(Or: Massive Annual New Year’s Eve Note, Vol. 5) [TMI Warning] Many psychologists believe that it’s not what happens to us that matters, it’s the stories we tell ourselves about what happens. Some people unfortunately interpret this to mean that we ought to “look on the bright side of life” and “find the silver lining” …
Monthly Archive: December 2011
Dec 28 2011
My Facial Expression is None of Your Business
[Snark Warning] I am not a cheerful person. I don’t wear my happiness on my face, and I do not consider it my moral duty to brighten the day for perfect strangers. I am an introvert despite the fact that I’m usually pretty friendly and sociable when spoken to. Most of the time, I inhabit …
Dec 21 2011
Death to Debbie Downer
I propose a moratorium on the term “Debbie Downer.” “But whyyyy?” you might argue. “Those negative people are so annoyinggg!” Perhaps. But I think we need to stop using that phrase, for several reasons. The first thing I think of when I hear the phrase “Debbie Downer” in one of the contexts it’s most commonly …
Dec 19 2011
Yes, We Need Psychiatric Labels
Recently I stumbled upon a Huffington Post article by one Dr. Peter Breggin, who lists himself on HuffPo as a “reformed psychiatrist.” This should’ve told me everything I needed to know, but I read on. The article is titled “Our Psychiatric Civilization” and tries to make the tired point that in this day and age, …
Dec 17 2011
I Love My Body
[TMI Warning] I’m going to say something women aren’t supposed to say–I love my body. My favorite part of my body are my shoulders. I’m not entirely sure why; it’s an irrational feeling. During the summer I like to show them off as much as possible with halter-top shirts and dresses. I also love my …
Dec 11 2011
Obama the Patriarch
I usually stay away from commenting on Obama’s presidency because, to be honest, I was just a kid during all the previous presidencies I’ve lived through and really have no comparison to make. However, a recent statement by Obama has caused me to come out of my apolitical cave and rage. After the FDA made …
Dec 11 2011
How to "Be There" for a Depressed Person
So. I’ve talked about things not to say to a depressed person before. People have often asked me how, then, one should go about it instead. One of the nicest things that ever happen to depressed people is when one of our close friends or family members tells us emphatically that they want to “be there” for …
Dec 10 2011
Insecurity
[TMI Warning] About five years ago, we read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter in my 10th grade English class. In order to facilitate our understanding of what it must’ve been like for Hester Prynne to walk around with a letter “A” pinned to her clothing, our teacher had us come up with our own biggest flaws …
Dec 03 2011
Why I Oppose the Greek System
This is a post I’ve wanted to write for years now but never have. I thought that writing it would result in my ostracism from society at Northwestern. I no longer think that that’s the case, though even if it were, I don’t really care. So here it finally goes. First, here are some premises …
About the Author
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- "But what if our lives could have meaning even if we cannot, or will not, think of ourselves as..."“But what if our lives could have meaning even if we cannot, or will not, think of ourselves as beautiful? What if I look in the mirror and see ugliness, and imperfection, and asymmetry, and I choose to value and love myself anyway, because I’m a valuable human being worth a whole lot more than my externality? This is not to say that those of us who do feel […]
- "I want my feminism to be a feminism of daydreaming. I want my feminism to believe in the..."“I want my feminism to be a feminism of daydreaming. I want my feminism to believe in the transformative power of imagining the impossible. I want my feminism to stop chasing this faux equality that puts us on the race to be better managers of exclusion and, instead, gives us the possibility of re-thinking a future where we no longer have underclasses within […]
- "When it comes to media pushing perfect people, if you’re not skeptical, you’re doing it..."“When it comes to media pushing perfect people, if you’re not skeptical, you’re doing it wrong. The only right way to do it is with deep, trigger-happy skepticism. It’s advertising — which means it’s supposed to make you want something. That alone makes it squirrelly as fuck. If you don’t train your brain to see that first and foremost, and to move cautiousl […]
- "It’s when you’re kickin’ it with your boys and you don’t speak up (or maybe even join in) when the..."“It’s when you’re kickin’ it with your boys and you don’t speak up (or maybe even join in) when the one dude is being called a “bitch” or a “pussy” because he didn’t hit on the girl you saw. It’s knowing street harassment is wrong but also knowing that you let your eyes linger way longer than was comfortable for her when she walked by you in those yoga pants […]
- "What may seem like ‘productive discussion’ or ‘lively debate’ feels like an attack on your identity..."“What may seem like ‘productive discussion’ or ‘lively debate’ feels like an attack on your identity and validity as a human being when it comes from a person in a position of power who is telling you how to react to something that upset you. When a disabled woman, for example, expresses anger about something that is going on in the news and nondisabled peop […]
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Two things to keep in mind:
1. I am bad at answering lengthy emails. Sorry!
2. I may ask you for permission to blog about our correspondence. However, if you are harassing/abusive/trollish, then I no longer have to ask you for permission. Proceed with caution!
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