That “Time” Article on Narcissism and Why I Think Humanity Sucks

So Time magazine recently wrote an article on how little kids are narcissistic little brats, and I think it really explains a lot about my feelings towards other people.

To give some background, the article also had a quiz to determine if you were narcissistic or not, higher numbers meaning more self-absorbed. The average is a 4, I got a 2. I’m half as self-concerned as the average person (could be a good or bad thing).

But here’s the thing about me (and most people, I think): I have the hardest time understanding how other people think. If you are really concerned about this one topic that I don’t care about, then I have no idea why you are so fascinated by it. And vice versa, if I really like something then I don’t understand why you don’t like it.

So then if you are a narcissist, then I really really don’t get your fascination with yourself. Because I sure as hell am not that interested in you. Which is probably why I hate small children, because as the article says, they are all self-obsessed. Also, being the opposite of a narcissist isn’t helping me here because I don’t understand why anyone would be thinking about themselves, not just you in particular.

 

And I think I would blame most conflicts on this tendency of people. In order to end fights, you need to be able to see it from the other person’s point of view. And that’s something that not many people are doing, nor have they ever done. And I find that to be a little sad.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

So I'll be going back to school today, and my free time is going to dramatically decrease. I'll probably post maybe once a week as opposed to everyday now.
Bring it sophomore year!

The End: “Tuck” by Stephen Lawhead

Finally finished the series. All I really want in life is to run off to Robin Hood’s gang and fight evil with them.

I quite liked this ending. It involves Friar Tuck a lot, often asking for peace. Which is really an idea that you wouldn’t expect here, since the Middle Ages were not known for being very peaceful. Tuck is a very unconventional Friar, but I expect that makes him endearing to contemporary audiences. I know that I quite liked him.

Allan a’Dale also finally makes an appearance (Much is absent though, even though his character is mentioned in a song). He is a singer, of course, the traditional image of the outlaw. He can also speak several languages. That’s one of the good things about this series, the languages are pretty accurate, as far as I can tell. Sure it’s modern French, but I’m willing to give some leeway.

One of the cool aspects of this book, as opposed to the others, is that each part is preceded by a snippet of a ballad about Rhibran. This snippet is part of the larger trilogy, but it also reflects what’s happening in the novel as well. Which is quite interesting. This is where Much is mentioned, even though he never appears.

Of course, the book ends with Thomas a’Dale, Allan’s grandson (not sure if the timing of the generations is correct, but whatever), adapting the story of Rhibran to Sherwood and King John. Which is the legend as it is more commonly known. I liked it, the whole Robin becoming a legend thing is used a lot in portrayals, but it is a major part of the story. The process of the tale being immortalized is just as big as the story itself.

Overall, I thought that this was a great series. There isn’t enough contemporary stories of Robin Hood, it’s mostly children’s books. Need more books like this in my life!

What I Listen to When I’m Feeling Blue

So everyone does something different when they’re feeling a little down. Me, I tend to need swing music asap. Similar to the narrator from “The Drowsy Chaperone,” so I hope that means I’m not alone with this problem. (Oh it’s just me? That’s great…)

Anyways, a while back I put together this playlist for when I’m feeling blue. (It’s called “When I’m Feeling Blue” surprisingly enough.) And here’s my top inclusions and why I included it. (It’s also not really in any particular order.)

First of all, there’s songs from musicals. I’m talking Cole Porter and the Gershwins type stuff. I think you just know songs so much better when you have done a show that involves them. For starters, you have all of the lyrics and choreography to them memorized, and if you’re like me and tend to be in the pit, then you also know all of the instrumentation. They also have memories associated with them, like maybe “You’re the Top” brings to mind the good times putting on “Anything Goes!” and hanging out backstage with your friends and learning how to tap dance. (This may or may not reflect my life.) So there’s that.

Then there’s jazz pieces. Most of them are Duke Ellington big band type stuff, but there’s also Cannonball Adderly and Louis Armstrong. I’ve played most of them in jazz band, so once again I have my part memorized. (I’m convinced that Ellington hated his second alto player, because those parts tended to suck.) And they’re great to dance to, get you up and out of this slump!

And there’s songs covered by singers like Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Sinatra was the person who really got me into swing, so of course there’s all of his stuff. And Ella is just amazing. Both of them had such talent, it just sounds so good to listen to them. And there’s also a few by Michael Buble and Tony Bennett thrown in there. I like having a few different versions of the same tune, because you hear a few different perspectives on it that way. Even just having a vocal and an instrumental version can be very telling.

So that’s the basics of my playlist. There’s also stuff like how I choose the order of songs and the mood and whatever, but these are the main components. But it’s really up to you, whatever makes you feel happy is what needs to be included.

Some Dragon History

So I also have a bit of a thing for dragon legends as well. Dragons in any story really, from The Hobbit to “How to Train Your Dragon.” Here’s a basic history of dragon legends.

Dragons have appeared in nearly every culture since as far back as 4000 BC. There are myths about them that have almost become universal as a result.

One possible reason for this might have been people trying to explain dinosaur fossils found. Dragons could have been the explanation for this unknown race.

Dragons have been said to live everywhere, depending on the type. Could be the middle of the ocean, or an underground cave. They are often related to sea monsters, which was a popular idea back when the world was thought to be flat. Supposedly dragons waited at the ends of the earth to devour anyone who sailed too far out. This is why most maps mark the end of the world with the phrase “Here There Be Dragons.”

They are also almost always connected to treasure, whether it is gold or a maiden. Knights then had to slay the dragon to gain the treasure. In England, anyone who killed a dragon was promoted to knighthood. Another common feature is supernatural powers such as breathing fire or poison.

In Rome, dragons were thought to be very wise creatures. They saw them as keepers of knowledge, as well as a threat. In some cultures, it is said that dragons taught humans how to talk.

Dragon tales have evolved into two different kinds: the European and the Chinese. Each culture assigns its dragons a slightly different morphology and habits.

European dragons are said to live by rivers or in caves. They have armored scales and have wings, but rarely fly. They were said to be evil under Christianity, although they were kind before then.

Chinese dragons are seen as more similar to snakes. They are also associated with power and the emperor. It is also the only mythical animal in the Chinese calendar.

Different parts of a dragon are often claimed to have healing properties, such as the bones or the blood. In reality, these were usually dinosaur bones or tree sap. Alternatively, it has also been said that dragon blood is poisonous or destructive.

It’s pretty hard to put together a history of dragons, as every culture is slightly different and they tend to contradict each other. However, everyone agrees that they are mythical, fascinating creatures.

The Story Continues… “Scarlet” by Stephen Lawhead

Just finished Scarlet this morning (it took me a while because public libraries are pretty unreliable, but here we go).

My main problem is the fact that this novel is mostly narrated in the first person from Will Scarlet’s point of view. And he has a pretty irritating dialect, of course. I’m not sure whether I got used to it or not, but it did fade a bit over time. So that takes some getting used to.

There’s also this one point at the end where he picks up a kid with a broken hand. That sure healed up quick.

There’s also the introduction of the Sheriff and more Guy in this book. Merian also joins the gang, so you can see the legend coming together over time. And in Welsh, King Raven’s name is Rhi Bran y Hud. Say that ten times fast and you’ll see where I’m going with this. (It’s pretty clever really, I wonder how many names the author went through before he hit on that?)

Other than that, pretty solid continuation of what was started in Hood (hence why I don't have much to say about it). But sequels are never as good as the original.

The Problems I Have With the "Divergent" Series

Yeah so I also got really bored on the train home and finished the “Divergent” series. My feelings are pretty mixed, I think that means that I’ve outgrown teen novels.

I really didn’t like the first one, “Divergent,” because 1. No normal person is going to fit neatly into those factions (shush I’m getting there) and 2. No one is going to willingly choose Dauntless because that basically means that you’re going to be a jerk and die. I just don’t get it.

“Insurgent” didn’t get much better, they just run around and fight people. And it can get pretty confusing unless you are actually paying attention to all of the junk that they are doing (which I wasn’t really, but still there shouldn’t be that much repetition between places!). And it seemed like they were going in circles most of the time.

Then there’s “Allegiant” which I liked the best, but it really should have come earlier. This is when you find out that the factions are because they are all genetically programmed for their personality. That really should have showed up earlier, I felt like the only smart person in a room of idiots for a few books there. But it was great when it came. But then there’s also the chapters with Tobias narrating, and his voice just seems so strained and off that it bothered me for the whole time. And there’s basically a repeat of the factions vs the factionless except it’s people with normal genes vs those with messed up genes. Having said all that, I did like what the author chose to do with the ending. I thought that was a good call to make. And another thing, they never explain why it is that Tris in particular is resistant to all of the serums, more so than anyone else. Just like of let that one slide and hope we don’t notice.

Yeah, like I said, I think my annoyance with this means that I’ve outgrown this genre. So this is probably good for your pet teenager, but don’t read it unless you want to be annoyed by all of the holes.