allposts.json

[
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 1,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Analects (Confucius) - Introduction",
            "created": "2018-07-06",
            "content": "<p>Today, I started reading Analects, by Confucius. My family comes from Korea, where Confucianism has a very strong cultural influence, and I feel that it may be helpful in understanding more about my family&rsquo;s background as well as the influences that have shaped my own life. The edition I am reading can be found <a href=\"http://www.indiana.edu/~p374/Analects_of_Confucius_(Eno-2015).pdf\">here</a>, and is available for free. Thank you, Dr. Robert Eno, for providing this translation.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>...</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Today, I read the introduction to the text, which offered a quick overview of the context in which this book was written. Confucius seems to have lived in the transition period between the Zhou dynasty and the Warring States period, during which the central Zhou power had lost its power to the local lords, who were constantly in conflict. During this time, there was much chaos and lots of social mobility, as traditionally powerful aristocratic families struggled to maintain their place.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Confucius was a strong proponent of upholding the purity of and preserving Zhou customs. He was conservative, placing great importance in the preservation of hierarchy. Perhaps this stemmed from him attributing the chaos around him to the fact that the traditional hierarchical structures were being threatened. In this way, I thought he was a lot like Thomas Hobbes, who argued for a strong central monarch (a despot) in his book <i>Leviathan</i> in the midst of the English Revolution.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>&#8203;&#8203;Anyway, I&rsquo;m pretty excited to start reading this book, but I&rsquo;m pretty nervous, too. According to the introduction, the order of the passages is highly disorganized and can be hard to follow. I&rsquo;ll can only do my best, I suppose. I&rsquo;ll keep you updated.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 2,
        "fields": {
            "title": "War and Peace (Tolstoy) - Ch 1-6",
            "created": "2018-07-06",
            "content": "<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u2039The last time I took a crack at this book was in 5th grade. I gave up after the first three chapters\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI remember that my primary complaint had been that the names all blended together\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut now, I feel like I can understand what's going on a lot better than before. \u00e2\u20ac\u2039The names <i>still</i> blend together\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthere are so many characters\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut I'm definitely much better able to keep track of the plot and the families. Having taken AP Euro is extremely helpful as well, as it gives me context behind the events and arguments in the book.</p>\r\n\r\n\u00e2\u20ac\u2039...\r\n\r\n<p>War and Peace takes place in Russia during Napoleon's reign in France. The Emperor of Russia is Alexander I, and apparently, at the beginning of the book, Napoleon has just recently crowned himself Emperor. The Russian elite are francophiles, speaking almost exclusively in French. Thus, the upheaval in France distresses the Russian aristocrats greatly.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>The first couple chapters of this book take place during Anna Pavlona's party, where we meet a lot more of the characters. I think that this \"party\" device was very helpful for the book's exposition, especially because it allows Tolstoy to introduce a great number of new characters and their relationships to one another in quick succession.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anyway, to me, it feels like a lot of these characters are extremely pretentious. Perhaps it's because of my innate, American dislike of aristocracy? Or perhaps that's the way Tolstoy meant for us to perceive these characters. My favorite character so far is thus Pierre, who seems much more genuine to me than the other people. He's a bit na\u00c3\u00afve about his views on Napoleon, but he's passionate about his political views and has lofty, liberal notions about republics and liberty, which as a citizen of a modern democracy, I very much like.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>My least favorite character is Prince Hippolyte. He's clearly written to be dislikable\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe's a bit of a weirdo who can't pick up social cues for the life of him, and he's a major creep towards the beautiful Princess Bolkonsky, wife of Prince Andrew.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anyway, speaking of Napoleon, in Chapter 5, Tolstoy presents what I feel like is an quite fair discussion of Napoleon's virtues and vices, exploring his brutality and despotic tendencies, while also recognizing his strides in creating equality and meritocracy in society. However, something that bugged at me was how the aristocrats were all talk and no action. It seems that all they do all-day-every-day is complain about Napoleon, while not actually doing anything about it. Perhaps this will change later in the book, as we exit the party scene.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 3,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Analects (Confucius) - 1.1-1.4",
            "created": "2018-07-07",
            "content": "<p>The first couple verses of Book 1: That was a strange experience. It was like reading Leviticus from the Bible: a string of seemingly unrelated pieces of advice (or in Leviticus's case, laws). I see what the introduction meant about the disorganization. According to the introduction,  this book was meant to be a brief introduction to the basic tenets of Confucianism, which makes sense, because the topics covered were broad and not yet examined in depth. I will describe my experiences with each verse. You can find the verses here, for reference.</p>\r\n<p>...</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>1.1</h2>\r\n<p>Although it initially took a moment or two to get my head around what this guy was saying, I feel like this opening verse resounded with me a lot. Oftentimes, I feel slighted and sometimes even bitter when my abilities are unrecognized; it feels unjust. However, the verse points out, \"To study and at due times practice what one has studied, is this not a pleasure?\" If I do the things I love, I should find joy in recognizing and being self-content my own ability. I shouldn't need the validation of others to feel contentment</p>\r\n<p>However, sometimes the validation of others is necessary for advancement in society... perhaps there will be more word on this later? Maybe Confucius struggled with this as well; after all, he was job-seeking for forty years.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>1.2</h2>\r\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u2039Here, Master You basically equates the relationships between filiality towards parents and obedience of the ruling superior. You asserts that a filial attitude towards parents and respect towards elders is the basis for all virtue, of which one is obedience to a ruler. I agree that a good person must be filial towards their parents and respectful towards elders. If a person is not respectful to their closest family members, after all, they probably don't go showing around too much respect for others, either.</p>\r\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u2039However, I don't think that this is binding; if a parent is abusive, for instance, they don't deserve respect. I wonder what Confucius thinks about this? Perhaps these are just general guidelines, and exceptions are allowed. After all, it's not always wrong to oppose a \"ruling superior,\" as MLK's \"Letter from a Birmingham Jail\"--and earlier, Thoreau's \"Civil Disobedience\"--point out.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>1.3</h2>\r\n<p>He's essentially saying that sly and conniving people are not virtuous. That intuitively makes sense, and I agree with it generally.</p>\r\n<p>This viewpoint contrasts with Machiavelli's \"The Prince\" (which, of course, also contrasts with almost every other ethics standpoint), which dictates that a good prince will use underhanded methods if necessary to preserve the stability of the state. I agree somewhat that what's \"good\" isn't always clear\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlife's decisions are often more complex than black and white.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>1.4</h2>\r\n<p>These are great pieces of advice for maintaining strong, positive relationships. I find \"trustworthiness,\" which more or less means \"reliability\" here, is one of the most important aspects of a healthy relationship.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 4,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Analects (Confucius) - 1.5-1.8",
            "created": "2018-07-12",
            "content": "<p>I had an argument with my mother last week over essentially \"filial piety\", which put me off of reading the <i>Analects</i> for a while. However, I now feel like it's doubly important to read the Analects while having conflicts with my parents. It's important to see where they're coming from, whether I disagree with them or not. I'm trying my best to read the <i>Analects</i> with an open mind. So, as I did before, I will now write my reflections for verses 5-8 of Book I. Again, the source text can be found here.<h2>\r\n\r\n<p>...</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>\u00e2\u20ac\u20391.5</h2>\r\n<p>This verse speaks on leadership. Most obviously, it states that a leader must be reliable, dependable, and frugal. However, the part that struck me most about this verse was to \"treat persons as valuable.\" Sometimes, when leading, I feel like I end up depersonalizing the people I'm working with, deconstructing them simply into their skills and weaknesses, and seeing where they can be put. It's important to remember that each person is a complex <i>person</i>, not some kind of puzzle block or robot, with emotions and motivations that must be considered to be an effective leader.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>\u00e2\u20ac\u20391.6 and 1.7</h2>\r\n<p>I put these two together because they speak on essentially the same things, but slightly differently. According to the commentary offered by the translator, this might be because Zixia, the speaker in 1.7, wanted to slightly modify what Confucius said in 1.6. Confucius encourages respect and care for all people, and to look up to people who are <i>ren</i>, or upright and moral in the Confucian sense; he also encourages the study of culture and refinement. Zixia modifies this, specifying that people should be respectful to their \"lord,\" and that even if one does not show refinement, if they are respectful to their superiors, they should be considered \"learned.\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p>I feel like Zixia was thinking of the peasantry when he declared the addendum, who would not be in a position to strive for refinement. He encourages them to be respectful to their lords due to their position, rather than because they have <i>ren</i>, as Confucius asserts. I'm not a big fan of hereditary hierarchy, so I'm going to prefer listening to Confucius on this one.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>\u00e2\u20ac\u20391.8</h2>\r\n<p>Not sure what the translator means by \"serious.\" IMO, a <i>junzi</i> can be held in awe even if he is familiar and friendly, as opposed to the aloof feeling that \"serious\" implies. I mostly agree with the other statements\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\"if you study, you will not be crude\" seems like a no-brainer\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut one of them catches my eye: \"have no friends who are not like yourself in [being ren].\" It reminds me of a poster that was hung up on one of the walls of my elementary school, with a blunt pencil surrounding itself with sharp ones: \"Surround yourself with people you want to be like.\" This seems reasonable, but I feel like a diversity of interactions and experiences is important. Insulating yourself in a bubble may be easier, but I think to really grow, you need to surround yourself with all kinds of people and use critical thinking to figure out the characteristics you would like to emulate from each person.<p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 5,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Analects (Confucius) - 1.9-1.12",
            "created": "2018-07-13",
            "content": "<p>Sometimes, I wish that the <i>Analects</i> had more reasoning behind them. The pieces of advice are good, I think, but they lack any support. I believe that most ancient tracts are like this, including Plato's <i>Republic</i>, which although often heralded as an iconic piece of classical reasoning and philosophy, lacks robust logical processes in supporting its points. Today, I reflected on verses 1.9-1.12.</p>\r\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u2039...</p>\r\n<h2>1.9</h2>\r\n<p>This verse instructs readers to be respectful towards death and the dead. The incentive it offers is that the \"virtue of the people will return to fullness,\" which relates the \"Mandate of Heaven\" idea that drove much of China's dynastic history, that the virtue of a state is necessary for it to continue.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Respecting the dead makes sense in the lens of Confucius's arguments for filial piety. First off, those who are dying should obviously be cared for as they pass on, so as to ease their way over to the other side. Respecting the dead after they have died is just as important for the virtue of the respecter as for the comfort of the respectee. Respecting the dead would basically be a way to remember those who came before you and to be thankful for their contributions to your life.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>1.10</h2>\r\n<p>Apparently, the best way to figure out the affairs of a government is to be \"friendly, straightforward, reverential, frugal, and modest.\" I'm not certain that this would be as effective now when trying to find things out about a government's inner workings, but my experiences do support that often, being straightforward and honest is the best way to get information. Frugal also makes sense. It's important not to demand too much (at once) in order to avoid overwhelming the recipient and scaring them off.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>1.11</h2>\r\n<p>This verse is interesting to me personally, especially the part with says, \"One who does not alter his late father's <i>dao</i> for three years may be called filial.\" The commentary is unsure of what <i>dao</i> means here. However, in the context of what I know about my own culture, I might have a guess. In Korea, the tradition (that I don't believe anyone follows anymore) is that after a parent dies and is buried, the firstborn son goes to live and mourn next to the grave for three years with only the bare necessities. Although this seems like an extreme example to me, keeping the <i>dao</i> might just mean mourning the loss.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>1.12</h2>\r\n<p>Basically, Master You here says to conform, except when it defies one's values. I can't disagree with this. It's good to be unique, but uniqueness should come from expressing one's values, not random, erratic behavior. Although, to think about it, random uniqueness should also not be condemned. I think that what should be taken from this piece of advice is to avoid conforming when it defies one's values.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 6,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Revisiting Analects Verse 1.2",
            "created": "2018-07-15",
            "content": "<p>Last week, on July 7th, I wrote a reflection on verse 1.2 from the <i>Analects</i>, where I questioned Confucius's declaration that one's parents and elders should always be respected. Here is the relevant excerpt:</p>\r\n\r\n<blockquote>\"I agree that a good person must be filial towards their parents and respectful towards elders... \u00e2\u20ac\u2039However, I don't think that this is binding; if a parent is abusive, for instance, they don't deserve respect. I wonder what Confucius thinks about this?\"</blockquote>\r\n\r\n<p>After I introduced my website to my mother, she read this reflection. She offered an interesting take on Confucius's ideas, which I feel is an excellent explanation of my question.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>All in all, parents should be respected, regardless of whether their conduct is \"respectable.\" Sometimes, it may be okay not to approve of the choices that a  bad parent makes, or even to disobey them if requests are dangerous or harmful.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>However, these instances are separate from the respect that should be offered from a child to a parent. A child should offer a bad parent respect on the very basis that they are their parent, if nothing else. </p>\r\n\r\n<p>In short, the idea is sort of like the phrase, \"Hate the sin, love the sinner.\" Just because a bad parent does something wrong doesn't mean that the child should disrespect them. The bad parent should still receive respect, although the child may disapprove of their poor choices. </p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 7,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Analects (Confucius) - 1.13-1.16",
            "created": "2018-07-18",
            "content": "<p>It's occurred to me that I may have been doing this endeavor incorrectly. I often try to pick out things to argue against in the Analects, which isn't how it's meant to be treated... I'm going to try and answer the question, \"How can I apply this to my life?\" for each verse from now on.\r\n<p>...</p>\r\n<h2>1.13</h2>\r\n<p>In this verse, Confucius asserts that \"trustworthiness,\" which essentially means \"reliability\" here, and \"reverence\" are very important values. I agree that being reliable and trustworthy is very important to being respected and valued. I'm not quite sure what \"reverence\" means here, though. Confucius says it's close to li, so perhaps it entails a respect of tradition? It is true that by acting somewhat conservatively, there is less risk of losing the respect of others. I think Confucius here might just be instructing us to be thoughtful and respectful in our actions and speech.</p>\r\n<h2>1.14</h2>\r\n<p>Rather than material wealth, Confucius emphasizes the importance of \"loving learning\" and being respected. I agree that most of the time, when we remember the greats of history, we remember them not for being wealthy, but rather for their incredible feats or personalities. I personally don't lack or feel a great desire for material wealth, so this verse really speaks to me by telling me that respect is what we should seek, and that we can get it by being respectable in speech and conduct.</p>\r\n<h2>1.15</h2>\r\n<p>This verse is admittedly a bit confusing for me. It has several references to ancient Chinese poetry that I haven't really come across before, which are hard to understand out of context. However, I think that there are is a lesson here that I can use to improve my life. First, it's important not to let being poor lower your dignity. \"To be poor, but never a flatterer,\" says Zigong. Also, \"To be poor, but joyful\"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbeing poor doesn't mean that someone can't be happy. I feel like that's a lesson that a lot of the people in first world countries are grappling with right now. As someone with a disadvantaged SES, I think these are good lessons to learn.</p>\r\n<h2>1.16</h2>\r\n<p>This verse ties in quite neatly with verse 1.1. In 1.1, Confucius told us to be satisfied with doing what we love, rather than being bitter if we don't receive recognition for it. In this verse, he points out that just as often as we are not recognized, we probably also do not properly recognize the good qualities of others. This verse really speaks to me. Oftentimes, I feel like I'm too wrapped up in making sure I'm recognized, while I don't quite recognize the abilities of others. I should focus on trying to learn more about other people and make sure to complement them when they deserve it. It's certainly what I would want others to do for me.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 8,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Analects (Confucius) - 2.1-2.4",
            "created": "2018-07-20",
            "content": "<p>Finally, it's time to look at Book II of the Analects! I'm excited to see what this one has in store for me. According to the introduction, Book I was a general introduction to Confucianism, while Book II addresses \"general issues of governance.\" So, I guess I'll get to see what Confucius thought of politics!</p>\r\n<h2>2.1, 2.2</h2>\r\n<p>Both of these verses instruct you to lead by being steadfast in one's values. By being a beacon of stability, others will be attracted as if you are a lighthouse. This makes sense, because it's important for a leader to be \"unswerving\" in order to be reliable; that's why we prefer politicians, for instance, who don't flip-flop on the issues. </p>\r\n\r\n<h2>2.3</h2>\r\n<p>Confucius argues that using punishments and laws to directly force people into doing things is unsustainable; instead, he argues, leaders should change the mentality and philosophies of the people to make them do the desirable things by their own free will. This relates to 2.1, which argues that the way to do this is by leading by example; by showing onesself to be a beacon of virtue, others will try to emulate one's behavior.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>2.4</h2>\r\n<p>If I am to take Confucius's life as a model I should follow, the most relevant part here for me is the fact that between ages 15 and 30, he had set his heart on learning. That is, he didn't \"take a stand\" and wasn't \"without confusion\" until ages 30 and 40, respectively. I have strong opinions, and sometimes I feel like I'm being too stubborn about them; after all, they say that my age is the age when we believe we know everything. I should always remember that there are always so many things I don't know and many that I'm wrong about.</p>\r\n<p>Something that also struck me was that Confucius, despite knowing \"the command of Tian\" at age 50, listened with a \"compliant ear\" at 60. That goes to show that no matter what stage of life one is at, one should continue to learn and listen with an open ear.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 9,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Analects (Confucius) - 2.5-2.8",
            "created": "2018-08-01",
            "content": "<p>I've been actively trying to be more respectful towards my parents and to other people. Not only have I tried applying the ideas of Confucius, but I also recently read an article about various forms of \"reciprocity,\" that is, the transfer of goods and services between different kinds of relationships. There are three kinds of reciprocity: balanced, negative, and general. Balanced reciprocity is where people give with to another with the expectation of receiving a similar amount within a set period of time. Negative reciprocity is where people give with the expectation of receiving more than they gave in return. Generalized reciprocity is where people give to one another without the expectation of anything in return.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>The example that the article gave for generalized reciprocity was the relationships within families. This really impacted me. I felt like oftentimes, I treat my siblings or such with negative reciprocity. I decided to try to make a switch to treating others, or at least my family and friends, with generalized reciprocity.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anyway, according to the commentary, apparently the four verses I'm looking at today are a set called \"filiality,\" dealing specifically with how children are supposed to treat their parents. I think I'm in the right state of mind for this right now, so I'm hoping it'll be a productive set of reflections.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>. . .</p>\r\n<h2>2.5</h2>\r\n<p>Confucius explains that filiality consists of \"never disobeying\" one's parents. I believe that what he means is that it's never good to disobey one's parents. I agree; parents almost always are working towards the benefit of their children, and try to instruct them to do what's best for them. Even when someone may be forced to disobey one's parents, it should never be because they believe that disobeying their parents is a good thing, but rather because it may be the better of two evils.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Another thing of note in this verse is Confucius's use of the character <i>li</i>, or \u00e7\u00a6\u00ae. I had thought before that this had meant been part of the word <i>doli</i> in Korean, which means good behavior. However, talking with my dad about the Analects, he explained that apparently, it was actually the word <i>ye</i> in Korean, which is closer to the English \"etiquette.\" <i>Ye</i> has a lot of underlying connotations in Korean, and this correct translation is really helping me to understand Confucius's uses of the word in a new light.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>2.6</h2>\r\n<p>Classic verse, quoted <i>all</i> the time: \"Let your mother and father be concerned only for your health.\" Worrying about their child is one of the worst experiences for a parent: It's not filial to let them go through all that worry. Once, after I was somewhat rude to my parents, my mother explained that she was more worried about myself being rude to others who wouldn't be as forgiving as she was\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhere she would scold me for it, others would just dissociate themselves from me. These are the kind of worries that Confucius is talking about, I think.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>2.7</h2>\r\n<p>Basically, Confucius says that it's not enough to do the bare minimum for a parent; one should have \"respectful vigilance,\" which I took to be proactivity. I think that this applies everywhere, not just to parents. </p>\r\n\r\n<h2>2.8</h2>\r\n<p>I don't really understand this one, and there's no commentary on it either to make it easier to decipher. I'm especially struggling with when Confucius says, \"It is the expression on the face that is difficult.\" I looked up some alternate translations, but they're not much help. For now, I've posted a question on Quora asking about it. I'll update this post if anything useful comes up.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>UPDATE (8/3/2018): I reflected on this more, and I think I've figured it out. I posted my reflection on Quora as well:</p>\r\n\r\n<blockquote>\r\n    <p>This was my own question, but upon some reflection, I feel like I have an answer for it. I'm going to use the version I put in the link for the translation:</p>\r\n    \r\n    <p>\"Zixia asked about filiality. The Master said, 'It is the expression on the face that is difficult. That the young should shoulder the hardest chores or that the eldest are served food and wine first at meals \u00e2\u20ac\u201c whenever was that what filiality meant?'\"</p>\r\n    \r\n    <p>I think that what Confucius meant was that it's not enough to just go through the motions of filiality, that is to \"shoulder the hardest chores or... the eldest are served food and wine first at meals.\" The motions should be undertaken without reluctance or resentment at having to do them. That is, \"It is the expression on the face that is difficult:\" The actions of filiality should not be done with a twisted expression.</p>\r\n</blockquote>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 10,
        "fields": {
            "title": "War and Peace (Tolstoy) - Ch 7-28 (End of Part 1)",
            "created": "2018-08-02",
            "content": "<p>Sorry for the late update on this one. I was originally intending to post every six chapters, but I ended up finishing Part I before I decided to post. I'll try to post more often.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>This book is not dry. It's long, but it's not dry. It's all thanks to the characters: They're all so interesting and compelling. They almost seem like real people.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anyway, the main bulk of the part took place at the Rostovs' house, where a couple \"ships\" emerged:</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n    <li>Nicholas Rostov and Sonya Alexandrovna: Nicholas Rostov is the eldest son of the Rostov family, and is going to the military. Sonya Alexandrovna is his cousin (Pretty sure that's incest?).</li>\r\n    <li>Boris Drubestsky and Natalya (\"Natasha\") Rostova: Boris is the only child of Anna Mikhaylovna Drubetskaya (who is an incredible mother by the way, doing everything for her son. She's incredibly brazen about it, too), and Natalya Rostova is the youngest daughter of the Rostov family.</li>\r\n    <li>Vera Rostova and Berg: Vera Rostova is the oldest child and daughter of the Rostov family, and is a huge jerk, always picking on her younger siblings. Berg, with a last name that I do not know, is a self-centered military officer who is to marry Vera.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p>Spoiler Alert: Pierre, my favorite character, manages to successfully become Count Bezukhov, becoming legitimized and inheriting father's massive fortune. There was a whole intense race between Anna Mikhaylovna, who was supporting Pierre in hopes that he would give her and her son some support after becoming the count, and Prince Vasili Kuragin, who wanted to split the fortune between himself and Pierre's half-sisters. </p>\r\n\r\n<p>I really hope that Anna Mikhaylova and Boris are successful in their endeavors going forward. Anna deserves it.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 11,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Analects (Confucius) - 2.9-2.12",
            "created": "2018-08-08",
            "content": "<p>I've recently been feeling like my analysis of the Analects don't really go deep enough, and I think that part of it might be that trying to analyze four at a time is too many. I've decided that from now on, I'll continue to read four verses at a time, but I'll only write about one or two of them. However, I'll explore those chosen verses more deeply than before.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Another form of systemization I'd like to use is to explore the verse in the form of responses to \"discussion\" questions. The questions that I've decided to use are as follows (Though, of course, this list of questions might change as I continue to learn):</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n    <li>What do you think this verse means?</li>\r\n    <li>What can you learn from this verse?</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n\r\n<p>Today, I read through verses 2.9-2.12 and decided to analyze verses 2.10 and 2.11.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>. . .</p> \r\n<h2>\u00e2\u20ac\u20392.10</h2>\r\n<p><i>The Master said: Look at the means he employs, observe the sources of his conduct, examine what gives him comfort \u00e2\u20ac\u201c where can he hide? Where can he hide?</i></p>\r\n\r\n<p><b>\u00e2\u20ac\u2039What do you think this verse means?</b></p>\r\n<p>There are so many ways that one can discern the character of a person, whether it be through his or her actions, their preferences, or the company he or she keeps. This reminds me of a similar quote that I read for my AP English summer reading assignment, <i>A Sense of an Ending</i>, where the narrator\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s history teacher notes that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153mental states may often be inferred from actions.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Though it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s wrong to judge a book by its cover, reading the summaries and reviews on the back cover can offer a lot of insight about its contents.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><b>What can you learn from this verse?</b></p>\r\n<p>This verse goes two ways for me. First, it advises me to learn more about others by examining their actions, preferences, and the company they keep. Second, perhaps more importantly, it warns me to not only be careful to show good qualities through my actions, but also that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s impossible to hide it if I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not that great of a person. Confucius notes, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Where can he hide?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d In order to be perceived as being a great person, I must be a great person. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no faking it.</p>\r\n\u00e2\u20ac\u2039\r\n<h2>\u00e2\u20ac\u20392.11</h2>\r\n<p><i>The Master said: A person who can bring new warmth to the old while understanding the new is worthy to take as a teacher.</i></p>\r\n\r\n<p><b>What do you think this verse means?</b></p>\r\n<p>This verse is saying that while people should continue to learn new things, they should not consider it necessary to reject old ideas or beliefs. Instead, people should strive to integrate new knowledge into what they already know, thus enriching their store of knowledge, rather than simply replacing parts of it.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><b>What can you learn from this verse?</b></p>\r\n<p>This applies to my life in so many ways. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s articulated something I think I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been learning throughout my whole life.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Most prominently, I used to believe that being Korean detracted from my being American, by making me more foreign. I believed that in order to be fully American, I had to basically abandon most of my Korean-ness. However, over time, I learned that not only is my heritage inescapable, being an immigrant actually adds to my American identity, contributing to America\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s multicultural wealth. Just because I integrated myself into something new (America) didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean I had to reject something old (Korea).</p>\r\n\r\n<p>To be completely honest, reading the Analects for me is kind of like reading <img>Fox News</img>. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m pretty much a liberal, but I read opposition news outlets to gain a greater understanding of the whole picture of politics. Likewise, some of the ideas in the <i>Analects</i> often initially strike me as too conservative or outdated, and I often really have to make an effort to extract what good things I can learn from them. The philosophy I had about reading the <i>Analects</i>, though, is that I should try to integrate this new perspective into my old one, to further enrich my understanding of ethics and the world.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 12,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Analects (Confucius) - 2.17-2.21",
            "created": "2018-08-31",
            "content": "<p>Sorry for the long delay in getting this entry in. I just started school, and I've been kinda busy, but now that I'm back in the groove, I think I can continue uploading regularly.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Today, I took a look at verses 2.17-2.21, and decided to speak on verse 2.21, which deals with the \"purposeful effort to engage in governance.\"</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>2.21</h2>\r\n<p>Confucius argues that one should not need to make a purposeful effort to engage in governance; rather, he advises that governance should come around naturally by adhering to and advocating for one's values. I agree with Confucius: I feel like this would be ideal, to simply follow one's values and find a position that matches up well with our values and abilities. I'm not applying this right now to my life; I'm driven by concrete goals and wanting more for myself, confessedly more than I might even deserve. I feel that if I could get into a state of mind that believed in this and applied this completely, I would be content and happy about my life, but on the flip side, I feel like if I became someone who followed this, something integral about my identity would have to shift. I'm not sure if I want that. I'll have to wrestle with this idea more as I continue; perhaps age will give me more perspective on this issue.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 13,
        "fields": {
            "title": "How to Read the Analects",
            "created": "2018-09-23",
            "content": "<p>The <i>Analects</i> is a very confusing book to analyze and understand, mostly due to its format, which is a collection of aphorisms, arranged in, at least at first glance, without any clear rhyme or reason. So, I emailed my English teacher about how I might approach reading the <i>Analects</i>.</p>\r\n\r\n<blockquote>\r\n    <p>Hello!</p>\r\n    \r\n    <p>Last summer, I started reading the <i>Analects</i>, by Confucius. As you might know, it's in the form of a collection of \"sayings\" by Confucius. These sayings don't really follow much of an organization, and they are only very vaguely tied to common themes.</p>\r\n    \r\n    <p>I've read a couple verses per day, and so far I'm about half-way through. And yet, I really don't feel like I'm getting anywhere in terms of understanding, or building a cohesive picture of what Confucius's philosophy was. So, I was wondering, how would you best recommend reading a book like this?</p>\r\n    \r\n    <p>Thank you!</p>\r\n    <p>-Brandon</p>\r\n</blockquote>\r\n\r\n<p>His answer was extremely helpful. He advised me to use a technique that we had learned in class called QPC'ing, which, in this context, means that I should look at each of the aphorisms and try to figure out what question that aphorism may be trying to answer. By doing so, I might be able to construct a more complete picture of the conversations that surrounded these aphorisms, making them easier to understand. It would also help me check for any similarities or connections between the questions, to figure out what exactly the flow of the Analects might be.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>So, from now on, I'll be posting my QPCs of my copy of the <i>Analects</i> along with my reflections. I'm very excited for this!</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 14,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Brave New World (Huxley)",
            "created": "2018-10-01",
            "content": "<p>I first read <i>Brave New World</i> in middle school, while on a dystopian reading spree, among books like <i>1984</i> and <i>Fahrenheit 451</i>. However, it's important to try to reread a book after some time, said Mortimer Adler, if \"you have a sneaking suspicion that there is more there than you got.\" That's why I'm rereading <i>Brave New World</i>--because I knew in my heart of hearts that I hadn't gotten everything I could have from it.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>I was right. I hadn't even come close to understanding <i>Brave New World</i>. All I had were sneaking suspicions that <i>Brave New World</i> was the capitalist dystopia mirror to Orwell's totalitarian, communist <i>1984</i> (though something I find really odd is that many of the characters--Bernard Marx and Lenina Crowe, for instance--are named after prominent communists. Perhaps I'm missing something?). This isn't necessarily wrong, but <i>Brave New World</i> goes so much farther from a simple consideration of how capitalism can go wrong. It questions--<i>seriously</i>, not satirically--our values of individualism, stability, beauty, and happiness.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u2039The critical point of <i>Brave New World</i>, the part that I want to really examine, is just before the ending, when Mustapha Mond, the World Controller, debates with John Savage about the merits and costs of the hedonistic setting of the book. Essentially, the debate comes down to this: Mustapha Mond\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s system has sacrificed high art and passion for social stability and general welfare. John Savage mourns the absence of high art and passion in civilization; he mourns the death of things he regards as virtues, such as liberty, individualism, and heroism. He mourns that everything in civilization is too cheap and easy to obtain; he desires strife and misery to prove himself \u00e2\u20ac\u0153manly.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, of course, the vital question is: After reading this book, which side to I believe?</p>\r\n\r\n<p>My initial reaction was that the <i>Brave New World</i>, rather than being a dystopian book, depicts a utopia. What I love about <i>Brave New World</i> is that unlike many other dystopian books, which are generally harshly and blatantly critical towards the worlds they portray (think <i>Hunger Games</i>), it offers a fair examination of the merits and demerits of the society. In this world, nobody experiences tragedy. No one is ever sad (unless through a mistake in the system, such as in Bernard), since if anyone ever gets the inkling of sadness, they take soma, making them blissful. The cost of this is high art and passion\u00e2\u20ac\u201dno one can feel the incredible happiness of overcoming misery or of rabid, unconditional love. However, considering the benefit, is this too high a cost to pay? Think about all the genocides and incredibly horrible things that humans do to each other\u00e2\u20ac\u201drape, murder, etc. Should these horrors be preserved just so that we can make beautiful art about it?</p>\r\n\r\n<p>However, as I think about it, as horrible as it sounds, perhaps there is worth in such catastrophes. Consider Hemholtz, the incredibly perfect Alpha Plus who is too smart for his own happiness. He feels unfulfilled in life, despite having everything material he could ever want; he desires something powerful and intense to write about, but in such a society where social stability is the prime virtue, he cannot find anything intense to write about. However, when presented with writing that has such intense themes, in particular, Shakespeare\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Romeo and Juliet,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he is unable to understand the violent, irrational feelings of love between the two characters, due to the world he has been raised in, which values brief, hedonistic relationships over long-term commitments. He eventually elects to be exiled to a remote tropical island so that he can write about the most intense thing he can think of: terrible weather.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Without struggle, we are infants. If we are sheltered from all harm, we can never grow; we may grow in knowledge, but we cannot grow in wisdom. As Adler himself says, the books that challenge you are the books that truly expand your understanding. I really can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t conclude that we should have evil in our lives\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit just goes against my conscience\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut I also feel like there is a certain virtue in struggle and misery.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 15,
        "fields": {
            "title": "The Case for Christ - Ch 1",
            "created": "2018-10-16",
            "content": "<p>A couple weeks ago, I started reading \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Case for Christ\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by Lee Strobel. Recently, I wrote the author an email thanking him for a relatively unbiased approach on the evidence for the Biblical Jesus Christ (he didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t respond, unfortunately), so let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s let that serve as an introduction.</p>\r\n\r\n<blockquote>I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m Brandon Lee, a senior at New Trier High School. Finding your book (The Case for Christ) in my house one day when I was feeling bored, I gave it a quick read, and I was so intrigued that I started rereading it in earnest, annotating it and everything\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsomething I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve only willingly done before for \"The Analects\". I need to say that so far, it has been one of the fairest, most intellectually robust Christian books that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve ever read. I really appreciate how it minimizes hand-waving and relying on treating canon as axiom. Personally, as of now, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m unconvinced that the Jesus as described in Christianity existed, but perhaps that will change once I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m done with your book.</blockquote>\r\n\r\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u2039Anyway, I want to lay out another reason why I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m reading this book before I get on with it. In Korea, over half of the population doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t identify with a religion. However, among Korean-Americans, almost 75% identify as Christians. Why does this happen, you might ask? Well, in terms of my parents, basically what happened was that they were very non-religious in Korea (in fact, my dad was a Buddhist), but when they came to the U.S., they started going to church. This was because, similar to how \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Black churches\u00e2\u20ac\u009d serve not only as religious centers but also community centers for African-Americans, a lot of the Korean-American community exists through Korean-American churches. So, growing up, I was pretty immersed in the Christian community.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>However, like many, growing up, a lot of my belief in not only Jesus, but also there being a god in general kind of withered. As of now, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not convinced that there is a god. So, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m reading this book to see if there is any good evidence that God, specifically Jesus, existed (exists) as described in Christianity. As Strobel puts it in his introduction, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If Jesus is to be believed\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 then nothing is more important than how you respond to him.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anyway, the way that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to approach this book is going to be as impartial as possible. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to avoid making any judgements about whether I agree or not with the author until I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve understood his points and his arguments as much as I can. So, in terms of my posts, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve decided to post my QPC\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s of the book, which are essentially me constructing an outline of the author\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s arguments by dividing them into Questions, Propositions, and Conclusions.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>So, here is the QPC for Chapter 1, which discusses how reliable the gospels are as eyewitness testimonies (I would scan my annotations for convenience, but that would probably be an infringement on the copyright). Remember: These are not necessarily my opinions, but rather the propositions and conclusions that the author offers.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u2039. . .</p>\r\n \r\n<p><b>Q1: Were the gospels written by the names attached to them?</b></p>\r\n<p>P1: Yes. There are no known competitors.</p>\r\n<p>P2: The names attached to the first three gospels (AKA the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Synoptics\u00e2\u20ac\u009d) are relatively less prominent followers of Jesus. There was no motivation for someone to lie by attaching such less prominent names.</p>\r\n<p>P3: There is the exception of John, the fourth gospel, which has a prominent name attached to it, but the current scholarly consensus is that the disciple John was indeed the person who wrote the Book of John.</p>\r\n<p>C1: There are no significant competing theories about the authorship, and there would have been no reason to use these less prominent names.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><b>Q2: What is the evidence for the authorship?</b></p>\r\n<p>P1: Papias and Irenaeus, bishops who lived around a century after Christ\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s death, claim that the gospels were indeed written by the names attached to them and vouch for their accuracy.</p>\r\n<p>C2: Same as P1.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><b>Q3: What genre are the gospels?</b></p>\r\n<p>P1: It doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really feel like a biography in the modern sense, as it glosses over most of Jesus\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s life and mostly focuses on the last three years, and most specifically on the last week.</p>\r\n<p>P2: This is how they used to write biographies, however: Biographies were written to teach lessons, and so they concentrated on the lesson-teaching part of the subject\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s life.</p>\r\n<p>P3: The main take-away from Jesus\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s life is his crucifixion.</p>\r\n<p>C3: It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a biography that, written in the style of the tie, concentrates mostly on the important part: the crucifixion, in this case.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><b>Q4: What is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Q\u00e2\u20ac\u009d?</b></p>\r\n<p>P1: Q is a hypothesis that there may have been an earlier, aphoristic version of the Bible that consisted mostly of Jesus\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sayings that the gospel writers used as a source.</p>\r\n<p>P2: Q, if it existed, would preserve Jesus\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s claims to divinity.</p>\r\n<p>P3: Q, if it existed, would preserve the idea that Jesus did miracles.</p>\r\n<p>C4: Q, an early collection of Jesus\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s aphorisms, may have served as an early source for the gospels, but this does not really take away from the core ideas of Jesus\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s divinity and miracles.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><b>Q5: If Matthew had more access to Jesus than Mark, why would Matthew rely on Mark in writing his gospel?</b></p>\r\n<p>P1: Mark faithfully relayed the perspective of Peter, who, as part of Jesus\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s inner circle, had more access to Jesus than Matthew.</p>\r\n<p>C5: Same as P1.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><b>Q6: What are the differences between John and the Synoptics?</b></p>\r\n<p>P1: John doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t address all the major stories presented in the Synoptics.</p>\r\n<p>P2: John\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s theology is more explicit.</p>\r\n<p>P3: One theory for why this happened is that John chose to supplement the Synoptics, and another theory is that John just had a different perspective he wanted to present.</p>\r\n<p>P4: All the explicit theologies that John presents have parallels in the Synoptics.</p>\r\n<p>P5: An example of P4 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c John\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s explicit claims of Jesus\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s divinity are more implicitly present in the story of Jesus walking on water, when Jesus says \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Fear not, I am\u00e2\u20ac\u009d which is reminiscent of God naming himself \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am (YHWH)\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in the Old Testament.</p>\r\n<p>P6: Adding on to P5 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c We also see Jesus claiming divinity when he calls himself \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Son of Man,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d which, contrary to popular belief, is a divine title.</p>\r\n<p>P7: Adding on to P6 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Jesus also claims to be able to forgive sins, which is a power unique to God.</p>\r\n<p>C6: The explicit theological claims of John are also more implicitly present in the Synoptics.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><b>Q7: Isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t John more theological, and therefore more biased?</b></p>\r\n<p>P1: All the gospels have their own theological agendas, not just John.</p>\r\n<p>P2: Having an agenda doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean that something is unreliable.</p>\r\n<p>C7: All the gospels had theological agendas, but that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t necessarily discredit them.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><b>Q8: Were the gospels distorted over the time between the events actually occurring and them being written down?</b></p>\r\n<p>P1: The time gap, at the maximum estimates of being written around the 80s, is not that bad, since it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still within the lifetimes of the eyewitnesses.</p>\r\n<p>P2: Compared to most contemporary historical texts, the gospels were written relatively close to the events.</p>\r\n<p>P3: There are also estimates that the time gap was even smaller, based on the idea that Acts was written before Paul\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s death, that Luke was written before Acts, and that Mark was written before Luke.</p>\r\n<p>C8: No; first of all, the gap was likely small, and second, even if it was the maximum estimates, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still relatively quick reporting.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><b>Q9: How early can we date the core beliefs of Christianity?</b></p>\r\n<p>P1: Paul\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s letters, which were written around the 40s and 50s, referenced some early Christian creeds and hymns.</p>\r\n<p>P2: That Jesus and God are equivalent was a belief among these early creeds.</p>\r\n<p>P3: That the resurrection happened was a belief referenced by these early letters.</p>\r\n<p>C9: The earliest beliefs, likely formed almost right after the resurrection, included the ideas of Jesus\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s divinity and resurrection.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 16,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Reflecting on Epictetus",
            "created": "2018-11-21",
            "content": "<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Some things are up to us and some are not up to us.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Wise words, Epictetus. But very hard words to follow.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>As the college admissions cycle trudges on, this has become my mantra, the words I whisper to myself as I wake up, as I eat, as I sleep. Whenever I feel panicked about the various elements of the world that are out of my control, I whisper these words to calm myself down, to make sure I focus on what is in front of me, for these things are up to me, while others are not.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>But it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so very difficult. My heart still screams in agony and my teeth grit automatically when I think about the various things out of my control. I am human, and though I recognize that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s my folly to be distracted by those which are out of my control, I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seem to help it sometimes. And yet, I must. I must put it out of my mind. I must focus on what I can do, rather than what I cannot.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 17,
        "fields": {
            "title": "The Diary of Anne Frank",
            "created": "2018-12-11",
            "content": "<p>Wow. What a book, and what a story.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>First thing I have to say is this: Anne was an incredible writer. The diary starts when she's twelve and ends when she is fifteen; I'm <i>seventeen</i> right now, and I don't think I could write nearly as well as she does. She said she wanted to be a journalist/writer, and if given the chance, she definitely could have been one. Though I'm no expert, the sheer humor and expert control of tone that she employed just draws the reader in. It really is no surprise at all that she became so incredibly famous; it would have been shocking if it hadn't!</p>\r\n\r\n<p>The sheer willpower and self-discipline that seemed to come across to me, at least in her diary, was astounding. Being in such a terrible situation, Anne could have fallen into despair or languor, but she never seemed to give up her essential self. Moreover, her self-awareness is unlike anything I know. Anne's continuous optimism and strength of character, as well as her rejection of despair and how she persistently thought about who she was, and who she wanted to be, and how she could become the best person she could become, was inspiring. </p>\r\n\r\n<p>That being said, reading this book gave me... strange emotions. Anne makes you fall in love with her; you're like Peter, conquered by Anne's inner being. And yet, the vivaciousness and philosophies of Anne were always, of course, draped against the background against the inevitable ending. With every optimistic note, and every beautiful self-realization and word of wisdom, you feel panged with regret for what could have been. But through my limited lens, I can't help but think: Would Anne have wanted to live her life any differently if she had known what fate awaited her?</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Finally, I need to wonder: Are all people like this? Was Anne an extraordinary girl, or \"just\" a normal girl in an extraordinary situation? Clearly, in her writing ability, she's far more advanced than almost anyone I know. However, in her inner feelings, in her thoughts and maturity\u00e2\u20ac\u201dare all teenagers like this? As I begin reaching the end of adolescence, with my 18th birthday coming up next month, I feel like my grasp of how I felt, and what it meant to be a teenager, dimming. Often, adults feel like they can't help but understand teenagers, as they've all been through the same ages. However, I also feel like I myself, despite still technically being a teenager myself, having changes in the way I think. I don't know. In part, I could relate to Anne, in others not; again, I wonder if Anne was expressing the teenage condition as well as relating her experiences in her devastating situation.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>---</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Next on my reading list is going to be two books. First, I am finally going to resume my attempt on reading \"The Analects.\" I think I might finally be ready for this difficult book. Of course, I'm going to need to change the way that I approached the book before. Fundamentally, I went in expecting to be able to read it in my spare time, in passing, but now I realize: That was literally disrespecting the book. The book demands to be read with full concentration, with full dedication, and it will accept nothing less.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>So, in parallel, for spare-time reading, I will be reading the \"Romance of the Three Kingdoms.\" I realized that the version I read before was an abridged version or some kind of summary, so I'm going to try to tackle the whole shebang now.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 18,
        "fields": {
            "title": "\"Free Food for Millionaires\" - Min Jin Lee",
            "created": "2018-12-22",
            "content": "<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u2039This was the first book about Koreans that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve read in years \u00e2\u20ac\u201c my first one (and only one before this) was \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Kite Fighters\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by Linda Sue Park. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Free Food for Millionaires,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in contrast, dealt with much more mature themes, and had an intriguing focus on Korean-Americans. As a warning to those who intend to read it: The main character is initially almost insufferable; you really have to bear with the author in the first couple chapters. You have to give the author the benefit of the doubt on your first couple chapters, I think. You need patience in reading a book. It soon becomes clear why the character was being portrayed the way they were.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>The point of view that Lee took in this book was very interesting; I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know if it would work for all books, but it definitely worked for this one. Not quite third-person omniscient: It was more like third-person subjective, but jumping around various people\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s POVs. With the very vast character set, with everyone from different backgrounds, it was an incredible approach to explore the incredible variety of personalities and beliefs within the Korean-American community. It worked very hard to be nuanced: It really allowed you to understand some of the reasoning or rationale behind various difficult topics, such as the domestic violence that composes the opening scenes of the book (of course, not saying they were condoned\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey were just explored in a nuanced way).</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Now, for my personal reaction: As a Korean-American myself, I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help but continuously draw parallels\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand \u00e2\u20ac\u0153orthogonals\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201dboth between the situation then (1970s?) and now, as well as between myself and the various characters. For the sake of time, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll just address the differences and similarities in the eras, and the differences and similarities between me and two characters: the main character and the character I found most intriguing.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>SITUATION</h2>\r\n<p>PARALLELS: Many of the relationships between the Whites and the Koreans in this book still apply. The relationship between what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s commonly called a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153model minority\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and the majority. A relationship of tension, not quite as pronounced as some other racial tensions, but existent and sometimes painful, nonetheless.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>CONTRASTS: There are powerful class divisions among the Koreans in this book, between those who were the yangbans (old gentry, nobility) in Korea and those who were common. Though my knowledge is limited, I feel like there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a lot less of that today. There are still economic divisions, of course, but not really based on the frankly outdated ideas of nobility.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>CASEY HAN</h2>\r\n<p>PARALLELS: I also often struggle with my relationship with my parents and giving them the respect that is due to them. I know within my mind that considering everything they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve sacrificed for me (not just the basics of being a parent, like birthing me or raising me, but doing so, so much beyond that), they deserve my respect and love, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so much easier to do things in your head than to do them with your body.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>CONTRASTS: I really could not relate at all with her extraordinary lack of purpose. She has only notions of wanting to live the high life; she has no feelings of having some kind of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153higher purpose.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I feel like in order to have a meaningful, fulfilling life, we need some kind of purpose greater than ourselves to latch onto. By the end of the book, she has some clarity on what she doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to do, but still seems as unsure about what she does want as ever.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>TED KIM</h2>\r\n<p>PARALLELS: He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a boy from an Alaska fishery who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s clawed his way up the socioeconomic ladder ruthlessly and desperately. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a man of action, a man of power. A talented analyst, he earns millions of dollars a year, and with his money, he has bought his parents and siblings houses and is paying for his nephews\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 educations. Now, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not saying that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m like Ted. However, I want to be where he is. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m coming from a low socioeconomic situation, and I want to rise above my beginnings. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m hungry. I eventually want to be in a position where I can provide for my entire family. I want to be the son who goes back home, the talk of the town\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe successful son, the son who made his family\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sacrifices worth it.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u2039CONTRASTS: He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also a jerk who cheats on his implausibly perfect wife. He is high-key anal and suffers from a sense of fragile masculinity. Furthermore, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s selfish. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to be selfish. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t only want myself to be the success of my family, but also of everyone who was in my situation. I want my success to be a beacon for everyone poor, and I want to spend my adult time and money towards social uplift. Call me an idealist, but I wear the label with pride. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m a dreamer.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 19,
        "fields": {
            "title": "The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)",
            "created": "2018-12-27",
            "content": "<p>I read the book once before when I was younger, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m very glad I read it again. I definitely didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t understand it the first time. The plot is a bit all over the place, but that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s part of its beauty, I think: It adds to the mood of airiness, of the inconsequentiality of everything Daisy and Tom and Jordan and all their wealthy, listless friends do. The style of the writing is really incredible, though: The frequent metaphors are especially ingenuous and poignant.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>A quick connection I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d like to draw between the <i>Great Gatsby</i> and <i>Free Food for Millionaires</i> (FFFM), which I read right before Gatsby, is that Ted Kim is like Jay Gatsby if he had gotten the girl. In FFFM, Ted Kim is the son of Alaskan fish canners who claws his way up to the upper echelons of Wall Street. He attains every \u00e2\u20ac\u0153material\u00e2\u20ac\u009d thing he dreams of, including a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153perfect\u00e2\u20ac\u009d wife from a rich, almost noble family; she is incredibly \u00e2\u20ac\u0153pure\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in every traditional sense of the word. However, eventually, Ted cheats on her with the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153office slut,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d divorces her, and marries his mistress.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>The reason Ted decides to divorce his wife for Delia (his mistress) is because he feels like he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s putting on an act whenever he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s around her. He says that he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s unable to relax around her, and she seems like a marble statue to him\u00e2\u20ac\u201dshe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a trophy, an ideal. Considering this, I feel like Gatsby, even if he had successfully spirited Daisy away from Tom, may not have been able to be happy with her. First off, she wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be able to ever meet the godly image of her that Gatsby has developed within his mind over the five years they have been apart\u00e2\u20ac\u201dNick Carraway notes this in Chapter 5: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams--not through her own fault but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d</p>\r\n\r\n<p>However, even if Daisy had somehow been that perfect image of what he dreamed, I think there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a possibility that he might not have been able to be happy with her, for the same reason Ted could not be happy with Ella (his first wife): He would have continually been putting on an act. He and Daisy were of different worlds, and Gatsby would have become even more neurotic than he is while perennially trying to hold up that mask of affected elegance.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 20,
        "fields": {
            "title": "The Joy Luck Club (+Other Notes)",
            "created": "2019-01-26",
            "content": "<p>You know, I've always been really stressed about finals, but this year, it's been pretty smooth sailing. My grades were pretty solid going into my exams, so I didn't have to worry that much about how they would be impacted by doing well or by doing poorly. I'm glad once again that I kept up with my schoolwork this year\u00e2\u20ac\u201dtruly, \"a stitch in time saves nine.\"</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anyway, I've been reading several books over the last couple weeks. In class, we read <i>Leaves of Grass</i> by Walt Whitman, which is his poetry magnum opus celebrating the joy of existing. I felt that the book was interesting\u00e2\u20ac\u201dat the very least, it deserves its position as the seminal work of American poetry. Its free verse and taboo themes were really revolutionary, and it clearly defines a lot of what poetry is thought of as being today. The purity of his joie de vivre is really inspiring to read; he doesn't shy away from the gruesome, tragic parts of life\u00e2\u20ac\u201drather, he embraces everything as being part of the joy of life.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>In addition to the <i>Joy Luck Club</i>, I also read <i>Influence</i> by Robert Cialdini and <i>How to Talk to Anyone</i> by Leil Lowndes. Since these two books were pretty similar, I might be posting a joint review/discussion of the two later. For now, though, let's talk about the <i>Joy Luck Club</i> (JLC)!</p>\r\n\r\n<p>First off, an obvious comparison to make for me was between JLC, which describes the lives of four American-born-Chinese women and their immigrant mothers, and <i>Free Food for Millionaires</i> (FFFM), which described the lives of several Korean-Americans. In terms of style, JLC was written like the <i>Song of Ice and Fire</i> series, alternating between various first-person perspectives. It was a bit difficult at first to get a good grasp of who was who, but I felt like the difficulty simulated the difficulty of learning about new people in general. On the other hand, FFFM was narrated in third-person objective, which I felt accomplished the juxtaposition of the various characters and their perspectives more clearly.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>In terms of the lives presented in each book, I felt that JLC talked more about the relationships between the various characters and their mothers, in contrast with FFFM, which focused greatly on the careers of the characters, although without neglecting the crucial familial relationships. A main theme of JLC was the various secrets/withheld life info between the mothers and their daughters. I really felt like I could relate to the way that the parents and their children became closer through shared information, divulged little by little. I guess it really mirrored my experiences of learning our family history, about who we were and who we aspired to become. </p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 21,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Confucius",
            "created": "2019-02-01",
            "content": "<p>Finally, after several, several months, I have finished Confucius\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s <i>Analects</i>. I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t quite able to QPC all of it; it kind of became too much work after the first couple chapters. However, I did annotate all the way through, especially in highlighting all the passages that resonated with me the most\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand underlining the passages that I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t understand or agree with for further reflection.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>So, I decided that I would list here my favorite verses from the text. There are a lot, so I'll make two posts, one for Books I-X and another for Books XI-XX. So, here are my favorites from Books I-X:\r\n\u00e2\u20ac\u2039\r\n<ol>\r\n    <li>\"A gentleman who studies is unlikely to be flexible... when you make a mistake, do not be afraid of mending your ways\" (I.8).</li>\r\n    <li>\"It is not the failure of others to appreciate your abilities that should trouble you, but rather your failure to appreciate theirs\" (I.16).</li>\r\n    <li>\"Guide them by edicts, keep them in line with punishments, and the common people will stay out of trouble but will have no sense of shame. Guide them by virtue, keep them in line with the rites, and they will, besides having a sense of shame, reform themselves\" (II.3).</li>\r\n    <li>\"What is difficult to manage is the expression on one's face\" (II.8).</li>\r\n    <li>\"Look at the means a man employs, observe the path he takes, and examine where he feels at home\" (II.10).</li>\r\n    <li>\"[The gentleman] puts his words into action before allowing his words to follow his action\" (II.13).</li>\r\n    <li>\"To say you know when you know, and to say you do not when you do not, that is knowledge\" (II.17).</li>\r\n    <li>\"Use your ears widely but leave out what is doubtful; repeat the rest with caution and you will make few mistakes\" (II.17).</li>\r\n    <li>\"Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage\" (II.24).</li>\r\n    <li>\"What can a man do with the rites who is not benevolent?\" (III.3)</li>\r\n    <li>\"There is no contention between gentlemen... Even the way they contend is gentlemanly\" (III.7).</li>\r\n    <li>\"Of neighborhoods benevolence is the most beautiful. How can the man be considered wise, who, when he has the choice, does not settle in benevolence?\" (IV.1)</li>\r\n    <li>\"Is there  a man who, for the space of a single day, is able to devote all his strength to benevolence?\" (IV.6)</li>\r\n    <li>\"In his errors, a man is true to type. Observe the errors and you will know the man\" (IV.7).</li>\r\n    <li>\"In serving your father and mother, you ought to dissuade them in the gentlest way. If you see your advice being ignored, you should not become disobedient but remain reverent. You should not complain even if in so doing you wear yourself out\" (IV.18).</li>\r\n    <li>\"The gentleman desires to be halting in speech but quick in action\" (IV.24).</li>\r\n    <li>\"Virtue never stands alone. It is bound to have neighbors\" (IV.25).</li>\r\n    <li>\"Yen P'ing-chung excelled in friendship: even after long acquaintance he treated his friends with reverence\" (V.17).</li>\r\n    <li>\"Jan Ch'iu said, 'It is not that I am not pleased with your way, but rather that my strength gives out.' The Master said, \"A man whose strength gives out collapses along the course. In your case, you set the limits beforehand\" (VI.12).</li>\r\n    <li>\"The gentleman widely versed in culture but brought back to the essentials by the rites can, I supposes, be relied upon not to turn against what he stood for\" (VI.27).</li>\r\n    <li>\"During his leisure moments, the Master remained correct though relaxed\" (VII.4).</li>\r\n    <li>\"I would not take with me [to a war-related mission] anyone who would try to fight a tiger with his bare hands\" (VII.11).</li>\r\n    <li>\"He lived in lowly dwellings while devoting all his energy to the building of irrigation canals\" (VIII.21).</li>\r\n    <li>\"If, though tipping only one basketful, I am going forward, then I shall be making progress\" (IX.19).</li>\r\n    <li>\"The Three Armies can be deprived of their commanding officer, but even a common man cannot be deprived of his purpose\" (IX.26).</li>\r\n    <li>\"In the presence of his lord, his bearing, though respectful, was composed\" (X.2).</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n\r\n</p>\r\n\r\n<p>While researching further, by the way, I checked out <i>Mencius</i>, which is kind of like the sequel to the Analects. At least by my quick first glance, <i>Mencius</i> seems a bit more comprehensive than the Analects, composed mostly of actual passages and stories rather than short quotes. I would love to read it, but I just have so much to read before trying my hand at another Confucian classic. But definitely, I want to read it at some point in my life.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>As I continue my literary journey, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve increasingly felt like every time I finish a book, I come across another one that extends on its ideas\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s as if I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve arduously climbed a mountain, but looking from the top of the mountain, I see all more mountains in front of me, <i>infinite mountains</i>, that I need to climb. Reading these Great Books is a tough task, but luckily, I love climbing these mountains.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 22,
        "fields": {
            "title": "On Nietzsche",
            "created": "2019-03-25",
            "content": "<p>In class, we recently read Nietzsche\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s essay on the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Geneaology of Morals.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Although Nietzsche\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very witty, and although his arguments, at least on first glance, seem persuasive, reading his essay made me ask a couple questions that I found simultaneously interesting and somewhat disheartening.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Basically, in his essay, Nietzsche asserts that the current moral system that values democracy and selflessness wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t the original moral system, but rather a reaction to the might-is-right morality that prevailed in primitive society. He argues that the current \u00e2\u20ac\u0153slave-morality\u00e2\u20ac\u009d has turned mankind complacent and stagnant. He promotes the return of the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153master-morality,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d since although the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153blond beast\u00e2\u20ac\u009d did arouse fear and hatred, it also inspired awe.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Nietzsche\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s power doctrine may be initially attractive to the reader, for it appeals strongly to one\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s narcissism\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit seems to justify selfish behavior by arguing that it is not a matter of free will to exert one\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s power, but rather simply the natural thing to do. However, even despite the fact that I tend to support the more deterministic philosophies, I feel like this doctrine goes too much to the extreme in denying the individuals\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 power of choice. Nietzsche\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s arguments also somewhat repulsed me in its strange infusion of anti-intellectualism, which was somewhat ironic to me, since I figure that Nietzsche would have considered himself an intellectual.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>The question that Nietzsche\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s argument aroused in me is this: Are all philosophies worth reading and considering? Nietzsche certainly thinks so, as he praises the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153English psychologists\u00e2\u20ac\u009d for examining the dark truths of human motivation. Socrates <i>did</i> say that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153an unexamined life is not worth living,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d but I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help but feel unsure about his assertion. Perhaps not all truths need to be examined; when the cost of considering a truth exceeds the benefit, it need not be examined. I feel like there is merit in judging the value of something not by how true it is, but how beneficial it is <i>for it to be considered true</i>.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>On that note, I'm not certain how much I've gained from reading Nietzsche. If I were to follow Adler's doctrine on literature, I would be obligated to reread Nietzsche, to give him the benefit of the doubt before rejecting his ideas. Perhaps that would have merit. However, as it is, I feel like the only thing I may have gained from Nietzsche is a sick feeling in my stomach and the right to say that I've \"read Nietzsche.\"</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 23,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Grit (Angela Duckworth)",
            "created": "2019-03-27",
            "content": "<p>I read this book per recommendation, and I have to thank the person who recommended it. When I first decided to read it, to be honest, I was somewhat skeptical of how novel or useful the book would be: I expected it to just be another book preaching the importance of perseverance and hard work, valuable\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut well-trodden\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwisdom. Before reading this book, I thought I knew what \u00e2\u20ac\u0153grit\u00e2\u20ac\u009d was. Turns out I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t.</>\r\n\r\n<p>Duckworth\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s definition of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153grit\u00e2\u20ac\u009d encompasses not only perseverance/effort, but also one\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s ability to commit. That is, not only how passionately and effortfully one approaches an activity, but also how long and steadily one can continue to pursue it despite the allure of other novel interests. According to Duckworth, many more people struggle with this commitment aspect than do with the effort aspect\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhich is quite true for me.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Luckily, it seems that my fluid interests are still excusable with my age. At age 18, I feel like I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m in a good place. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve avidly explored a pretty wide range of activities and I think I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve found what kinds of things excite me. I know I want to have an intellectual career where, put very vaguely, I get to balance quantitative and qualitative problems\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhere I get to combine my literary spirit with my analytical inclinations; that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve always been attracted to chemistry, economics, etc., where I feel that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153perfect balance.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I also want to have a career with a direct societal impact, which according to Duckworth is a universal desire\u00e2\u20ac\u201da yearning for purpose.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be spending this upcoming summer continuing to look for my calling\u00e2\u20ac\u201da daunting goal, perhaps, but one that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be leaping into with enthusiasm. One of my specific goals is to put in some \u00e2\u20ac\u0153dedicated practice,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as Duckworth describes it, into improving my coding skills. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Dedicated practice\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is painful for most, according to Duckworth, except for a lucky few\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 perhaps I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m blessed, but I guess I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve learned to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153love the burn.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Or, more accurately, I find unproductivity viscerally torturous.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>By the way, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d like to recommend this book to every high school student. The current college admissions system pressures students to have a clear sense of identity, to have already developed a sense of purpose\u00e2\u20ac\u201dclarity of being shines through in the essays, in the extracurriculars, in the interview. I feel like this is quite a lot to ask of a high schooler. The best of us develop a sense of grit, perhaps, in being committed to our clubs, and can perhaps become somewhat adept at effectively leading our peers, but only the most precocious of us have a clarity of purpose.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>I feel like Duckworth offers a clear picture of just how much a high schooler should expect from themselves. The goal of high school is to perhaps explore our interests, not necessarily to build a concrete idea of the career we desire, but what kind of work we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d like to do. By providing a more realistic goal for our identity-seeking journeys, this book can really give high schoolers a better guide to growth.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 24,
        "fields": {
            "title": "My Mission?",
            "created": "2019-04-20",
            "content": "<p>A soliloquy about the meaning of life...</p>\r\n\r\n<p>I was drafting the mission statement for BinaryHeart (which recently became incorporated! Woo-hoo!), when I thought for a moment: Does my life have a mission statement? I suppose that is exactly what my English teacher is asking us to ponder with our \"Meaning of Life\" project...</p>\r\n\r\n<p>To be frank, I was originally planning to write my MoL about how it is somewhat useless to think about the question of life in a metaphysical sense\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat, instead of philosophizing, we should take Voltaire's advice and \"cultivate our garden.\" I was planning to assert that instead of wasting time on questions that can never be answered (and are thus irrelevant to our living), we should focus on the lives before us and on being the best people we can be...</p>\r\n\r\n<p><i>But I suppose, ironically, that I was naive in my cynicism</i>. I assumed that I would have the willpower to conduct my life in the way I wished to without having some kind of compass, however artificial or unjustified, to guide my overarching purpose. I will have to ponder the question of meaning further; instead of simply evading the question through dismissing it as useless, I must confront it head on. </p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 25,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Nudge (Richard Thaler)",
            "created": "2019-05-29",
            "content": "<p>When I first got this book, I thought it was going to be a reasonably short read. It took me far longer than I anticipated, in part because it's quite dense and long, and in part because I was pretty lazy about my reading for the last month or so. I really need to start reading more! I have a lot of books I want to finish before summer ends, after all!</p>\r\n\r\n<p>The focus of <i>Nudge</i> is the idea of \"libertarian paternalism,\" or using choice architecture in order to influence/better peoples' decisions while infringing only negligibly on their freedom of choice. Central to the idea of libertarian paternalism is the fact that people, contrary to how they are often presented in traditional economics, are not completely rational, and rather often use fallible mental shortcuts or are too lazy to spend time figuring out their best courses of action. Libertarian paternalism suggests that people should be guided towards making the best decisions more easily (the \"paternalism\" aspect), but that these guiding nudges shouldn't infringe upon peoples' freedom of choice\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat is, the costs for choosing contrary to the nudges should remain minimal (the \"libertarian\" aspect).</p>\r\n\r\n<p>A variety of methods for such choice architecture strategies, dubbed \"nudges,\" are described in the book, such as the careful selection of the default options in presenting choices, as there is a very strong default bias. Various applications for such nudges are then described: cheaper healthcare, school choice, encouraging better investment decisions, etc.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>First: How do I feel about libertarian paternalism from a general philosophical standpoint? I have to say, it sounds wonderful. According to the studies cited, it achieves pretty effective results while also preserving the freedom of choice. It reminds me of learning about using taxes/subsidies to correct externalities in AP Econ, rather than forcefully instating price ceilings/floors or banning products\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit has the delightful effect of allowing the market to efficiently find the optimal equilibrium rather than forcing a policy to the extreme. </p>\r\n\r\n<p>In terms of the specific proposals set forth by the book: I thought they were all pretty well-thought out, and I felt fairly convinced by the evidence. I did feel at some points that some of the proposals were a bit overoptimistic about their political feasibility, such as the idea of \"privatizing marriage\"\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat is, removing marriage as a legal status and replacing it exclusively with \"civil unions.\" From a logical standpoint, it seems solid\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit would eliminate all the political turmoil surrounding the definition of marriage going on right now by allowing diverse institutions to independently offer licenses for their own ideas of marriage. However, I feel that the offer of stronger legitimacy by government approval is too strongly ingrained in our current society to make the idea of \"privatizing marriage\" popular. Overall, I think of these proposals as more of a starting point for me to think about these issues than as a end-all-be-all: Many of the issues were very complicated (especially the one about school choice), and I really am not equipped to fully accept or critique the book's arguments.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>I did have quite a few strong favorites, though. One is the idea of allowing hospitals' patients to waive their right to sue for negligence in return for lower prices. America has a malpractice lawsuit epidemic which causes prices to rise for a variety of reasons, from motivating doctors to practice \"defensive medicine\" or forcing doctors to spend more on lawsuit insurance. The authors presented strong evidence that allowing patients this right (to waive their litigation rights) would lower prices while not significantly cutting down on the current incentives for doctors to be careful in caring for their patients. On a sidenote, one thing that really surprised me that the authors brought up was that premiums on malpractice insurance don't go up with lawsuits against doctors... like, what?</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anyway, all in all, this book was phenomenal, and I'm very glad I've read it. Though it wasn't the academic introduction to behavioral economics that I expected (perhaps naively), it had a lot of excellent policy proposals and has definitely given me a wider understanding of what's available in the political spectrum.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 26,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Banker to the Poor (Muhammad Yunus)",
            "created": "2019-06-01",
            "content": "<p>Once, in English class, we were asked to write down what our dreams were. One of the dreams I wrote down was that I wanted to figure out how to run a charity organization so that it could be profitable\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat is, to somehow make charity profitable for the donors. If this was possible, it would be revolutionary to the charity industry, boosting donor participation to incredible levels.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>My classmates laughed at the idea, which was understandable\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe selfless concept of charity and the selfish concept of profit seem to be contradictory, at least at first glance. I would have laughed at my idea, too, a couple months before\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut recently, while thinking about the remarkable achievements of the free market's invisible hand for society, I had wondered: Why not? Why couldn't charity be profitable? We've historically achieved social benefit through profitable means\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhy shouldn't it be possible for charities?</p>\r\n\r\n<p>I decided to read this book because I had recently heard of \"microcredit\" as a new form of charity that was remarkably, almost absurdly, efficient and effective. \"Banker to the Poor,\" written by Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel laureate who came up with and implemented microcredit in his \"Grameen Bank\" model. I'm glad I did, because Yunus presents an example of exactly what I was wishing for: A self-sustaining (doesn't need donations, meaning it doesn't operate at a loss), efficient, effective charity.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>My reaction to this all, of course, was very positive. I believe will be the most important book I've ever read in my life. It's utterly groundbreaking. Nobody shouldn't have read it. You don't need any economic knowledge beforehand or anything. If you're looking for a new book to read, I recommend this one\u00e2\u20ac\u201djust jump right in.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 27,
        "fields": {
            "title": "The Index Card (Helaine Olen)",
            "created": "2019-07-06",
            "content": "<p>Finished reading \"The Index Card\" about a week ago, per recommendation of my high school econ teacher. Great book for an introductory overview of personal finance!</p>\r\n\r\n<p>It really inspired me to start paying attention to my money. I've started recording all my expenses and money inflows. At the end of the year, I plan to look through my list and determine how big my emergency fund needs to be\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand then I'll try setting up an IRA for myself. It's never too early to start saving, after all! I might want to wait until the imminent recession hits, though (the yield curve is inverted right now, after all!), when I can get a discount on the funds.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>I really believe that America is in need of a higher rate of financial literacy education. That's one of the major reasons for our current retirement crisis, after all. The retirement crisis honestly really scares me. Our generation sure is in a strange situation, economically. It's said that a generation's economic outlook often is based on the economic situation they encounter in their teens and twenties. For us, that's the 2008 recession and the growth of the toll of social security on our government's budget.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Anyway, this all encourages me further to take financial literacy seriously.</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 28,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Cannon Fodder: Rising HCW Dissent During the Pandemic",
            "created": "2020-06-07",
            "content": "<h2>Rising Physician Dissent</h2>\r\n\r\n<p>A few weeks ago, after suffering from chills, coughing, a fever, and losing her sense of smell, a nurse I knew tested positive for the COVID-19, the new coronavirus at the center of the recent pandemic.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>She works at a large hospital nearby, and likely contracted the disease after her direct exposure working with coronavirus patients. For a little over a week, she stayed home, self-isolating from the rest of her family in her room. Considering our nonetheless close living situation, however, it was a miracle that none of the rest of her family\u2014her husband and her two children\u2014were infected.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Soon, however, despite her sickness, she returned to work at the hospital, in response to requests and encouragement by the hospital: Her hospital encourages coronavirus-positive nurses to work as long as they have not had a fever in the last three days. The hospital also requires nurses to wear the same mask every day without any regular sterilization to ration protective gear supply.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>These would all have been unimaginable policies before the pandemic\u2014diseased nurses are raging wellsprings of infection not to be let anywhere near patients, and the normal mask policy is to discard and replace one's mask several times a day. These extraordinary policies her test results unsurprising: Healthcare workers are far from adequately protected from the virus.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Nonetheless, between her dry coughing and wheezing, she praises the hospital for its handling of the crisis. The situation is much worse at other hospitals.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>For instance, at her hospital, they at least have access to N95 respirators, tight fitting masks that reliably filters out 95% of airborne particles. At another nearby hospital, they only have standard surgical masks left, which only reliably protects against fluids. At my her hospital, for nurses at least, the hospital has raised the hourly pay by about 30%; the other hospital docked healthcare worker pay and suspended retirement plan matching.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>And it is even worse elsewhere in the country. Due to the widespread shortage of tests, there is no telling how many infected healthcare workers are actively working with patients.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>As tensions rise and negative emotions flare, intrahospital conflicts have seized the spotlight in the medical community, especially between on-the-ground physicians and hospital administrators.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>To see how pervasive physician animosity towards hospital administrators is, one may look towards Reddit's r/medicine discussion board, a virtual lounge where over 300k medical professionals aggregate to share news and discuss issues: Among the top thirty upvoted (liked) posts made between December 2019 and April 2020, eleven directly criticized pandemic decisions made by hospital administrations, while four more have a condemnation of administrators within the top three upvoted comments.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>The conflicts are largely over three main categories. The first, most prevalent criticism is against administrators refusing to increase physician pay or even reducing it: One post with 2k upvotes angrily shares an news article from the Boston Globe describing the decision of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a large hospital in Boston, to withhold pay from emergency room doctors (Ostriker). Feeling entitled to hazard pay, the reduction or withholding of physician pay is like a slap in the face.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Exacerbating the feeling of injustice is that administrator pay seems untouched; the top comment for the post sardonically remarks, \"the economics are so bad, administrators and executives should have their pay reduced by the same amount,\" and another top post angrily shares a news article that \"Denver Health executives get bonuses one week after physicians and nurses and other workers were asked to take cuts\" and calls on physicians to \"Name them and shame them\" (occipixel_lobe). Physicians feel that administrators are selfishly protecting their own salaries at the expense of front-line workers, who are sacrificing their safety to fight the pandemic.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>The second criticisms category denounces restrictions on speech hospitals have placed on physicians: One top post with 2.9k upvotes shares a Twitter post where an NYU internal medicine resident describes her employer prohibiting speaking to the media without permission under threat of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153disciplinary action, including termination\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Farrell), and another post sharing a news article about \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Doctors being fired over speaking out about equipment shortages and using their own protection\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (RSultanMD) garnered 1.8k upvotes. Hospital administrators are infringing on physicians\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 right to free speech in an attempt to stifle dissent.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>The third category of criticisms laments the shortage of proper personal protective equipment (PPE). Though this criticism is targeted more towards corporations who have not single-mindedly redirected production towards PPE mass production, it still inspires animosity towards administrators, who encourage physicians to work in hazardous conditions without proper protection.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Administrators risk the lives of physicians while not putting their own necks on the line: An essay by one emergency room doctor condemns the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153shallow\u00e2\u20ac\u009d plans conceived by administrators who have \u00e2\u20ac\u0153spent far too long in an ivory tower and not enough time in the trenches\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Lerner qtd. in Petrishen).</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Many comments shared this contempt for disconnected administrators, especially towards those with non-clinical backgrounds; one commentor questioned the leadership of administrators without on-the-ground experience: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, is worse than the emails I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been getting from admins in \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcthe leadership\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 who literally have no clinical credentials\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (JCH32).</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>Physician Unionization</h2>\r\n\r\n<p>None of these conflicts, whether over pay, freedom of speech, and safety, are new to medicine\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey have just been exacerbated and fully exposed by the pandemic\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s stressful conditions.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>One article from 2016 by Dr. Sachin H. Jain, an administrator with a history of clinical practice, noted that a major reason for physician burnout was \u00e2\u20ac\u0153leaders involved in healthcare finance, policy and clinical administration,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d with a widespread belief that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153everything would be better if my administrator colleagues just backed off and let them get back to taking care of patients\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Physicians And Healthcare Administrators: Friends Or Foes?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d).</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Nor are any of these conflicts unique to medicine. Physicians feel that administrators parasitize off their labor, both at a financial expense to the hospital and its patients through their million-dollar salaries and as a hindrance to treatment through inane policies and bureaucracy.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Worries of pay, freedom, and safety, feeling a disconnect with a backseat-driver, ivory-tower leadership\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthis is the age-old, well-studied conflict between the capitalist parasite and the laborer host.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Based on this, an intuitive solution seems to appear: It seems odd that medicine has not ended up in the same place as many other industries sharing this same capitalist-laborer model\u00e2\u20ac\u201dnamely, the formation (or at least the attempted formation) of powerful unions.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>According to the theory of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153pluralistic industrialism,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in fact, industrialization imposes \u00e2\u20ac\u0153a set of imperatives\u00e2\u20ac\u009d that naturally leads to a certain set of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153similar patterns upon\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 social structures and institutions\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Korpi and Shalev 164), including the rise of unions (165). Indeed, according to the AFL-CIO website, unions fight for four main issues\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u0153higher wages\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 better benefits\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 safer workplace\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 voice on the job\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What Unions Do\u00e2\u20ac\u009d)\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe very conflicts that plague physician-administrator relations.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>So, it is surprising that there have historically been few significant, successful attempts at unionization among physicians: In an 2019 essay published in the New Yorker, Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist at the Scripps Research Translational Institute, notes that though \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There have been some\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 efforts to form unions of doctors, such as the California-based Union of American Physicians and Dentists\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 they haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t caught on industry-wide\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe U.A.P.D. has only four thousand members\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Topol). In comparison, as of 2018, there were 17 million healthcare workers in the United States (\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Total Health Care Employment\u00e2\u20ac\u009d).</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>Cultural Barriers to Physician Unionization</h2>\r\n\r\n<p>This distaste towards striking is part of a larger culture created and propagated by both physicians and society that glorifies healthcare worker sacrifice. Physicians who die on the frontlines are glorified: The most popular post on the r/medicine discussion board was memorializing the death of Dr. Usama Riaz, who \u00e2\u20ac\u0153spent weeks screening, treating coronavirus patients even then he knew PPE was not available\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (bicureyooz).</>\r\n\r\n<p>A highly upvoted response noted that though Dr. Riaz deserved the praise, the post was \u00e2\u20ac\u0153inappropriate\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as it encouraged physicians to work without proper protection: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Although sad and unfortunate, his death being framed as heroic helps no one and places pressure on healthcare workers to be \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcheroes\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 like this young doctor, even when it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not necessarily helpful\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (DrTugBoat).</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Within the hyper-selfless, almost macho culture of medicine, physicians are expected to quietly lay down their lives for patients. According to Dr. Haig Aintablian, a resident at the University of California Los Angeles Emergency Medicine and the president of a national resident advocacy group, this culture is ingrained as early as medical school: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153to bow down and go through this hardship\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a medical culture to go through the pains and walk out the other end saying, I went through all that, even though it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not healthy\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Ray).</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Administrators have weaponized this culture to combat physician self-advocacy during the coronavirus crisis. One pediatric resident at NYU recalls administrators saying, in response to requests for increased (hazard) pay, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If we hear more of this discussion, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to have to start looking at whether or not you want to be here\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Ray).</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Some major NYC hospitals are even asking physicians to work as unpaid \u00e2\u20ac\u0153volunteers,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d which prompted one Manhattan physician to feel that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153physician altruism was being manipulated by hospital systems\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 It also made it seem like a physician's life was not worth as much\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Schultz). In these extreme cases, physicians are expected to work in harsh conditions for nothing but the love of patient care.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>Changes in Attitude</h2>\r\n\r\n<p>However, it seems that this time, the administrators\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 attack on physicians has backfired\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe excessive bullying has incited physicians to call for unionization with renewed fervor.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>At least in the r/medicine community, almost every post pertaining to the pandemic has at least one comment calling for unionization. Posts laying out action plans for unionization garner many upvotes, as well.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>However, the actual quantitative results of the surge in unionization talks remains to be seen: Any substantial unionization efforts would likely begin after the pandemic subsides, as many physicians are currently overwhelmed by their workloads.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>The other possibility would be that the talks of unionization lose their ardor after the pandemic ends\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe underlying problems with administrators would still be there, but might once again sink to an under-surface simmer.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>If, however, physicians do indeed decide to unionize, they will have many barriers to overcome, even besides their own internalized self-sacrificing culture: The expectation for physicians to self-sacrifice is not only internalized, but also shared by the general lay population.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>This is exacerbated by the professional status of many physicians: The relationship between society and physicians is a strange paradox of a simultaneous glorification of their work and a contempt for when physicians ask for more compensation for it. Because physicians are often highly paid, many see demands for increased hazard pay as greedy.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>Another barrier will be the political and governmental institutions ignoring physician abuse: For example, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently rejected a plea to strengthen physician protections during the coronavirus saying that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153documenting compliance with such a standard would distract [employers] from other vital response activities\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Sweatt 2).</p>\r\n\r\n<p>We often compare healthcare workers to soldiers, especially in times of pandemic crisis. However, even in a battlefield, soldiers should not be treated like cannon fodder, ordered to charge into frontlines inadequately equipped.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>As the pandemic continues, and even more so after it ends, both physicians, hospital administrators, and society as a whole must reexamine our valuation of physicians and their work. Only by repairing the dynamic between physicians and administrators can we be truly prepared to face the next inevitable pandemic head-on.</p>\r\n\r\n<h2>Works Cited</h2>\r\n<p>\r\n    <ul>\r\n        <li>bicureyooz. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153r/Medicine - Dr. Usama Riaz Has Spent Weeks Screening, Treating Coronavirus Patients Even Then He Knew PPE Was Not Available. He Lost His Battle Today. Remember His Name. He Was 26.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Reddit, Conde Nast, 1 Apr. 2020, www.reddit.com/r/medicine/comments/fnz2a3/dr_usama_riaz_has_spent_weeks_screening_treating/.</li>\r\n        <li>Campbell, Alexia Fern\u00c3\u00a1ndez. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Labor Department Won't Take Steps to Protect Health Care Workers from the Coronavirus.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Center for Public Integrity, Center for Public Integrity, 30 Mar. 2020, publicintegrity.org/health/coronavirus-and-inequality/the-labor-department-wont-take-steps-to-protect-health-care-workers-from-the-coronavirus/.</li>\r\n        <li>DrTugBoat. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153r/Medicine - Comment by u/DrTugBoat on \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcDr. Usama Riaz Has Spent Weeks Screening, Treating Coronavirus Patients Even Then He Knew PPE Was Not Available. He Lost His Battle Today. Remember His Name. He Was 26.\".\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Reddit, Conde Nast, 1 Apr. 2020, www.reddit.com/r/medicine/comments/fnz2a3/dr_usama_riaz_has_spent_weeks_screening_treating/flcdk82/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x.</li>\r\n        <li>Farrell, Colleen. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I Am an Internal Medicine Resident in NYC Giving It My All Caring for Patients with #covid_19. This Is Hard for All the Reasons You Would Expect: It Is Traumatic, Heartbreaking, Exhausting. But It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Also Hard Because of How We as Residents Are Being Treated. a Thread\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Twitter, Twitter, 20 Apr. 2020, twitter.com/colleenmfarrell/status/1252241169758773250?s=20.</li>\r\n        <li>Jain, Sachin. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Physicians And Healthcare Administrators: Friends Or Foes?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Forbes, Forbes, 29 June 2016, www.forbes.com/sites/sachinjain/2016/06/29/physicians-and-health-care-administrators-friend-or-foe/#6163f6941a95.</li>\r\n        <li>JCH32. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153r/Medicine - Comment on \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcAnd for Some Positive News... CEO of UMass Donates 100% of Salary and Is Currently Caring for COVID Patients as an EM Physician.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Reddit, Conde Nast, 7 Apr. 2020, www.reddit.com/r/medicine/comments/fwl0n7/and_for_some_positive_news_ceo_of_umass_donates/fmoxfky/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x.</li>\r\n        <li>Korpi, Walter, and Michael Shalev. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Strikes, Industrial Relations and Class Conflict in Capitalist Societies.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d The British Journal of Sociology, vol. 30, no. 2, June 1979, pp. 164\u00e2\u20ac\u201c187., www.jstor.org/stable/589523.</li>\r\n        <li>occipixel_lobe. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153r/Medicine - Denver Health Executives Get Bonuses One Week after Physicians and Nurses and Other Workers Were Asked to Take Cuts.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Reddit, Conde Nast, 24 Apr. 2020, www.reddit.com/r/medicine/comments/g79516/denver_health_executives_get_bonuses_one_week/.</li>\r\n        <li>Ostriker, Rebecca. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cutbacks for Some Doctors and Nurses as They Battle on the Front Line - The Boston Globe.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d The Boston Globe, Boston Globe Media Partners, 27 Mar. 2020, www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/27/metro/coronavirus-rages-doctors-hit-with-cuts-compensation/.</li>\r\n        <li>Petrishen, Brad. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Leominster ER Doctor: 'We Are at War,' and the Soldiers Need Help.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Telegram.com, Gannett, 21 Mar. 2020, www.telegram.com/news/20200320/leominster-er-doctor-we-are-at-war-and-soldiers-need-help.</li>\r\n        <li>Phan, Chris. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Physician Unionization: The Impact on the Medical Profession.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Journal of Legal Medicine, vol. 20, no. 1, Mar. 1999, pp. 115\u00e2\u20ac\u201c140., doi:10.1080/01947649909511082.</li>\r\n        <li>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153r/Medicine.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Reddit, Cond\u00c3\u00a9 Nast, www.reddit.com/r/medicine/.</li>\r\n        <li>Ray, Esha. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153NYC Trainee Doctors on Coronavirus Frontlines Want Better Pay and Protection, but Fear Hurting Their Careers If They Speak Out.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Daily News, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2020, www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-coronavirus-medical-residents-hospitals-20200420-lxcguug43vek7hpg2npf7xdyqa-story.html.</li>\r\n        <li>Tennyson, Alfred. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord...\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45319/the-charge-of-the-light-brigade.</li>\r\n        <li>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Total Health Care Employment.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d KFF, Kaiser Family Foundation, 21 June 2019, www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/total-health-care-employment/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22%3A%22Location%22%2C%22sort%22%3A%22asc%22%7D.</li>\r\n        <li>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What Unions Do.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d AFL-CIO, AFL-CIO, aflcio.org/what-unions-do.</li>\r\n    </ul>\r\n</p>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 29,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Demian (Herman Hesse)",
            "created": "2021-05-22",
            "content": "<p>A few days ago, I reread <i>Demian</i> by Herman Hesse. The book is remarkably short; it's reasonable to knock it out in just four or five hours. I read it once in middle school, but all I remember from then is being very weirded out and confused by it. After reading it yesterday, I frankly remain weirded out by it, though a bit less confused.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>I think I'll write two posts about this book\u2014in this post, I'll jot down a synopsis of the book's main ideas and my own initial impressions, and in writing the second post, I'll do some research about the book's context and previous interpretations of it and synthesize them into my own final understanding.</p>\r\n\r\n<p><i>Demian</i> is narratively a coming-of-age story. The book takes on the first-person-perspective of a man named Sinclair recounting his childhood. The story centers around Sinclair's process of discovering himself and his philosophy on life, with another boy, the eponymous Demian, making periodic appearances and greatly affecting Sinclair's journey. Despite the fact that Demian grows up starting at the same age and at the same pace as Sinclair, Demian is largely a very static character throughout the book; we can see Sinclair's journey as becoming more like Demian, slowly adopting his philosophies and lifestyle.</p>\r\n\r\n<p>The philosophy in this book mainly comes in three main forms: Sinclair's inner turmoil and reflections, Demian's monologues, and a few conversations with Pistorius, who mentors Sinclair for a time. Some of these important ideas include:</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n    <li>\r\n        <p><b>Challenge the orthodox and traditional; strive to establish your own interpretations of the world.</b> In his very first encounter with Sinclair, Demian opens with a challenge of the mainstream interpretation of the story of Cain and Abel, where he suggests that Cain was a powerful, superior man who was simply feared by others due to his strength. Demian continues to emphasize the importance of self-determination over blindly following established beliefs throughout the book.</p>\r\n        <p>We also see an example of someone who fails at this in Pastorius late in the book, who Sinclair respects for his deep knowledge of history and world religions, but ultimately rejects due to his inability to leave the old behind and create something entirely new.</p>\r\n        <p>The book, however, does not say that one must completely reject and ignore the traditional\u2014Sinclair differentiates himself from atheists, for instance, as he believes in God and the Bible to some extent\u2014the important thing is to interpret it in one's own way.</p>\r\n    </li>\r\n    <li>\r\n        <p><b>Do not fear people.</b> Demian asserts this when talking about Sinclair's bully with him, saying, \"One should never be afraid of any man.\" He explains, \"You don\u2019t need to be afraid of anybody. When you are afraid of someone it means you have provided that someone with some kind of lever.\" Thus, Demian's condemnation of fear is also based on his valuing of self-determination\u2014when you're afraid of someone else, you give them control over you, which is antithetical to self-determination.</p> \r\n    </li>\r\n    <li>\r\n        <p><b>The world consists of both light and darkness, and we should worship both rather than just the world of light.</b> This idea is one of the first ones in the book, with Sinclair explaining that even as a little kid, he saw the world divided into a world of \"light\"\u2014consisting of his high-class parents, school, church, and everything else proper\u2014and a world of \"darkness\"\u2014consisting of the unrefined servant class, crime, and later, sex.</p>\r\n        <p>Sinclair initially finds Demian disturbing, seeing elements of the dark world in him due to Demian's heresy concerning Cain and Abel. However, Demian is better thought of as straddling both the light and dark world\u2014indeed, it is he that first introduces Sinclair to the idea that both worlds deserve veneration. In primary school, Demian challenges the idea of the Christian God to Sinclair, stating that Jehovah is incomplete, only representing the light world. Demian argues that either we must worship the Devil as well as God, or alternatively embrace a god that is both God and the Devil. This idea is ultimately realized when Sinclair paints Abraxas, a Gnostic god who encompasses both good and evil.</p>\r\n        <p>This idea of venerating duality expands later in the book as Sinclair paints and begins worshipping his \"daimon,\" a reperesentation of his self and purpose. In the ideology of self-determination, this daimon is what one must worship and forever pursue. Sinclair's daimon is androgynous, and Sinclair's attitude towards it is contradictory, both loving and hating it and both seeing it as a Madonna and as a whore.</p>\r\n    </li>\r\n    <li>\r\n        <p><b>There exists people who are special in this world, who strive to and are able to pursue self-discovery over all else. These people bear the \"Mark of Cain\" are feared by others and will be the ones to establish a new world order when the old order inevitably collapses.</b> Demian, Eva, and Sinclair believe at the end of the book that they are a select few people who bear the \"Mark of Cain,\" setting them apart from most people. Those who bear the mark subscribe to their philosophies of self-determination and embracing duality and have the power to create.</p>\r\n        <p>The three of them believe that the world is currently defective, with people chained to old ideas and unable to think freely and individually. They believe the world will encounter some incredible catastrophe (later implied to be World War I), and that afterwards, those bearing the mark will be the ones to rebuild a better world.</p>\r\n    </li>\r\n    <li>\r\n        <p><b>The power of one's will.</b> There seems to be some kind of supernatural power associated with directing one's will towards something. By focusing their will on some goal, it seems that Demian, Sinclair, and presumably Eva can bend reality towards that goal.</p>\r\n        <p>This phenomenon occurs first early in the book, most notably with Demian changing seats to sit with Sinclair despite having been assigned to sit separately. Demian explains that he first directed his will towards not sitting in the front, where he was assigned, and that a kid nearer to the back subsequently got sick and had to leave, allowing Demian to take his seat. Then, Demian, now sitting near Sinclair, realized that he really wanted to sit next to him; Demian then simply took the seat next to Sinclair, and the student originally sitting there just took Demian's seat when he realized Demian had taken his. In this case, the phenomenon seems explainable without the supernatural\u2014Demian, by focusing his will, simply made himself ready to act when an opportunity arised to change seats.</p>\r\n        <p>However, the phenomenon later takes a more distincly supernatural turn. Sinclair, for example, by directing his will towards contacting Eva from far away, was able to transmit his desire and get Eva to send Demian to see him.</p>\r\n    </li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p>Here are some initial impressions I have:</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n    <li>\r\n        <p><b>The supernatural elements.</b> The book has an array of strange phenomena, usually related to Demian. Demian has uncanny abilities, seemingly able to read minds and control them to some extent. He states that \"There\u2019s no black magic about it but if you don\u2019t know how it is done it seems uncanny\" and tries to offer scientific explanations\u2014for instance, he explains his desk moving in terms of his will making him ready to seize opportunities, and he explains his mind reading by simply being able to read people's expressions and behaviors extremely well. He also says that he cannot do the impossible, and that anything he does must be realistically possible. However, there are many instances where he does things that should be impossible, such as transmitting feelings across long distances.</p>\r\n    </li>\r\n    <li>\r\n        <p><b>The role of sex.</b> Though there is no explicit depictions or in-depth discussions of sex, sexual tension permeates the story. Personally, Sinclair seems to be in a constant state of sexual frustration and eventually becomes a sexual deviant (by my and the outside world's standards) who lusts after his friend Demian's mother, Eva. It's overall a very weird story, and I'd be interested in exploring this weirdness.</p>\r\n    </li>\r\n    <li>\r\n        <p><b>Manifestation.</b> One of the reasons I read this book was because the recent trend on social media where people believe in \"manifestation\"\u2014that is, the New Thought ideology that people can bend reality to their desires by focusing their wills towards them\u2014reminded me of Demian's powers in this book. I'd be interested in exploring the relationship between <i>Demian</i>, the author Herman Hesse, and the New Thought movement.</p>\r\n    </li>\r\n</ul>"
        }
    },
    {
        "model": "blog.post",
        "pk": 30,
        "fields": {
            "title": "Psychedelics and EA",
            "created": "2021-05-25",
            "content": "<p>The other day, I read an <a href=\"https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/NdBj6tcRwLawN99pm/ama-tim-ferriss-michael-pollan-and-dr-matthew-w-johnson-on\r\n\">AMA on the Effective Altruism website about psychedelics research initiatives</a>. The AMA was hosted by Tim Ferriss, a well-known angel investor and lifestyle guru, who believes that psychedelics have the potential to make a significant positive impact on mental health issues. Although I'm generally personally against mind-altering substances, I felt convinced at least of the value of decriminalizing and studying psychedelics to determine their effectiveness. Here are some of my notes from the AMA:</p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><p>I've struggled with the idea of donating to different causes in the past\u2014in EA, where the impact of everything is quantified (or tries to be), it seems natural to try to donate to the cause with the highest measured value. Unfortunately, this leads to a significant bias towards causes that can be measured easily, which are not always the causes that have the greatest impact (consider systemic or complex impacts). Ferriss put it quite well\u2014EA sometimes seems to \"fetishize\" measurement. Ferriss explained that we should donate to both in a pretty clear and succinct way: Just as we might diversify for-profit portfolios with short-term, more certain assets and long-term, more uncertain assets (or vice versa), we should also seek to diversify our non-profit portfolios.</p></li>\r\n<li><p>The effects of psychedelics, though only really examined by privately funded studies so far in the US, seems to be seemingly incredibly effective in some cases. For example, the statistic about how MDMA\u2014\"molly\" or \"ecstasy\"\u2014could help treat a majority of PTSD patients or even cure them was astounding.</p></li>\r\n<li><p>Some advice Ferriss thought that really resonated with me was that when you're considering investing in a project, you should really look at if you want to invest in the people. Project ideas almost never work out as planned, and success depends on whether the people are flexible and bright and hard-working enough to adjust to necessary changes. Also, if you invest in people, even if you \"lose the bet\" on the project, you've gained something by getting connected to these people.</p></li>\r\n<li><p>One criterion for determining which causes to focus on in EA is crowdedness\u2014EA tries to focus on causes that are not getting much attention, as usually they can have a larger impact per effort. This criterion is often looked at as the funds that cause receives. However, Ferriss raises an excellent question: Is donating to nonprofits that are bad at fundraising wise? He explains that being bad at fundraising may suggest that the nonprofit may be bad at other things too, such as actually pursuing their cause. I think this question strikes at the fact that EA often focuses on providing money rather than skilled labor/help, which may be what's actually more needed in cases where a company has a good cause but an insufficient skillset.</p></li>\r\n</ul>"
        }
    }
]