Eating at Disambiguation; Agreeing is not Disagreeing

Had this sudden urge to talk about a little something that I've been thinking about for the past couple of hours or so.

Disambiguation.

And after much thought and deliberation, I've decided to elaborate my train of thought into a full grown standalone article.

Many a time, life throws riddles and problems straight into your face, be it in terms of work or your personal life. And many a time, such problems and adversities aren't as clear cut; if you mix white and black together, you'll get a color called gray, not "black-white".

Ambiguity exists in our daily lives though as we get used to such confusions of the mind, we ignore them and treat them as something of the norm, something that is "just like that" or is "made this way".

On a daily basis, us human beings are subject of ambiguity as much as being the source of it, such is a context of irony.

Obvious sources of this interesting aspect range from speech to daily occurrences.

Remember the time back in preschool, when your teacher would ask the class of cute and chubby 5 year old kids questions like "what is your favorite color?" Well, I remembered my time during preschool less then distinctively but viewing it in retrospect, disambiguation has already been put into play.

Pertaining to that particular question, the chubby 5 year old in me at that time (as I faintly recall) saw friends and classmates around me raising up their hands in excitement, some even shouting our their answers to the teacher's inquiry.

"Red! Blue! Yellow! Green! Black!"

And soon, it was my turn to answer that question as my teacher (and the rest of the class for that matter) waited intently for my answer.

Indeed I was young at that time and I too, was subjected to giving the "right answer", thus choosing to "play it safe" with a normal answer ("my favorite color is red"). My answer was acknowledged as a result.

But thinking back, had I answered something along the lines of "my favorite color isn't blue" (for example), would the entire experience be the same as the one that happened?

Here we see an example of disambiguation at play. It is fact that the color red, isn't blue and in actual truth, it is common sense so that means that red isn't blue.

We say that there is ambiguity in the answer for there are in truth, 2 correct answers to the question ("what is your favorite color") but in actual fact, only one is deemed "correct" for the other answer would be labeled as "missing the point" and going "out of topic".

What happens here is that we are able to see a clash between truth and societal expectations, between the orthodox and the unorthodox. This is what ambiguity brings to the world.

The term ambiguity can be defined as "Doubtfulness or uncertainty as regards interpretation" (as cited from dictionary.com). But to me simply put, it means a subject matter having different interpretations, resulting in different answers and opinions.

Ambiguity is in contradiction to social expectations in most cases, simply because the society as a whole dictates the pace, lifestyle and thinking of its members.

I'm sure many of you have heard of the term "pack instinct" though normally evident for canines like dogs or wolves which hunt in packs, thus giving credibility to this term.

What this "pack instinct" does is that it ensures that everyone in the "pack" follows and thinks similarly so as to work as an effective, compact unit.

I draw relevance with this to a typical human society. It is often said that humans are social creatures and that (most, if not all of them) will not be able to work as effectively in solitary settings as compared to working in a group.

What the society does is to instill this "pack instinct" within its members. Which means this "instinct" sets the right from wrong, black from white, truth to false.

Ambiguity "disrupts" the order of the pack instinct by proving that there is often more than one answer to a question. Ambiguity proves that there is an "in between" for everything and it supports the use of the word "maybe" in any question.

True, ambiguity often encompasses confusion but I like to view it as a variable alternative. It provides a new perspective, one that is not necessarily incorrect or false.

So which path should we take? The mainstream thinking of "going with the flow" of others or the unconventional route?

It is human nature to want to be different and to stand out in the crowd. However, I find it really ironic that though we're wanting to be different subconsciously, much of the population is still under the influence of conventional thinking.

Much of this is credited to the fact that people prefer to agree to something that is already suggested (or disagree) then to suggest an entirely new idea.

In the rite of life, we are often faced with obstacles and detours and are also, in varied frequency, fazed with the prospect of a tough decision. And sometimes, these are the type of decisions that will affect the script of the next chapter of your life.

In that sense, ambiguity is your enemy as it aggravates the situation and puts the "what ifs" back into the equation.

In a way, people in general do not like to think about the "what ifs" as fear takes over the control of possibility and dismisses existence.

A good example is the presence of life in space. For centuries, humans have dismissed the possibility of other life forms in space, more specifically termed "aliens".

The conventional theory goes that all living things need basis requirements to survive and that space conditions does not fulfill the criteria for life to flourish. But is that the case?

Here we see a typical case of ambiguity in play.

The "right" answer to the existence of life in space was originally "no, its not possible for life to exist outside earth as the conditions aren't ideal for survival of life form". But recently, the advancement of men has decreed that there is a possibility of life outside earth.

To put illustrate this point, let us look at this simple interpretation;

Question: Is there Life in space?

Option 1: Yes. (Conventionally "wrong" answer)
Option 2: No. (Conventionally "right" answer)
Option 3: Maybe. (The ambiguous answer)

With this example, we see the society moving together as a unit to accept ambiguity. The public perception has changed from option 2 to 3 thus giving truth to the fact that ambiguity exists and the "right" answer is not always right.

There are many aspects of ambiguity in life, another prominent one being religion. Thus being the case that its a sensitive topic, we cannot deny the fact that there is ambiguity in religion; different religions emphasizes on different values.

To me personally, ambiguity is a "yes and no" answer, factoring in both the proposition as well as the opposition points of view.

Sure, we're bound to be involved in ambiguity at some point of our lives but I guess there's always an unknown boundary in every question, argument, definition or statement.

Working towards solving ambiguity will in turn, result in improvement and development (as with the case of life in space) and in the long run, a better understanding.

Life is full of ambiguity. Look at them not as confusion but as points of clarification and improvement.

Hysteria's Revisit

Alright valued readers, as promised here's a little revisit on Hysteria's Call.

Again, I'm really really grateful for the comments and feedback received for the narrative so thank you (I'm really grateful thus explaining the repetitive thank yous)

For this post however, I'll be talk about the various themes and aspects in which I considered to be included in Hysteria's Call. I admit that given a little bit more time (as well as resources for that matter) I would have been able to further refine the narrative both in terms of story content as well as theme specification.

If you're feeling a little lost ("What the hell is Hysteria's Call anyway?") be sure to revisit the links on the navigation bar to your right for all installments of Hysteria's Call, 1 to 3.

And with that, lets get things started.

General Commentary

With Hysteria's Call, I thought it would be really interesting to incorporate a mixture of the elements such as nature (represented as the torrential rain) as well as industry and society (the setting of the office building, the man having a high business position etc).

That obviously created a stark contrast for the story plot's development as well as room for the development of certain themes which I'll touch on later on.

I also thought that it would be a good idea to point out the vulnerabilities of even the highest of figures in society (ie. the man) that even they, being human beings, have their breaking point as well as their weaknesses as well. Certainly, no one in the world is absolutely perfect.

The reason why I chose to segment the entire narrative into 3 parts is simply indicating a transition between different settings and scenes. Part 1 sees the man's journey to the cafe, part 2 sees the events unfolding in the cafe itself while part 3 climaxes and concludes the story.

Throughout these 3 parts, we are also able to see and foretell the man's slow degeneration in terms of his mental health, the process of how from having absolute power to even losing control of himself.

Indeed, the irony is evident; a man of great status and power, with control over others, not even able to control himself in the end.

Theme of Hysterics, lack of Self Restrain

Certainly the theme of self restrain, or the lost of self restrain, more rather, is the main underlying aspect of Hysteria's Call. It is the basis of the plot's development as well the main gist of the entire concept, thus giving meaning to the title in itself.

The lack of restrain and mental disorientation causes the man dear as the plot reveals bit by bit, the process of mental corrosion that ultimately leads to his demise.

Here, we are also able to observe the adverse but powerful effects of the human mind. So destructive that it can destroy everything with just a tinge of doubt or uneasiness. This theme clearly portrays what will happen when one loses control and grip over his mind.

And when it is unable to take it all, it self destructs.

We see a transformation. As mention, the man degenerates himself from one of power to a being of lesser status and all that solely with the effect of his mind.

Paranoia is the first tinge the man gets (as seen in part 1) and it eventually evolves into something greater when a heighten sense of stress is achieved (as seen in part 2) where it led to excessive behavior as well as actions (of which he'll soon regret). This evolves into something even greater (as seen in part 3) and as if backfiring, the entire effect falls on the reckoning of the man, of which he deals with harshly.

This is also another fine theme of what power can do to a human being. The excess of power, more rather, draws to the man and makes him vulnerable to a huge blow for he was always obtaining everything that he demanded, worked for or wanted at any all.

And when he doesn't get the due results, a chain reaction starts that leads to the development of the story's plot.

Theme of Love

Love is an energy that exists in no fixed orientation but is evident in all things living, especially in that of human beings.

Though the theme of love in Hysteria's Call is not as obvious as other narratives, there is still a slight interpretation for the simple fact that this energy exists throughout the process of life itself; certainly no exception here.

I've tried to visualize love of the most common and simplest (yet troubling in a sense, as some would comply) form; of that towards the relationship type of love. And thus, I've decided that a simple date between this high and mighty executive and his girlfriend (supposedly) would articulate the point substantially.

With this theme, the power of love is expressed in its own unique fashion especially since it sources from the hard and cold mind of the man. It also shows that he has a softer side and that he is just human.

It is also this power of love that serves as a catalyst for the man's insanity, thus substantiating the grip and attachment within the man himself. It can be considered as the tipping force that pivots the man's mental state of health, from being sane to the opposite.

It was also his addiction and obsession to love that contributed to his ultimate downfall in the end.

Theme of Signs

The existence and presence of signs are largely ignored in our modern society mainly because many people not only do not believe in them. Most regard them as skeptical religious material but with Hysteria's Call, I thought it would have been really good to bring out this aspect and to create awareness.

Signs are tell tale signals, which usually presents itself in the form of events. With Hysteria's Call, I thought it would be a really good idea to start off with a very subtle sign, namely the rain, and slowly progress to the encounter with the taxi driver.

The man's recollection of his day (while he was in the room of the cafe, seemingly waiting for his date), tells readers of the man's entire day's events, of which seem to be trying to tell him something.

Again, I've tried to be as subtle as I can to simulate conditions in reality; signs are often concealed amongst daily events and happenings that we take a natural or "coincidence".

I did that through the rain to not only create an atmosphere for the plot of the story but also to visualize a barrier in the said circumstances, a barrier preventing the man from meeting the fate that unfolded in the story.

The epitome of this theme comes through the encounter between the cab driver and the man, where, by some strange twist of fate, the cab gets stuck and is unable to bring the man to the cafe.

A major hint is dropped in that encounter, where the cabby tries to shout and warn the man but trails off (as seen in part 1). But the mention of signs is also seen in part 2 though sparsely which the man in the story treated with "a pinch of salt".

Conclusion and Parting Commentary

Overall, I'm personally satisfied with the development of Hysteria's Call, and I really hoped that you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. Sure there are alot of other themes to explore in this short narrative alone but due to length constrains, I guess this is enough food for thought for the time being.

I would (as expressed earlier) have wished for more time to develop the ending as well as certain segments of the story but the themes came out ideally in my view.

The reason why I chose not to disclose the man's identity (ie. his name) till the very end was down to a couple of reasons. One being that I wanted to keep the formality and i didn't really see the need to disclose his actual name and the other reason was that I valued the suspense till the end.

Feel free to share your comments about Hysteria's Call as well as its various themes via comments (located just right below this post, click on the (number) comments link).

I appreciate feedback from my readers so don't be shy!

Till then, remember to check back for updates and articles. Cause here at metallic-stains, we deliver (ripoff much?).

Cya'll later.

The Price of Emotions; How much are you willing to give?

Price and financial stability has often been of issue during the recent decades of mankind. Probably due to the rising costs of living (as I'm sure all of us are relatively familiar with) or even due to the vast and complex advancements in the societal context.

It is assuring to find out that yes, our society is improving and moving towards the future; who knows what it'll hold for mankind. But are somethings compromised in the process of such "advancements"?

To have the society move forward is one thing while the psychological development of its citizens, is another issue altogether. An issue that is often overlooked by the sociologist of this century.

A slight irony if I may say so, but naturally, it is had to foresee the developments of the human mind, as with the study of psychology; it is a field of mysteries even more complex then logic itself.

So is the human mind evolving as a result of all this?

Certainly, for the mind is designed to evolve as that is the way of nature. It is impossible for mankind to remain stagnant in evolution as that would deem void in the order of survival.

But has this evolution deteriorated our evolution to such an extend that we are purely based off currency and finance? And that our lives are basically circled around what we call, the "Greens"?

A couple of weeks ago before I started my first lesson with my student, my employer (my student's parents, who coincidentally was my ex-table tennis coach) approached me for advice about his child's progress.

I thought to myself, hey I mean this kid's just in primary one (first grade) surely there wouldn't be a need for such intensive materials just yet?

Well I guess this is where the term people coin "parental instincts" come about and my employer appeared rather anxious about his child's academic performance (especially in the English Language).

I suggested the purchase of an English dictionary (largely due to the fact that it would not only be substantial to the child's education but also a long term investment) in response to his enquiry nevertheless as I felt that there was no significant need for "additional materials? aside from the such.

The following week, I came for my routine with the newly bought dictionary, eager to impart what I know about the uses for this "$12.79 heavy-weight" to my student, as well as his parents.

It was really interesting to me personally that my employers would so readily invest in educational gains for their child and this really set me thinking (though I've had been in similar situations in the past with my own parents sparing no expense at my education); I see it in a different viewpoint now.

This may be a natural occurrence, of parents spending and investing what they can into their child's education, but from this derives a precious lesson and leaves much room for thought.

Since our society nowadays revolves around currency and finance, I presume it must be natural that the psychological aspect of mankind overlaps with such "logical entities". But to what extent have our mental state of mind depend on such physical factors?

As seen in the example I've quoted, emotions are shown through gifts and investments. My employer cares for his child and thus entrusted me with the responsibility of purchasing the dictionary.

However, this is where the delicate cradle of balance comes into play; are we over-relying on such physical objects to articulate our emotions?

When it comes to gifts, I'm pretty sure one would often link it to the annually occurrence of one's day of birth, or even the festive event of Christmas, where people exchange presents and the such.

But are physical gifts a good indication of one's emotion to the other?

I personally feel that we live in a materialistic society in itself, where everything circles around money, thus giving existence to terms such as "money is power" or "money makes the world go round" or even "time is money".

It is quite sad that our society has turned towards such a direction where everything is so material based and our human rooted emotions get affected as a result.

I find the term "diamonds are a girl's best friend" disturbing to a certain degree (though I understand that term is a metaphoric statement, depending on the situation) especially in a relationship context. If diamonds are a girl's "best friend" then what does her partner stand for? Hopefully not her "piggy bank" I hope.

Some people of our modern dive straight into material pleasures and are enticed by them, especially the younger generation. Take a quick walk down the streets of the busiest shopping districts and I'm sure you'll see teenagers by the truckload, browsing through the various "material indulgences" up for grabs.

But is a physical gift the best form to emphasize your emotions? Must we really purchase that elusive diamond necklace or that expensive bag just to show that we care?

I surely hope not, for I feel that emotions yield no stable logic but yet, flows in the human mind as free as water. Nobody can put a price on emotions such as care, concern, sacrifice and most importantly, love.

Embrace emotions to people or vice versa, for only in its purest form, will its true meaning surface and take purpose.

However, do not misunderstand me. Like how a parent is willing to spend and invest for his child's education, spending is justified, only to a certain extend. Overdoing it however, will deem superficial and in truth, pointless.

Emotions come from your heart and soul and not from your wallet. Even if you're not able to afford a simple gift due to financial constrains, a little action is not only the best way to express but is also the most apporiate one, in my opinion.

They say that "its the thought that counts" and I for one, am in favour of that statement as to convey your emotion, it is what you think and the "thought"; the physical object being a substantive.

So as we speak, is our society plunging deeper and deeper into the depths of the cold and harsh reality that is in the figures of our bank account?

I sure hope not. From the latest fashion trends to the complex gizmos of the future, society is going further and further into development.

But let us not forget what keeps us sane, our emotions, for it is what keeps us human and intact (refer to article, "Emotions; A Flaw in the Human Design?").

No one can put a price tag on emotions and no matter how much our society moves ahead of us, let us hope that some primitive traits in the human design will remain the same for a long time to come as I do not see an alternative to our current predicament.

So the next time when you're pondering about what to get for a friend, your children, your family members or that special someone, always put in retrospect that no matter how much one spends, the thing that will be remembered isn't that unique "only one in the world" jewelry or that custom made music player that has 200GB of storage space, but the "thought" that was considered when making the decision to purchase and doing it.

To actually give thought to a particular event and to take action for it is the greatest form to demonstrate the inner emotions.

Emotions are priceless, treasure and savour them.

Random Thought, Vol. 3

Its been a terribly long (and tiring) day for me. Not because I exercised the whole day or spent the day walking around town. I've been staring at the computer for around 12 hours straight, finishing up my work and presentation for tomorrow; its tough.

Not so apparently. The strange thing was that other then the occasional eye drops, the numbness in my butt and stiff fingers, I didn't feel too bored or uninterested in the assignment. In fact I was enjoying it.

Now you can't say thats normal, can you?

I mean people my age would normally spend time killing ailens on Starcraft or hanging out with their friends along Orchard Road but doing an assignment? Not their idea of a fruitful afternoon, I bet.

Thats that I guess.

Now on to some "real" entertainment. Just a couple of random thoughts that I wanna get off my chest. Here goes...

1. The rain clouds are gathering but theres no rain
2. My eyes feel heavy
3. My mind is blank
4. Marketing is a scary thing; it changes your preceptions
5. I'm a little nervous about the presentation (for some reason)
6. Random thoughts are awesome
7. I need a drink
8. Pink and Blue are terrible colour combinations
9. I hope it rains
10. Okay, now my back's starting to hurt.

Oh dear, look's like I'm getting a little drowsy. I swear, sleep is the flaw of men. That being said, sleeping or the thought of it does make you feel lazy. Hmmm...

Its back to my work for now; loads to touch up and refine. Check back for more updates and articles.

Cya'll Later

The Human Mind; A Powerful Tool or just a Voice Inside Us?

I think about issues and matters all the time. Be it on the bus, standing in the middle of a huge crowd or even when I'm eating. However, I realise my mind sets into an automatic "wander mode" in two particular durations; when I bath and when I'm on the bed about to sleep.

Queer isn't it? I mean those two durations aren't exactly the most interactive and social periods of my life but it is during then when my mind is the most active as I think about personal issues (commonly) as well as a myriad of other topics. Thus it is no wonder or astonishment that I often fabricate my ideas (weird ones) and thoughts about certain aspects of my life.

The human mind works in ways unknown.

For years or even since the dawn of time, people have been trying to put a definite solution or answer as to how the mind works largely to no avail. All due to the simple fact that the human mind holds no boundaries.

I'll not endeavour the task of defining how the mind works but more rather, share my two cents on the complexity of the human mind and insights into using your mind to your advantage rather then the contrary.

From a scientific viewpoint, the epicenter of the human mind is commonly perceived at the brain of a particular individual. It is the brain that controls the entire nervous system in the human body and to put it simply, it is the "command center"; it controls the major functions of the body.

However, I personally feel that the human is not only restricted to the brain. To me, there is no central location where the human mind is located. The entire body functions and constitutes to the mind itself. The five senses especially plays a vital role in influencing the decisions and the way the mind works.

Why is this so?

The senses are in a way, how the body perceives and comes in contact with the outside world. They are the "windows" and the medium used for external interaction. Be it Touch, Smell, Taste, Sight or Hear, these are how we as humans, communicate with our surroundings and respond to stimulus.

These senses (as mentioned earlier) influence the way our mind works and its thus proven on many grounds in the field of psychology, which is the intensive study of the human mind and behaviour.

Ever heard of the "Forbidden Toy Study" carried out by Elliot Aronson and Merrill Carlsmith who were social psychologists about Cognitive Dissonance? Or W.S.Small's experiment with rats in a maze? These are fine examples of how the senses affect the psychological aspect of human beings.

Another aspect we have to consider in relation to the human mind is the human Emotion. As elaborated in one of my previous blog articles (Emotions; A Flaw In The Human Design?), emotions can affect the behaviour and the mind of a particular individual adversely.

Naturally, the human mind is influenced by emotions too as we as living organisms have feeling. Certain decisions might be affected and influenced depending on the emotion and I'm sure this is evident in our daily lives.

So is the human mind just a powerful tool that can be manipulated if used properly or is it just a part of the "entire human package"?

As mentioned, the human mind and emotion works hand in hand. Personally to me, the human emotion defines the soul of a person and in contrast, the human mind is the engine and processor that runs the soul and gives it life. We're exposed and accustomed to images of mindless zombies in horror films; an image of what we as humans, will be like without the soul, engine and processor.

So can we use the human mind to its fullest potential? Is it possible for one to manipulate another person purely based on the use of the mind?

I'm sure many of you would have watched or at least heard of this character from the comic book series (and recently a series of movies) X-men, called Professor X who is renown for his "amazing mind controlling abilities".

No, I'm not referring to abilities of that sought but more rather, manipulating via actions. We may not realise it but in fact, many of us are already applying these techniques to a certain extent. On a more subtle level, something called PR (people relation) skills are actually part of this so called manipulation. Other aspects are also involved, but I shan't elaborate (due to various reasons).

If one is able to master and learn the techniques of mind control and persuasion, it is no doubt that the individual will be one up in society. The power of super persuasion is incredible and in a sense, fearful.

To conclude, the mind is subjective and to some, it may be just a voice inside but I choose to think otherwise. To me, its both a tool and a part of existence. The mind might differentiate right from wrong, truth or lie, but is it, as always, up to the individual to decide how he or she wants to use it.

Personally, I use my mind for various reasons, a source of infinite inspiration, a place where no one but myself can go to, a reasoning department and of course, a place where I find my perspective of the world.

I'm sure everyone has different purposes in life and their minds are thus structured differently.

So let us work to perfect the strength of our minds and attain a one up in our lives.