Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions. – Elizabeth Gilbert Lately, I have been a bipolar Ferris wheel of emotions. Elation. Frustration. Sorrow. Pride. My upcoming candidacy exam. The finale to True Detective. My romantic life (yes, I have one of those…well, kind of). Like anyone,…
Time moves in one direction, memory another. – William Gibson If you haven’t heard me complain about my big and impending candidacy test (the three-part exam that determines whether I’m “worthy” to pursue a PhD), then you have that opportunity now: Ah! I have a huge test—that covers everything in social psychology!—in just over a…
If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito. – The Dali Lama That quote, so empowering, so metaphorically apt, is one of my all-time favorites. Until last night—when I literally tried to sleep with a mosquito in my room. And instead of snoozing until nine-thirty or so (hey,…
Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what’s right. — Isaac Asimov I have a confession to make: For the first time in almost 20 years, I killed a spider. And the guilt is tearing me apart. Now, for most of you, your first assumption was probably that I’m crazy—but…
If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it. — Andy Rooney I’ve been known to be an expressive guy—telling a story last night, I accidentally karate chopped a friend’s face. But I mean, come on—when has good gesticulation ever hurt a story? But not everyone is so wantonly wavy with…
I am human; therefore, nothing human can be alien to me. – Terrence (the slave turned Roman playwright) Sometimes when speaking to others, the monumental illogicality of their words almost necessitates they came from a different culture. Like seriously: How could anyone ever dislike peanut butter? But beyond these more superficial differences between cultures—the clothes,…