iDifferent

Time for a quick update (and yes, in case you were curious about the picture, I'll touch on that as well later on).

Subway dinners are awesome especially this particular outlet I went to a couple of hours ago (I'm not trying to plug for them but those who love Subway sandwiches will get the deal). To top it off, they had this awesome promotion; buy ANY Subs and get a large meal totally FREE.

So yea, I ended up with one of my favorites, Cold Cut Trio, foot long, no pickles and green chili, sweet onion sauce WITH a large meal (3 chocolate chip cookies, 1 huge cup of coke) entirely on the house.

You can't say that isn't awesome.

Ended up feeling really (really) full and as often when you're feeling full, sleepy (pig much?).

The pass couple of days for me were somewhat enriching to a certain extend.

I've been doing an extensive research about Apple and Apple products. Partly because I'm really impressed with their range of products (with form as well as function) like the newly released iPhone 3G, iPod Nano Chrome and partly because Apple has a really unique marketing system, both in terms of sales as well as conceptualization. Allow me to elaborate.

Apple's sales and production ideas function on the basis of

If I have a phone as well as an MP3 player, why not merge them together?

as well as

I (the company) think the product is cool, you (the consumer) should too.

correct me if I'm wrong about the above observations but as a common consumer in the modern market, that is what Apple is trying to say to its customers.

This is however, not necessarily a bad thing.

In a recent conversation with my folks, we've talked about a myriad of issues, one of which revolving around the idea that teenagers (young adults) yearn to be different in whichever way they can.

Be it in terms of their dressing, hairstyles or even their attitudes, young people nowadays are really being over of the box huh?

as commented from one of my folks.

Yet I can't agree more. Being a member of the "young people" classification myself, I can't help but agree to that observation that the "people of tomorrow and the future" want to and more often, strive to be different.

I guess we prize individuality as an asset and rightly so, in my opinion. I've always believe that being a unique individual is something that no one, will and can ever take away.

And that recollection kinda linked me back to Apple.

The reason why they're doing so well in terms of worldwide sales (for their iPods, Macs, as well as the iPhones) would probably reason down to the simple fact; they approach their businesses differently.

Companies nowadays adopt the marketing concept as it is largely considered "safest" and that's what the consumers generally want, as claimed by marketers. Customizing products to suit its customers' needs and wants may sound really vital and smart in the modern competitive market. But is it what it seems?

With Apple, it is largely believed that they adopt a product concept, generally going along the lines of "Hey, if I think my product is good, it IS good". Simply put, the producers believe in their product.

These guys do not take the consumers' needs and wants into top priority but instead ask themselves stuff like "It would be pretty cool to have a device which you can communicate, listen to music, watch videos as well as surf the internet altogether in one wouldn't it?" and in doing so, conjuring up with fantastic and innovative products.

In a way, Apple is lucky to have received such a response, for it is a huge risk; what if the general consumer base rejects the way the company thinks?

Yet millions of people own Apple products worldwide and I'm pretty sure that a large number comes from the young adults and their ideas of "being different".

Sure, Apple is different from other companies, but it works for them and up till now, I'm trying to figure out why.

This coming from the fact that I have a Safari browser (an Apple program) running looking up facts of the iPhone and just a couple of hours ago, downloaded iTunes (another Apple program) to sought out my music.

And in case you're wondering, yes, I'm seriously contemplating a purchase for the newly released iPhone.

Why the appeal?

I'm afraid its a mixture of the right marketing tools as well as an excellent production process. Both the marketing process, the hype generated thrown into the blender with an already excellent technological marvel results in an exclusive result, something that will attract consumers en masses.

Being different isn't a bad thing and for that, I applaud you Mr Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple) for bringing the such innovative and revolutionary gadgets into the world of not only young adults, but also the world of human beings as a whole.

I know that the people of tomorrow, will carry not only the knowledge but also the gadgets of tomorrow.

And I, being one of them, have some serious considerations to make before my final decision.

This isn't just a trend, but also a statement. Not a fashion equivalent but a statement to being different and a statement of revolution.

Should I or shouldn't I? That is the question.

Alright, as I ponder over that little question, remember to check back for updates as well as the upcoming review and revisit on Hysteria's Call right here on metallic-stains.

As mentioned previously, articles might flow in slower during this period of time and thus I express my sincere apologies. But be sure to check back for updates and remember to share your thought via the comment option you see right after this post.

Cya'll later.

Differentiation; Not Your Average Math Question.

(A response to http://afrotoast.blogspot.com/, check it out)

As mentioned, this article is dedicated to a request from afrotoast, a friend of mine.

Since I had nothing else but (school) work on my mind these few days (refer to the previous post for details), I'll conjure an article up within 30 minutes or so.

Incoming Wall of text; you have been warned.

Our society has it in such a way that when an individual is adversely different in a certain way or manner, other people will tend to look at him or her differently. This is what we call a generalisation or the more commonly used term, stereotyping.

"A simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group" (as cited from dictionary.com) defines the term "stereotype".

But what does stereotyping got to do with being different in the society?

As mentioned earlier, the act of stereotyping or generalisation is very often used when someone tries to stand out in a crowd. Obviously, this is very situational in a sense that you doing something perfectly normal in a set group may seem like taboo in another group.

Stereotyping is used to treat people acting differently in a group due to the fact that we as humans have this "oh that person is so different from the rest of us, so he must be a weird-do thus lets stay away from him" mentality. You can't say that you've never ever encountered a situation like that ever before haven't you?

This is harsh but its evident and happening in our world as we speak. Its due to this type of stereotyping that actually discourages creativity and discourages people to go "beyond their limits".

What is it with our modern society that condemns such individuals with stereotypical equations? Is it wrong to afterall, be different?

I personally believe that everyone, and I really mean everyone, at some point in their lives, will develop an urge to be different in a way or another; superficially or otherwise. This is largely due to the fact that when you're in a group, you want to stand out from the mass of other people and thus the only way to stand out is to portray yourself differently.

Notice that this can work both ways; positively and negatively.

The effects of both ways elaborated are rather straightforward as standing out from the crowd would either mean you're exceptionally good versus the person that gets left out or gets picked the last at football games.

But should people let the society dictate the way their lives should be led and lived?

I think not.

I'm sure I've mentioned in my previous blog entries that it is always good to "get out of your comfort zones" and "go over your personal limit" as it often reaps unexpected results, so as long as one doesn't overdo it. When you live in a society and are part of it, it is very much likely that you as an individual will get influence at how the way things work throughout the society and naturally, you'll not even think about distinguishing yourself as peer pressure is an element and you're not comfortable to being treated differently.

But lets face it realistically, who likes being treated differently? I'm sure and assume that everyone wants to be treated as an equal in society and nothing less and to be totally honest, I'm not even sure myself if I can personally withstand being treated as a lesser in society; its not that simple and easy to get by.

This is also the reason why racism is such a controversial topic in the world as it talks about the different in skin colour and the inequality faced. I'll not go into explicit detail due to the controversy (as mentioned) but i feel that people shouldn't be judged based on their skin colour and race; its just not fair.

Coming back on topic, certain aspects of being different from the masses are critical in understanding human behaviour and actions (some of which I've already elaborated on).

In a way, we say everyone is different. That claim holds a certain degree of truth as yes, we are very different living beings individually due to a number of aspects, like the way we think for instance, but what if the way people think about a certain subject is altered by the way the society is structured and worked? Aren't we all the same and back to square one?

No, I have my own belief that everyone is different in their own special way no matter how much influence and grip the society has on them. In a sense, every living organism on the planet is different; even twins share distinct differences, be it mentally or physically.

Being different doesn't always have to be an outright action or having a distinct personality so as long as we believe that we're all unique.

So the next time you feel left out and ostracized in a group remember that you're afterall, you and no one will be able to replace that no matter how different or similar you are as compared to the rest of the group.

And thus, the next time you smile at a stranger and the person looks at you funny, think not of it as a social faux pas, but as a step towards a different and more enriching life.