, which is good, and he was (as he said it himself) "effectively billingual". Which is also good. I was like, thinking to myself, well now, what do you know. I might actually have a decent teacher, and a decent school year for chinese!

It looked good, right? Did it turn out good? No. And it wasn't the teacher's fault. My opinion of him still stands.

It was the class.

I do not have anything against 05A5B. In fact, that was the class I wanted to be in. I do not have anything against 05A5A, my class, even though I didn't like it the first day I met them all. I just have something against a couple of people here, and a couple of people there in both classes. The lesson was going fine, he was starting off with exam structure (to be expected, even if I don't like it) and he was actually going through it pretty darned fast. I mean, I had estimated that by the time he finished, we'd still have 2 more periods to go for a real lesson.

He never got to finish it.

Well, it was a combination of reasons. First of all, there was Joel (or however his name is spelt) from A5B, who happened to be like Marcus (from XMS) and kept on talking over at his side of the classroom, as if he was all great and mighty. XMS people should know what I'm talking about. Just picture a leaner, shorter Marcus (with a better hairstyle, but that's another story all by itself) trying to impress the girls sitting around him during a chinese lesson.

Over at my side of the classroom, there was a general feeling of "i'm tired" vibes being given off.

All those, I guess the Mr. Ng (the teacher) could have put up with. He knew we were tired. He knew what being on an ego-ride would do to a person's already loose mouth. But I guess all that, combined with one last straw, pushed him over the edge. Mark, from my class, A5A, was sleeping, which was looked upon pretty unfavourably, and when Mr. Ng woke him by calling his name, (with a smile, I must add. Mr. Ng was actually planning to forgive Mark and shrug it off) Mark returned it with a "salute" with a pen he was holding in his hand. Obviously, being just woken up, groggy and everything, Mark's face would be totally expressionless. That, and the salute he made (which looked like Mark was mocking Mr. Ng) conspired to make him, as Sweez said, "kao bei looking."

Snap.

For a few minutes, there was dead silence (after a round of giggles around the class by Mark's "comical" act) while Mr. Ng struggled to control his rapidly deteriotating composure and bring his boiling temper under control. (I'm making conjectures here, but yeah, he really looked pissed, as in fucking pissed, in my opinion)

I don't want to go into details here. My opinion of Mr. Ng as a good teacher still stands. Because he managed to salvage part of the lesson, despite being angry. He discussed our behaivour with us, and managed to build up a rapport in the place of the scolding we would have received if he had one iota less control over his temper.

But the fact that he was angry, the fact that he had to control his temper, the fact that he was disappointed cannot be denied. And that irrevocably spoilt the lesson.

Oh yes, you're thinking, that's it. The day can't get any worse.

In actual fact, it could, and it did.

I was called up for AVA duty of rehearsal for the international Friendship day NY performance. Being AVA fanatic, I was alittle sad that I can't be with my Umojan friends, but not very sad. I had AVA at least. It was, afterall, the first major AVA event for me.

Well, the 'first' things today all went sour. What do you think happened at the 'first' AVA event today?

Good guess.

Yes, I know I should be immune to it. Afterall, being in my line for 10 years, I should be more than immune to the up-startness of non-AVA teachers who assume everything and make an ASS out of EVERY FUKING BODY.

First, the AVA crew, who are students, who are JC students I must add, who have their homework, who are freaking tired after a long, hard, stupid, fucky day, were STOOD UP FOR 50 FUCKING MINUTES while the teachers were busy doing god-knows-fucking-what. I didn't even want to care anymore. And then, some guy came to tell us we weren't needed and could go home.

Fuck.

We were packing up, swtiched off the air-con and everything, had our bags slung across our shoulder, and then, guess what.

Yup, that's right. That guy had been wrong. We were needed.

Double fuck.

I'm really sick and tired. I'm not going to describe anymore. All I can say, is that we watched teachers who knew ABSOLUTELY nothing about AVA try and be so 'kiang' and test the mics themselves, by tapping on the mics. Well, yeah, since they didn't know shit about AVA, they fucked up and ended up tapping the mics to test. Can't blame them afterall, since they didn't know doing so would spoil the speakers.

Ah well, all in all, it's been not a very good day, but still passable.

BTW, did I sound pissed? I'm not. I'm only fucking, god-damned pissed.

Tomorrow would be a better day... I hope...

Looking to the future~
+ + +

Feelings

I've been feeling okay lately. Which means, basically, its been a boring time of my life. A period of calm, of little change or upsets. I say little, as there can never be a life that's always smooth going. Crispy doesn't seem to understand that.

We've had a hot debate today about life. Yes, about life. He doesn't seem to understand, or perhaps, he doesn't want to understand that humans possess the worst traits. That we never ever "look on the bright side of life" when there's something less bright to look at. Put a 3 million watt light in front on a person, and a 1 million watt light next to it, and the guy would notice how one is duller, rather than how the other is brighter. Granted, that's only if the guy's not blinded before he makes the judgement.

Humans will always pick out the small, imperfect, fussy details; the less observant ones might miss them, but always, it does happen.

And somehow, I didn't believe myself when I was telling Sylvia not to worry about her skirt being alittle distorted. I was typing things like "don't worry, no one will notice" while saying to myself, "are you sure people will not notice? Are you sure they would be polite enough not to stare if they do notice? Are you sure humans possess that kind of qualities at all?"

But then, maybe I'm in the wrong.

I don't know anymore, what to believe. No, I still stand by my point, that life sucks, and sometimes there's nothing you can do, and that life is never fair, no matter which way you look at it. But I'm no longer sure that what I fight for is the right thing. Maybe Crispy's right, maybe he's the one who has stumbled on the "truth".

Maybe.

Maybe I shouldn't be fighting for something I don't believe in myself. Or maybe this is just another period of identity crisis, after which passes I would believe again in my philosophy. But I don't really care anymore. Life sucks, afterall, it isn't fair. Why should I be given an answer to such a convulated question? Life isn't fair, so I shouldn't be given a chance to figure out my doubts. So I should just fight for what I don't believe in, by believing in it, and convincing myself otherwise.

Have I lost you yet?

I hope so, 'cause I feel lost myself. I'm not interested in searching for answers today, so yeah. Like I told Sylvia, I'm just going to lie back, enjoy what's before me, and push all these to the back of my mind, for eternity if possible, until the time when I need to argue with Crispy again.

再见。

Looking to the future~
+ + +