Friday, July 14, 2006

I've been feeling extremely tired these days. Have been clocking in 6-8 hours a day painting in the art room, inhaling turpentine like a drug addict. At the start of this week, I had 5 canvases to paint within a 6 weeks deadline. It's Friday and I just finished my very first canvas the day before, which leaves me with another 4 more canvases to paint within 5 weeks. That aside, homework is piling up into a little neat-looking hill, revision is urgently tapping it's fingers, and the mid year exam results are slowly being revealed with atrocious revelation. So, basically I have 5 weeks left to finish my art coursework, and 7 weeks left to my Prelimin exams. I have never felt so excited in my life. All joy and laughter.

People are liars. Everybody knows that. What everybody doesn't know is the fact that people expect miracles, whether or not they believe in god. My close friend didn't study for the GP mid year exams, just like the rest of us, and did very badly, just like the rest of us. She expected herself to pass or to even do well. Why shouldn't she? She has always done relatively well for GP without even putting much effort or any effort at all into studying for it. In fact, she's a naturally argumentative conversationalist, so not doing well for GP made her feel very upset with herself and she felt that she had let herself down. However, her first initial response upon receiving her results was not to sit down and reflect on where she had gone wrong. Her first initial response was to get angry, and she wanted to confront the marker, who of course was an anoynymous GP teacher. But there are people who study hard for GP I believe, and still fail. Compared to them, is her anger even reasonable? There are people just like her, who didn't study for the GP exams and did just as bad or even worse than her, but are keeping quiet because they know that it's their own fault. Compared to them, is her anger even reasonable?

I'm not out to attack her. I understand that anger was an emotion she used to deal with the blow of failing GP. Plus, it was her birthday. How very very cruel. But my point is, she's not the only one who behaves this way. People don't study hard or hard enough for tests or exams, and yet expect to pass them or even do extremely well for them. When they don't, they become angry. I have seen this time and time again. I don't know whether it's the tremendous self-confidence in oneself or the excessively idealistic mentality. Yes, there are people who don't have to study hard and can still do well. But come on, you know yourself best. Are you one of them? Can you be one of them for the rest of your life? Maybe, but most probably not. Yes, you are smart and you should have gotten better grades. But your smartness is not gonna save you if you're just gonna let it rot inside of you. We're all very human. Let's face up to reality. Shit happens. People screw up.

Ultimately, all these crap that happens doesn't change the basis I really do strongly believe in- we are all intelligent and talented in our own ways. No kidding. Sounds like bullshit but it isn't. I believe that if you want something, you have to work for it. If you want something badly enough, nothing will stop you from getting it. Nothing comes for free, especially good grades. So c'mon people, let's get our asses moving and shaking to the beat of the A Levels. That'll be a sight to see. Haha.

15 comments:

Miao 妙 said...

If I were your friend I'd feel extremely disappointed with myself. Maybe she felt angry about having disappointed herself, but the anger grew stronger and stronger as she refused to be disappointed with herself, and thus she directed the anger at the marker so as to convince herself that she isn't at fault? Gah just rambling >.<

Miao 妙 said...

And I don't believe that we are all talented in our own ways. Too idealistic, I think. Some people are stupid and they just have to accept it. Including me.

Faith said...

Nonsense. Everybody is talented. I can prove it to you even. Point to anybody on the street and you'll find something in that person which is special. No human is any less than the rest. Even if that person is stupid, he or she might have the will to work hard which the rest might not necessarily have. Idealistic? Perhaps. I feel that most people are stupid only because they refuse to work hard and improve themselves. I don't like to look down on anybody, and neither should you look down on yourself. Accepting that you're stupid is fine by me. But accepting that you have no talent is ludicrous, and you know how talented you are, so please don't deny it. Do I even have to tell you what you're good at?

QM-pest said...

Heehee...yeah, atrocious revelation.I was a total ass yesterday man.Till jw calmly pointed out my mistakes and went through everything with me again.Bleah. I was really too complacent, thinking that I can defy the 99% hard work theory. That makes me a total (insert whatever you want). But thinking back, I'm glad it happened.Now it time to work hard.XD

Heh. And I agree that everyone is talented in their own ways. Even the MINDS trainees I work with show talent in stuff like arts and sports ok, and their IQ level is only 25-50.So dont tell me that you are stupid.Haha.=)

Anonymous said...

I agree that everybody's talented in some way or another...its just that some people just couldn't appreciate it...people would think my younger brother's an idiot judging by his not so good academic performance, but the fact is he's a music talent. The thing about talent is weird, you may have it but may not know it, although others know it or you haven't unleash it.

And I felt that whatever result, at least 75% of the responsibility falls on the individual. Getting angry and disappointed can't help much but it's usually inevitable...

in a more optimistic way, the failure is your discovery of another way to fail your exam which is something you can avoid in the future.

Faith said...

hahaha... woah your brother could be jay chou! :P

Miao 妙 said...

The Creator didn't make everyone the same. Some people are born with mental defects and they are intellectually disabled (of which no fault is theirs, of course), and they lack the ability to grasp skills, let alone to develop and master them. Some people, no matter how hard they work, just couldn't excel. Their yield is less than proportionate when compared with the amount of efforts they have put in. Maybe the problem lies with the way they go about doing things - the method which they use just doesn't work. But some people have tried painstakingly to explore different ways to improve themselves, and yet their results are disappointing. I admire them for their diligence and perseverance, but it must be accepted that some people just lack the aptitude when it comes to certain things, and some lack the aptitude for everything. That's what I think lah >.<

Faith said...

"The Creator didn't make everyone the same", but that doesn't mean he didn't make everybody equal.

"Some people are born with mental defects and they are intellectually disabled (of which no fault is theirs, of course), and they lack the ability to grasp skills, let alone to develop and master them." That doesn't mean that they are senseless just because they appear to be different from the rest physically or mentally.

Stupid people are mean, cruel, live in their own little bubble of a shallow world and are unable to see reality. Stupid people waste their lives away. Stupid people, basically, do stupid things. "Stupid" is a word I wouldn't use on anybody at all without putting careful thought into it. I don't think anybody without the perceived intellect society requires in the work place or in school to excel, or anybody who "have tried painstakingly to explore different ways to improve themselves, and yet their results are disappointing" are stupid. The very fact that you "admire them for their diligence and perseverance" only goes to prove that they are not stupid people at all. If there is something you can learn from them, how can they be stupid? How can a stupid person have diligence and perseverance? Perhaps that in itself is their talent, because do you really think that diligence and perseverance are so easily obtained?

"...But it must be accepted that some people just lack the aptitude when it comes to certain things, and some lack the aptitude for everything." So what? Does that mean they are stupid? They could be loving people who care a great deal for those around them. They could be loyal friends. They could have hearts that are true and passionate. They could be role models who are able to teach others the pure and righteous morals of living. Being a supposed failure of their own life does not mean that they do not hold the amazing ability to influence and to support those around them.

I think everybody contains enough flaws and enough talents to make them human. Some appear to be perfect and some appear to be stupid, but I believe that eventually the footing we stand on is an extremely balanced ground for every single one of us.

I had a friend who once told me that he believed we were all equal, in the sense that each of us has to use whatever has been given to us to fulfill our roles that god wants us to fulfill. We have different roads to walk, different capabilities and talents to use to the best of our abilities. You might not believe in god here, but that's a theory I believe in anyway. No matter how stupid a person might be, only god would know why he or she was deliberately designed in such a way. It isn't cruel. It is intentional, and for reasons beyond the understanding of the human mind.

Miao 妙 said...

The qualities that you listed, e.g. perseverance, diligence, generosity, loyalty, etc., are not what I would consider talents, they are just strengths. To me there is a line between a talent and a strength. Just because I do not believe that all people have talents does not mean that I do not believe that all people have strengths (in fact this is also what I sometimes doubt, because some people just seem so incorrigible to me). Just because I think that some people are born with low IQs does not mean that I think there is nothing that can be learnt from them. I love the movie Forrest Gump, and Forrest himself is an IQ-deficient person, but my admiration for him is not decided by his IQ (or the lack thereof); I admire him because he has a strong will, he is kind-hearted, he is brave, he is faithful to Jenny, he is filial, etc. These are strengths. He is also a very good runner. This is a talent. Of course sometimes a strength can help you develop a talent. But that's another matter. The Creator "created everyone equal", so we're supposed to enjoy the same rights, but that doesn't mean that we are gifted with the same abilities and capacities to grasp and master certain things. This is what I think lah.

Miao 妙 said...

Anyway, let's not argue about this anymore. ^^ You can have your own perspective and I can have mine.

QM-pest said...

To miao,

"The Creator didn't make everyone the same."

Pardon me, but what do you mean by "didn't make everyone the same"? Look around you. Do you see other human beings with 3 eyes and 4 arms coughing out green blood? Therefore, judging by your intelligence, I shall assume that you mean the Creator did not give everyone the same set of intelligence deemed necessary to you,so you must have felt that they are stupid, and should just learn to accept it.

Ahh.Stupid. Nice word isnt it? Now let's see what my trusty Oxford has to say. STUPID,adj.Lacking intelligence; unable to think clearly.

"Some people are born with mental defects and they are intellectually disabled (of which no fault is theirs, of course), and they lack the ability to grasp skills, let alone to develop and master them."

Oh dear.If I'm seeing things correctly,it seems that you are considering intellectually disabled people as stupid, for "they lack the ability to grasp skills, let alone to develop and master them", which in turn makes them "lacking intelligence; unable to think clearly." Have you ever volunteered yourself helping intellectually disabled people? Oh,silly me,of course you havent right?Well,my experience as a MINDS Youth Group volunteer has convinced me that your assumption is horrendously wrong(it's not your fault of course)for the trainees are capable of thought and they certainly do not lack intelligence.I was actually surprise on my first day to find them communicating happily with each other while I did not understand anything at all!Let me remind you that their IQ level is around 25-55, not zero.They are still able to learn, and understand what you are saying.In fact, they are capable of grasping skills ranging from basic motor skills like running or throwing a ball to refined skills such as weaving, cooking,painting.The only difference is that they use the most basic type of learning,which involves repetition and memory.And that itself is a form of intelligence, for you and I went through this stage of learning in our early years.

"Some people, no matter how hard they work, just couldn't excel. Their yield is less than proportionate when compared with the amount of efforts they have put in."

Pardon me to ask again, but where did you get this idea from? I will be delighted to find examples of living persons who can actually prove Thomas Edison's theory wrong. Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. That will be very interesting.I myself have tried to defy this theory recently only to end with a very painful and disastrous lesson.

"I admire them for their diligence and perseverance, but it must be accepted that some people just lack the aptitude when it comes to certain things, and some lack the aptitude for everything."

Hmm.I do agree with you that some people do lack apititude in doing some things, but they make up for this flaw with other things. For example, you might be very lousy in Maths, but talented in other fields, like language. Just wondering, have you heard of this thing called multi-intelligence?Everyone is born eight types of intelligence, but with different range of development in each area,so this means that it is practically impossible to say that someone lack the apititude for everything, unless you are a big arrogant snob, which I know you certainly arent of course.

I think the word stupid is up to everyone to define for themselves. For me,I prefer to define stupid people as shallow-minded and inconsiderate,and that unfortunately,is what I'm seeing here.

PS:Sorry,Faith,I spammed.XD

Faith said...

Ladies, you know what?

I think my blog is very good for GP.

WAHAHA... ;P

Anonymous said...

OK I must make this clear: I don't look down on intelletually-disabled people. I don't care if you believe me or not. And of course I've heard of multiple intelligences (who hasn't?), and of course I know that these people are capable of constructing basic thoughts, but I'm saying that they aren't able to perform higher order thinking, which is the conventional definition of 'intelligent'.

"And that itself is a form of intelligence, for you and I went through this stage of learning in our early years." - Maybe the truly intelligent people don't have to learn by rote, and can grasp concepts the very first time they look at it? Maybe we're in fact slow learners, just that we don't realise it? But how many of us can be blessed with such an amazing gift? And like you said, Thomas Edison said that "Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration" but he did not say that "Genius is all about perspiration". What I'm saying is that some people just lack that necessary stroke of inspiration, of genius, to become truly outstanding (not just above average) in whatever field where he aspires to excel. And yes, I do know of people who don't seem to be exceptionally talented in any field (I myself am one of these people I confess), but that doesn't mean that I look down on them because like I said, everyone has strengths, maybe they don't have a terribly high IQ but they are affable and kind, or they have a good sense of humor, etc. While I don't judge people by their IQs all I'm trying to say is that I can't deny the fact that they aren't incredibly bright, even though they may be loyal, generous, loving, etc., which are qualities that I appreciate.

- Miao

Anonymous said...

And the very fact that I acknowledge that Forrest is an extremely outstanding runner despite his low IQ shows that I don't deny that he does have his own special talents and that I don't look down on IQ-deficient people, but honestly how many people can be like him - to be truly outstanding in something? Not many.

- Miao

Faith said...

Darlings, this is getting nowhere. Let's draw the line here kay. I agree with what you said, Miao. You have your perspective, and I can have mine. I don't think any one of these perspectives are wrong. It's only a matter of opinion. It's really that simple.

Cheers. :)