To Conform, or Not to Conform

In I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan, a group of four friends is caught in a precarious quagmire (two etymology words in a row) when an ominous occurrence augurs a climactic catastrophe.

Four close friends are out partying late at night. After hanging around at the party, drinking, and talking to friends for a good amount of time, they decide to head back home. Unfortunately, the designated driver is drunk, and they find themselves in a sticky situation. Due to a lack of good judgement, they permit the drunk designated driver to operate the car. Upon making a sharp turn around a bend in the road, the driver finds himself in a collision with a person who had been standing in the way. Needless to say, the person is dead after the impact. The four friends get out of the car to investigate the corpse that had been breathing just moments ago. Two of the friends decide that it's best that they all cooperate and dispose of the body in the ocean. However, Julie, on of the friends with a different idea in mind, says that they should report the accident to the police to avoid conflict with karma and any future investigation that could be carried out to find the man whom they had killed. Julie argues her point for a while, until she surrenders to the majority and agrees to put the body in the trunk, from which it will later be deposited into the ocean. The four friends decide to make a pact to never tell anyone about what had happened that summer after the party. The incident gives a hint that it is a precedent for the unfolding of the plot and the suspense leading up to the climax.

The theme discussed in the first 150 pages of the novel is, most significantly, conformity. Sometimes it is better to conform, and other times, it is best to stand up for what you feel is right. When a problem persists, one must take a stand as a nonconformist, but if a problem is a mere peccadillo, there should be no necessity to take up arms. In this situation, Julie seems to have the morally correct idea of how to go about the accident in her head. She gives in to the group and allows her morally correct idea to fade into the background behind a plan that could lead to problems for the friends in the future. Although the book has not yet explained these future problems, I can only imagine they will result from the accidental murder of the strange man standing on the road late on that ominous summer night. Perhaps if Julie would have stood her ground and protected her moral principles with pride, the friends would be able to face their problems now. It seems like karma's payback becomes gradually worse the more we all put off our problems and dissemble our mistakes. Therefore, we should be nonconformists first.

I Know What You Did Last Summer- Lois Duncan (Fiction- pages 1-154)

Truth

Why is it so important that Dave Cullen gets the story straight for all of the skeptics of the Columbine shooting? It's because truth is one of the most important principles known to man. Even the smallest white lie can come back and stab someone in the back when he/she is at the end of his/her rope. Truth is vital specifically in relationships, but it needs to be valued at a constant level throughout every stage of life. If everyone was to go on thinking of the Columbine shooting in the way it was portrayed, we would all blindly believe that only crazy kids commit mass murders. The fact that Dylan and Eric were not noticeably mentally ill until the shooting is vital knowledge for making schools safer and always being ready for the worst. Therefore, truth is key not only in people-to-people relationships, but also when dealing with the facts.

Without truth we would all assume that only a select few kids are capable of carrying out such a violent act, when, in truth, every kid is capable of doing anything at any time, depending on the way they feel and the people whom they are influenced by. Dylan and Eric seemed like average high school kids, but their growing anger, which was dissembled from the view of others, led to their sudden decision to try something new at the expense of many children's developing lives. Consequently, Dave Cullen's clarification of the event and the many assumptions that people have about it is key in maintaining trust, and protecting schools that are capable of protecting themselves by preparing for the worst to happen at any moment in time.

Truth is vital everywhere: in the home, in fact, in fiction, in business, in love, and in friendship. It is the most substantial infrastructure in our world as far as maintaining stability and protecting against unfair or ill-advised assumptions.

Appearance vs. Reality

After finishing Personality Plus I decided it was time to pick Columbine back up so I could try to finish off what I had started. As I continued reading, I decided to look further into a specific theme that shared by a plethora of novels and short stories. Appearance vs. Reality ties into almost every single one of the books that I have been assigned to read this year for AP Literature. For the most part, it ties into fiction novels, but, because many things in life are not always what they seem, such a theme ties into nonfiction novels as well.

In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet dissembles himself behind a mask of insanity, exiling himself from reality and his friends and family. Consequently, his appearance of insanity masks the reality of his intention, which is to avenge the "foul and unnatural" murder of his father, who was killed by Hamlet's "incestuous" uncle, Claudius. In the same sense, Dave Cullen makes sure to compare the appearance of the Columbine shooting to the reality of the event. As I have surely mentioned in earlier entries, Dave Cullen portrays the actual events of Columbine in his nonfiction novel, in order to clear up the common misinterpretation of the event. The common misconception that the two shooter were secluded and socially inept is shot down by the reality that the two boys were, in fact, slightly popular among their classmates. Both Eric and Dylan were described as popular and full of school spirit. Before the shooting, nobody who knew either of them would have been able to predict the ineffable occurrence. Furthermore, the appearance that the shooting lasted for a long time and was planned out to the last detail by the shooters is cleared up by the reality that the shooting lasted only minutes, and was thrown together by the shooters at the last minute. Finally, the most common misconception that both Eric and Dylan wore trench coats around school everyday and lived in a twilight zone is obliterated by Dave Cullen's evidence from a primary source stating that both boys were fairly down-to-Earth, despite Eric's slightly edgy personality.

In the end, it's always important that we do not make assumptions, because, if we do, the reality hits us and we either feel stupid, or disappointed. Appearance vs. reality is everywhere. We might as well just assume that what is, is not, and move on with our lives.

The flower in the picture is a columbine, so it isn't just a random picture. I just needed to clarify.

Columbine by Dave Cullen (Nonfiction- pgs. 112-223)

The Roots of Disappointment

This week, the theme for my once-a-week personal entry is disappointment. Most significantly I'd like to define it, and search for its source. Trust me, this entry will not disappoint, but do not hold your expectations too highly.

In my opinion, disappointment is the feeling we get after something we were anticipating to go a certain way, results differently from what we had expected. For example, athletes disappoint when they are expected to have a great season and they put up weak stats. In the same sense, businesses disappoint when they prove unworthy for investments.

Most significantly, the source of disappointment is expectation. I decided to blog about this specific topic because I'm known to expect something to go a certain way. Then, I'm more prone to become disappointed when it doesn't work out. If we accepted this as the truth, would disappointment be eliminated if we all lowered our expectations? While this may be true, I think disappointment can also result from regret. Regret results when a person looks back on his/her life and decides that he/she should have done something differently. Although lowering expectations may defend against expectation-rooted disappointment, one may be more disappointed later in life about the risks they did not take. Although this type disappointment is less common among other cases, it is far more serious, because we can all cheer ourselves up with a bowl of ice cream after our expectations are disappointed, but nobody can go back in time and take that risk that they were to afraid to take. Essentially, fear of disappointment may be worse than disappointment itself. We can all move on if our risks or expectations disappoint, but we cannot go back in time and take the chances that we were always too afraid to take.

Sometimes I try to lower my expectations in order to feel happier if things go right yet content even if things do not work out. Although this satisfies my immediate emotional needs, it simultaneously injures my aspirations to be successful and my ambitions to be the best that I can be. Life is short, so we all need to reach for the stars before our bodies are buried in the ground. We all need to have goals, and we should never let the fear of disappointment stand in the way. Things will almost never go exactly how I plan, so I should simply accept that. Disappointment is an important part of becoming a mature and upstanding adult. As we experience disappointment more and more, we learn to take it with a grain of salt, and we do our best to dream even when we feel defeated.

Putting the Pieces Together

So apparently my entry that i typed up and entered didn't go through. Oh well, here goes my best replication of the entry...

After finishing Personality Plus, I realized that I had learned more about myself and others. I had learned more about my friends and families, along with ways to better my own image, and my relationships with my friends and families. Personality Plus may seem like a far-fetched analysis of a general and wildly fantastic subject area (the human mind and thought process), but even if it is not entirely factual or statistically accurate, the book still serves as a vital tool for all those who read it and truly think about its contents. I feel like I have learned how to take my emotions, as a perfect melancholy, and turn them into more positive emotions that will make me more fun to be around. By knowing myself, not only with I be able to more easily harness my emotions, I'll be ready to learn more about others. Some people go through their entire lives trying to find themselves, but if we all just accept who we are from the beginning, imagine how much more time we'll have to enjoy ourselves and our company. Consequently, by knowing oneself, one will be able to appreciate the good things in life.

After learning more about myself, and my personality type, I'm ready to affect the lives of others in a more positive way. I'm now ready to take that step towards the likeness of an Aaron Kee; someone who changed the lives of others with his hugs and vibrant smiles. I feel ready to convert my negative emotions and insecurities into laughter and self-confidence. After getting through the storm, and seeing the Sun, I know it will only be up from here. I also know the type of person that I'm naturally inclined to fall for, in knowing my personality type, and the requirements of the many different types of personalities in every unique person.

I might feel like I know myself now, but I'm sure there will be more to learn every single day, because change is the only constant. At least, by knowing how I think and process emotions, it will be easier for me to pick up the subtle changes that do occur.

Opposites Attract

During this rough AP testing week, I didn't have time to choose a book to dive into, so i decided to take a look back into Personality Plus...

Initially I had looked into the perfect melancholy characteristics, but upon second glance I noticed the balancing effects of the relationships that form between two people at opposite ends of the spectrum. I noticed that the perfect melancholy, who is normally over-analyzing things or staying away from trouble, if balanced well by the popular sanguine, who is the life of the party and is always bubbling over with laughter. The more laid back and thoughtful mannerisms of the perfect melancholy are counteracted by the outgoing and impulsive mannerisms displayed by the popular sanguine. In this same regard, the popular sanguine's inability to show emotion is counterbalanced by the depth of emotions that the average perfect melancholy possesses.

For these reasons, the book reveals to us that opposites truly do attract. It is not only a saying, but it is psychologically proven. The characteristics of the average perfect melancholy are ideal to create a healthy and positive relationship with the average popular sanguine. As I read even further, I notice that there are even sections that tell the popular sanguine how to cheer the perfect melancholy up, in order for the healthy relationship to flourish.

This just goes to show that everything really is a give and take. In relationships, each person has something of equal value and importance to offer to the other. If this was not true, the relationship would most likely become one-sided, or entirely unhealthy.

Leave an Impact

I suppose I've been entering one personal entry a week, so I might as well continue the trend.

I didn't know Aaron Kee, but during this school week, I noticed how important he was to the students at Homestead. I heard all of the kids who talked about Aaron on the announcements, and I realized that Aaron Kee had a powerful impact on the lives of many different people. He touched people in a number of ways, all positive. I talked to a few people about his passing, and they mentioned how his hugs could always make them feel better, or about how his smile could always brighten their day.

After thinking about this for a while, and praying for his family and friends to whom he meant so much, I started to think about death in general. Next year is our year for the senior curse. We're all hoping that we can break the curse, but I started to really think about the possibility of one of my close friends dying, or even me dying. Have I affected the lives of others in a positive way? Have I left the impact that Aaron Kee left before he passed? If i died, would I be remembered?

This actually served as a form of motivation for me. Death is inevitable. Nobody can beat death, and nobody has the right to choose when someone dies, so it could happen at any time. Nobody is invincible. Consequently, I decided to make it my goal to benefit as many people as I could. Then, when it's my time, I can die happy, knowing that I won't be simply forgotten. If I have the opportunity to help someone, I'll always try to do just that. When I'm being pressured to make fun of someone, or to hurt someone else's feelings, I'll always do my best to resist peer pressure, in order to resist hurting others. Aaron Kee made himself memorable. While he was alive he brightened people's days, and comforted people who were upset.

We should all be motivated by Aaron Kee; motivated to live each day as a new chance to touch the lives of others. Every day is another opportunity for us to leave our mark on this Earth. Every day of our lives should be a legacy.