【To Be Continued...】How to Live a Good & Meaningful Life?

Intro (Thesis)

In our life journey, we are born and we all die at some point. What should we really do between this time that we have in order to live a good and meaningful life with no regrets? A lot of people including myself have been working hard on how to live a good life and we all receive these ideas from our dominant cultures. Such as the corporate, folk, and other subculture that shape us into who we are today. People are connected to these cultures, and we all taught our self that we are living a good and meaningful life by self hypnosis. We are so hypnogenetic that we do not even know our life is considered meaningful or not. Throughout our life, we all seek for happiness. We want to be happy, that is why we are unhappy when we don't have happy. We are sad, therefore we will be happy. Our life is mostly connected with the word "happy", and no matter what we consider happy is as a meaningful life, people are escaping the reality and trying to be happy in their life. Thus, they can avoid as much pain as they can in their life so it will be meaningful with happiness. People are all liars that they are lying to themselves that they are living a good and meaningful life when they are actually escaping the real world and living in their own hallucinatory world.

Dominant Culture - Definition of Dominant Message

The dominant corporate culture is made of companies who constantly pour messages into people's brain such as pursuing happiness, and get accepted by the society. Then these messages will eventually brainwash people's view of living a good meaningful life because they often seem to be accepted by the majority and it shapes the way people live. The most popular way the companies send these messages is through the tool of media. Since now a day, most of the teens even adults are sit in front of the computer at least for two hours. The companies make advertisements on Internet in almost every website that keep telling people how to live a good and meaningful life. Other ways of sending these messages are through the TV (commercials), magazine, newspaper, posters on street, trains...etc. In people's daily life, we see these messages everywhere and they are the most popular topics that most people talk about. The powers of these messages are not only shaping people's way of living, it also affects people's view on looking at their life. The most common ones that we see in our daily life are to be cool, rich, and live our life with happiness. The dominant corporate perspective on living a good meaningful life are basically trying to teach people how to upgrade themselves and to be better in some way. Such as looking good even though you are already looking fine or it tells you that you have to be trendy so you are always with the dominant group. But one thing these corporate companies will never expose to people is that we are all followers that we are not being our "real self". The goal for the corporate companies are not really teaching people how to live a good life, the way it works is that benefit comes first, others second. Thus, people often shaped by the dominant culture and got brainwash by these accepted messages from the majority.

Dominant Culture - Dominant Message from Music Video "Lip Gloss"

People in now a day society are mostly shaped by the corporate culture. The corporate culture constantly sends messages throughout many different kinds of ways to tell people how to live a good meaningful life. One music video that I watched called the "Lip Gloss" by Lil' Mama is basically a music clip that tells people how to fit in among the larger community. In the very beginning of the music video, she is trying to fit in to the “cool crowd”, so she will be poppin’. After she got the lip gloss, she changed totally from self-diffident to self-confident to represent she fits in the group now, and she is cool. Throughout the whole video, it constantly sends the message to people that they have to look good and cool by using expensive products/cosmetics to be able to have a good life (power) in this society, because they fit in the group and they are part of the popularity. Also it helps you to get sexual attention from the opposite sex and being the representative of the same sex at the same time. The pop culture in this society is sending out the dominant message that you have to follow the trend and update yourself to be able to get the center attention. Or else, you will not be on the same level as the other. In other word, you will not be attached to the society that you are in. Overall, by doing so, people will be happy, meaning living a good and meaningful life. The corporate culture sometimes tells people the marginal message about how to live a good meaningful life, but often people don't really see it. Which has caused people to live in a lie and taught themselves they are living a good and meaningful life. According to this music video, the marginal message is that you don't need these luxuries and you will still be pretty, but if you use it, you will upgrade yourself. The society are really the one who gets to decide what is really the right way to live a good and meaningful life because we all consumes of these corporate companies.

Dominant Culture - Dominant Message from Film "The Music of My Heart"

Music video is not the only ones who send out corporate messages that will affect people's perspective on living a good meaningful life. Movies and films send out message that will affect how people should live, too. One movie that I watched called "The Music of My Heart" is basically about having accomplishments in the society. The movie starts out to be a woman whose family has fall apart and she has to start her new life in a new black community while she is Caucasian. At first, she went to a school for part time job to teach students violin lessons. But then most of the parents did not seem to accept her. They do not want their kids to play the "white men's music". Throughout the whole movie, she insistently spreading how important it is to the kids in spite of what race the music is from. She starts to get accepted by the parents by showing them how talented their kids are in the music concerts. Which later gets to the end that more students want to be her students and she even get to perform with her students in Carnegie Hall. This movie tells people that they should not go away from their obstacles and they should overcome the things that are on their way. It also tells people that if you are persistence on your dream, you will succeed someday. This messages that is being send out from the dominant culture sometimes might not be so bad to follow because it gives people a sense of belong and avoid being lost. But at the same time it makes people to have higher expectations in their life that they believe they can accomplish anything they want. People always attempt to be over optimistic that they are living in an illusion world that they create for themselves to maintain gratification.

Dominant Culture - Dominant Message from Magazine "OUT"

Not only the televisions and the movies send out corporate messages. The magazines and advertisement send out messages that will affect us somehow, too. I still remember one magazine that I read in the library called "OUT", a fashion magazine, inside it was full of articles and advertisement about high fashions and how to look good in the society. One article I read called "Taste Makers 2008" by Chris Rovzar is a write up with details about high fashion taste for the year. The article is an interview of many designers and directors of famous brand. They explained how they create an impeccable taste and style that make people's life simpler, prettier, happier, and richer. The creative director from Calvin Klein, Kevin Carrigan explained "it's extremely important for me to have one consistent message for the season that can be applied to different areas and different regions- one emotion with many expressions." Based on what he said in the article, it pretty clear that these magazines do send out messages that tells people how to have a good meaningful life. He believes that it is extremely important for him to create a taste for people in order to help them look good. But these magazines never mention how expensive these products are. Throughout the whole article, there are bunch of top designers and taste makers who talked about what is the best taste in this society, but the prohibited message is that they never tell you that these are all luxuries that you not necessary need in your life. The whole point of wearing these expensive brands is to make yourself feel comfort in the society-the feeling of being accepted by somebody else. Thus, people will no longer feel they are alone and they lie to themselves that they are living a good and meaningful life. However, these people never realize that they are just living a good and meaningful life in other's eyes, but not in their own perspective. We all are living in a society that is being tie to the dominant corporate culture like puppets that we are unable to disconnect from them caused of the power of the majority.

Dominant Culture - Definition of Marginal Message

From the dominant corporate culture, we are not only shaped by the dominant messages that we often see in daily life. We also are shaped by the marginal messages from movies, TV, commercials, and advertisements...etc. Marginal messages are the ones that we don't often see in movies or TV, but it is not something new. It is something that we know and see before, but not often. Some of the marginal messages are to make a difference, to be the real self, the truly you, or money is not everything but not having it is...etc. All these messages are something that we know and see in the movies, but they are not often show though media. But it still shapes people in some way on living a good meaningful life. These messages are often seem to be acceptable to follow and they are not as the popular one as it is. Sometimes people think that to be the true self is to follow what they believe and avoid following the messages from the dominant corporate culture. For marginal messages, they are different from the dominant messages that sometimes they are not bad to follow and they will somehow make sense to people to live a good and meaningful life based on them. Such as to make a difference and fight the norms, these are the marginal messages from the media that are acceptable for people to follow. However, they are easy saying but hard to do. All these messages are being exposed to the public is because people are often attempt to do it, but unable to reach it. People reduce the unhappiness so they feel like they are getting close to the reality.

Dominant Culture - Marginal Message from Film "Fight Club"

One movie called the "Fight Club" is a movie that really sends out marginal messages that people do not really hear them often. Throughout the whole movie, Tyler Durden keeps saying things to the narrator to face the reality. One scene that they caught an Asian guy and put a gun on his head to force him to answer the question "what he want to be", it is a scene that makes people to think about their life and feel cherish for each second that is passing by us. If this guy does not end up to be what he said he wanted to be, he will be killed. Then Tyler explained that in these six months, the foods that the guy eats will taste better than anything he has tasted in the rest of his life. I feel like this scene is very reinforcing the point that you have to know who you want to be, and if you think about death, it will really come up to a reason to yourself that why should you live. Another scene is when Tyler said, "You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not your fucking khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world." I think this is a powerful statement in the movie that sends out a message to people that even we so much being aware of ourselves, we actually does not worth as much as we look ourselves compare to others look at ourselves. I think Tyler in this movie said that is because he is trying to say that we consuming a lot of products that we do not really need, and trying to be rich and struggle with money, all these things in our life has been making our life out of shaped. The reason that all these truth messages that gets to extreme are able to show on the movie through media to the rest of the people is because these messages are easy say but hard to do. People sublimate themselves to take the real urge to be something that they will be, and shape it in a way they will comfort themselves, so they will feel comfort of who they are. However, these marginal messages do shaped the way people live even though they might not be able to really take the urge to do what they are said to do.

Dominant Culture - Marginal Message from Magazine "Milk"

Not only movies are the most popular one that sends marginal messages. Magazines are part of the media that sends the messages that we don't often seem, too. One magazine that I read called "Milk", a fashion magazine that tells you the new products from most of the famous brands - mostly street wear brands. One of the pages from that magazine was saying that it is the Milk magazine's birthday. The author of that article was talking about the reason why people celebrate birthdays and he asked a question saying "Why do people celebrate birthdays if they were counting down that they are getting old even more?". Another question that he asked was "Why do people celebrate birthdays if they were celebrating they are getting closer to death?". These are the message that I don't really see on the magazines, but I believe these are marginal messages that the media are sending out sometimes. I also heard a lot of people saying when people celebrating their birthdays, it is also celebrating their mom's most painful day. Although knowing these messages does not really bother me the way I celebrate my birthday, but I think these messages are quite powerful. Because these messages are the ones that people media does not exposed often. It is like a flip over of the fantasy of celebrating birthdays back to the reality of the celebrations. Although people don't usually see these messages, they are able to expose to the public is because people will still do it! Perhaps people will take these messages as a curiosity and twist the message to the ones that they will be able to follow. Same as learning, everybody perceive differently based on what they learned. Marginal messages do affect the way people lived, and it depends on how the person takes the message to live on their life. It might be meaningful for them to live by knowing a new message from the corporate culture.

Folk Culture - Definition of Dominant Message

People do not only affect by the corporate culture to live their life, they are also related to the folk culture such as holidays, traditions, or lessons from the teachers or parents. In the United States, most people practiced the famous holidays: Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Halloween...etc. These holidays are not only part of our culture; it is also a special day that teaches people how to live a good and meaningful life. The most popular dominant message from the folk culture will be spend time with your family, friends, shared love, and peace. All these aspects of living a good meaningful life are most likely seem to be as the obligation for people in their life. In this case, families are considering the most important to people and they value the most since we are closer than anybody else. Most of these holidays are being practiced by the majority and people do follow these dominant messages from the folk culture to live their life. These messages do not have to do with companies, but ideas being passed down from ancestors. They do have meanings behind it and reasons to be exist in folk culture, but they are difficult to determine whether is right or wrong in my perspective. It is definitely a choice for people to choose to live their life whether they want to believe in these messages or not.

Folk Culture - Dominant Message from Interviewing My Family "Dad and Mom"

When I asked my family what is their aspects of living a good and meaningful life. The replies that I heard frequently were happiness or finding your bliss. My mom specifically believes that family is the most important in our life and descendants should be responsible for the elders as a payback for all the caring. Differently, like my dad, he believes that being successful is the most important in life because we will be able to have a life with challenge and obstacles. Achieving something and accomplish something can access us to learn more things around us. As interviewing my family about how to live a good and meaningful life, I noticed that my family is mostly like the dominant culture because they are being shaped by it, too. All the aspects such as being successful, family, are mostly connected to happiness. People are working so hard to achieve the “good” things and avoid the “bad” things in their life as the definition of living a good and meaningful life. Even though we see as a reality that family or success might not be the most important things in our life, we taught our self to believe in it and avoid the reality, so we feel like we are approaching to the real world. The fact that most people are lying to themselves is because they do not want to face the pain in life and they consider the “bad” things as not a good life.

Folk Culture - Dominant Message from Interviewing People on Street

While my family believes that the meaning of life is family and to succeed, some people think the meaning of life is mostly happiness, too. The most common answers that I got from the people on the streets are: families, friends, and happiness [a sense of belongings]. But there do have some unique answers such as: God, music, fashion, photography [dreams and achievements]. When people mentioned meaningful, it usually means something that you appreciate and it “means” something to you like a mark that makes it unique in your life. The way I interpret these people's ideas about to live a good meaningful life is to put them into two different categories. One of them is individualism, and the other is groups. While some people like to live their life based on others such as family and friends to have a sense of belonging, the other 1/3 of people like to live their life based on their dreams that does not really have to do with somebody else. The specific pattern that I see from the people who response, “family, friends, and happiness” is that these people are the ones who think a meaningful life is to having a relation with somebody else to be able to make their life and somebody else’s life meaningful. Not necessary they are seeking for meaningful by themselves, but they are looking for meaningful by being part of somebody else. The pattern that I see from the people who response, "convey God, music, and fashion" is that they are the ones who like to be independent and go on their own other than with somebody else. It does not mean these people do not have a family or friends, but it seems they like to do things individually in order to make life meaningful for them. People believe in these aspects of life to fill their emptiness is because they think that is the meaning of living. But they never step forward to face the fact that they are all emptiness and they do not need to rely on other things to get accepted by the others to live a good and meaningful life. Therefore, people are lying to themselves to live in their own fantasy world.

Folk Culture - Dominant Message from Holidays "Thanksgiving"

Other than interviewing people on the street and my family regarding on folk culture, holiday could be seen as the folk culture that leads us to live a good and meaningful life, too. Thanksgiving, a popular holiday that most Americans celebrate, it is a holiday that really limits the things you can do on that day. For the people who celebrate this holiday, you must have eaten a lot on that day. Even though you are on a diet, this day is an exception. On Thanksgiving, the choice of food is limited too. Such as turkey, corn, pumpkin, mash potatoes...etc. and it is representing the harvest of the year. Perhaps, some foods are being abandoned on that specific holiday. For the dressing code, you might have to dress in a certain way looking nice in the dinner, looking different than you used to eat dinner. Which is making yourself more uncomfortable on this specific day, but also special in the other hand. It also contradicts itself because your family should appreciate and feel thankful about what they have, family is part of it regardless of how each other look, but you have to dress up on that day to eat with your family. In addition, the participants on this holiday are only for families mostly, it is not a day that you should spend with your friends or any other. This holiday is basically teaching people that in order to have a good meaningful life; you should be with your family and have a peaceful dinner. Then everybody gathers around and has a nice day together. But the part that it contradicts is that the conversation on the dinner is very limited. Such as bring up the thanksgiving is actually celebrating the Indians got killed by the Whites (genocide). A lot of things that you might want to share with your family, it might not be a good day to bring it up on a holiday in case you might be the one who have just ruin the day that everybody is expected to be happy. Another part that it contradicts is that this holiday tells you that sometimes is acceptable to leave your friends out, and family should be the number one on the obligation list. In other words, family is more important than friends. Therefore, when there is a holiday, people's daily actions might be twist a little and is absolutely limited. People are self hypnosis that living a good and meaningful life is to spend time with the family and that is the way to pursue happiness. But they never realize or avoid knowing the truth of the holiday and taught themselves to believe that celebrating holidays with families are not aspects of living a good life.

Folk Culture - Dominant Message from Regular People Online "Strike up Conversation"

In addition, looking at regular people’s dominant folk culture on line, "How to Strike up Conversation with a Random Guy at the Mall", it is teaching people how and what should they say and act in the mall in order to talk to a guy that they think is "cute". I personally think by doing it, it makes the person look even worst in terms of embarrassment, and obvious in the public's eyes. "If he says yes, remember to make lots of eye contact then proceed to buy the object but then say "Oh man! I forgot my money!" then say "You all can come with me to go get it." Leave the store and don't go back for at least twenty minutes if he didn't ask for your phone number while you where talking to him." From reading all these "HOWs" on wikis, I noticed that they often do not really tell you specifically how would the other person felt, but they tell you what they think the person will say or think. By setting up all these plans to do something to get what you want, your "target", people always think in their mind about how that person will react back to their actions. Refer back from the quote, it said, "if he says yes", I think there could be more answers than just a yes or no, what if it turns out to be something else, how would this person react back to it without planning it at the first place. Wouldn't it be more awkward? People always make plans for things and think before taking actions in their life and they think it might always have the best outcome. But sometimes things are mostly turn out to be something else that you never expected. Also, it teaches you to say that "Oh man, I forgot my money" and leave the store to wait for the guy to ask you for the phone number. I personally think saying you forgot your money is more embarrass and it is obvious to the others. Throughout the whole web page, it is teaching people how to get accepted by the others and how people should act in the society without being embarrass. But ironically, I think by doing that is more embarrass than just be who you are. "If your friends see you continuously make eye contact with him, they might think you are trying to have him talk to you, which may get you embarrassed. Don't sound too obvious, or it will make you sound desperate for him." I think the whole "drama" that is being set up itself is already making the person who is doing it look like a clown. It is obvious because you talks to the man first, and I think the man is desperate by the time too. "This guy could be a complete weirdo so even if he looks cute, you never know if he's committed murder or something scary, so if he like invites you to his house or something odd, have some common sense. Say no! You have to REALLY get to know him before you seriously get close to him." I think this warning is basically telling people to be aware of strangers; they might be dangerous to you. But at the same time, it teaches you how to talk to strangers. It is contradictive, and is kind of a nonsense overall to me. At the same time, it is indicating the dominant perspective of how people should live their life- putting a mask on yourself the whole time, so you will be living a good and meaningful life avoiding the reality.

Folk Culture - Dominant Message from Early Education "Vice-Principal's Math Class"

Moreover, teachers from primary schools are constantly giving messages to the students about how to live a good and meaningful life, too. When I was in third grade, my math teacher was the vice-principal of the school teaching our class math. Every time when we start the class, we are supposed to know how to do addition, subtraction, multiplication and division very well. He gets to choose which role of the students in the beginning of the class to answer bunch of math problems on the little board, and if one of the person from the role answer it wrong or taking too long, the whole role get to punish-slapping palms. I personally do not think this is living a good and meaningful life that people cannot have flaws in their life. The vice-principal is teaching us that we should always be prepare for the class and we should not make mistakes in life because that is consider “bad” as human. People are been taught to do things perfectly when there is no such thing call perfect. But people never realize or remember that we all learn from mistakes. If we do not make mistakes, we will never get to learn more things in our life. People always taught themselves the way of living a good life has to include all the “good” things and exclude the “bad”. But never understand the relationship is that “bad” and “good” is always connected that they cannot be separate.

Folk Culture - Marginal Message from Uncle "Do Things that Make you Feel Happy"

In our life, we sometimes met people or revealers who give us some marginal messages from the folk culture about how to live a good and meaningful life, too. Such as from our uncles or elders that they will suggest some messages about life that we might never heard of. One of my uncles has always been telling me that I should do the things that I like and I shouldn’t force myself to do something that caused me to feel misery. He is telling me that life is too short to enjoy and I should not be always unhappy about the little things in our life. The message that my uncle gave me is consider a typical marginal message from the folk culture. At some point, he could be right that as human, we should not always struggle about things that are making us feel unhappy. But at the same time, this is not living a good and meaningful life because nothing is perfect and we should face the bad things and good things in our life. We should not walk away from difficulties and unhappiness in our life. People always attempt to avoid reality and blindfold their eyes from the bad things because they believe good things are the way of living a good life. However, things come around and go around, good come from bad, and bad come from good. People should face the obstacles in their life and include the "bad" in their life in order to be good.

Folk Culture's Messages on the Good and Meaningful Life - Online Advice From Regular Folks

After looking at all the examples, I think it all has to do with avoid making mistakes of doing something. In other words, what is really the right thing to do. From the wiki answers of telling you "how", I think it is teaching people how to act in a certain way so you are not embarrass in the public, or it teaches you how to get the things you want such as a boy/girlfriend, happiness mostly. Overall, it is telling people how to act in a certain way, so they will be accepted by somebody else or the society such as fitting in. By following these tips and advices that the people gave online, I think the person who follows it is really a person who are not living a good meaningful life because that is not the "real" you. Perhaps even myself do not know who is really the real me, but I guess the real me is full of flaws and embarrassed things from the public's view hiding deep inside of myself that do not want to reveals in front of the others. Therefore, we act in certain characters in front of the other people and try to tell our self that is the "real" me.

When you don't want to act in a certain way but you are forcing yourself to, I think the person is living a life with their own fantasy or a struggle-trying to get the best out of it even though it might not fit them. Also, it is very difficult for the person living a life with rules that people tell you, to be this and to be that. The fact that we are all puppets being tie up, people should try to cut off some of it or as much as they can especially when they have the choice of giving the string or not to the person who is holding it. In other words, people can make choices of how they want to live, how they want to start a conversation with their boyfriends or how to talk to a stranger. Why should we follow these advices? Also, it is better to find the way that is the best for yourself. In other perspective, those could be a very good tips for people, but I don't think people should take it if they it does not work for them and they are forcing themselves to be someone they do not want to be.

For "How to Strike Up Conversation with a Random Guy at the Mall", it is teaching people how and what should they say and act in the mall in order to talk to a guy that they think is "cute". I personally think by doing it, it makes the person look even worst in terms of embarrassment, and obvious in the public's eyes. "If he says yes, remember to make lots of eye contact then proceed to buy the object but then say "Oh man! I forgot my money!" then say "You all can come with me to go get it." Leave the store and don't go back for at least twenty minutes if he didn't ask for your phone number while you where talking to him." From reading all these "HOWs" on wikis, I noticed that they often do not really tell you specifically how would the other person felt, but they tell you what they think the person will say or think. By setting up all these plans to do something to get what you want, your "target", people always think in their mind about how that person will react back to their actions. Refer back from the quote, it said, "if he says yes", I think there could be more answers than just a yes or no, what if it turns out to be something else, how would this person react back to it without planning it at the first place. Wouldn't it be more awkward? People always make plans for things and think before taking actions in their life and they think it might always have the best outcome. But sometimes things are mostly turn out to be something else that you never expected. Also, it teaches you to say that "Oh man, I forgot my money" and leave the store to wait for the guy to ask you for the phone number. I personally think saying you forgot your money is more embarrass and it is obvious to the others. Throughout the whole web page, it is teaching people how to get accepted by the others and how people should act in the society without being embarrass. But ironically, I think by doing that is more embarrass than just be who you are. "If your friends see you continuously make eye contact with him, they might think you are trying to have him talk to you, which may get you embarrassed. Don't sound too obvious, or it will make you sound desperate for him." I think the whole "drama" that is being set up itself is already making the person who is doing it look like a clown. It is obvious because you talks to the man first, and I think the man is desperate by the time too. "This guy could be a complete weirdo so even if he looks cute, you never know if he's committed murder or something scary, so if he like invites you to his house or something odd, have some common sense. Say no! You have to REALLY get to know him before you seriously get close to him." I think this warning is basically telling people to be aware of strangers, they might be dangerous to you. But at the same time, it teaches you how to talk to strangers. It is contradive, and is kind of a nonsense overall to me. At the same time, it is indicating the dominant perspective of how people should live their life- puting a mask on yourself the whole time.

I do not play facebook, but I think by playing it, it is already a waste of time. It is quite pointless to give people advice on how they should play facebook. People choose to play it because it is fun and it interests them. If playing in a way that follows other people's advice, where is the fun for them? Also, I personally think that Facebook is created for people to put time into it, so I don't think it is necessary to tell people how to play Facebook without wasting time. "Consider quitting Facebook and state that you are too addicted. True friends will understand. "I think is hard to quit something when you are addicted to it, and is not like you quit, then everything goes away. It takes time to really adapt to the new life without facebook. In addition to that, they said true friends will understand. I do not think being a true friend needs a facebook to contact each other and friendship does not build up through Internet, but real life contact or interactions. If quiting a facebook that my friend actually do understand, I personally don't think it shows that my friend is a true friend, it is just being understanding of each other. Facebook does not rate whether your friend is a true friend or not either. They make it seems like facebook is one of the important things between friendship, which has already twist the meaning of friends. This tells people that in order to live a good and meaningful life, don't waste time on the unnecessary things but at the same time, it encourages you to do play facebook, but in the correct way. It is always contradictive by giving advice that support people to play facebook, but at the same time don't waste time for it. These advices never tell people that by playing facebook, it is already the waste of time because it has to follow all the steps." Fifteen minutes might be a healthy amount of time to spend on a Facebook session." These advices are definitely teaching people how to live in a certain way that is consider meaningful and acceptable such as how should people use their time and don't waste them. At the very last, it said, "If all else fails, quit face book." I don't think people should quit facebook because they cannot follow those steps that they advice. While they are telling you to avoid wasting time on facebook, at the same time, it contradicts by saying facebook is a waste of time itself. Perhaps, playing it in your own way without following these steps are making your life more meaningful than struggling how you should shaped yourself into somebody else. Moreover, all these advices are easy say, hard to do. If people are not addicted to it, they will know how to manage their time better.

Another example that I saw online was "How to Make a Best Friend", it tells you that there are plenty of best friends out there and it is up to you if want it or not. "Be a good listener. Don't act stuck-up. Be friendly and say hi to absolutely everybody. Think about others 1st and help them. " At the beginning, it describes that people do have possibilities to make friends with everybody. But in order to do that, you have to be a certain kind of people such as be a good listener and think about the others first. I think friendships really come naturally to everybody and I don't think people have to do certain things to make friends. My opinion to build up a friendship is to be who you are, but not to be someone else. Because once you make a friend with somebody, you supposed to be your true self, not somebody you don't want to. If you have to act yourself up in order to get a best friend, I think it is making yourself more uncomfortable and at the same time, it is obvious, that this friend is not good for you. The web page provide a lot of steps and advices, but they never tell you that by doing so, it makes yourself to act in certain way to serve somebody else. You are acting up to be the person that the others want, and therefore, you are serving the others with happiness. More important, you are not the only who are receiving happiness. If making a friend that makes you feel uncomfortable to be with, then why force yourself so hard to try to maintain this friendship? While they are telling people how they should "look like" in order to have a best friend, it says "Be yourself. Because if all goes as planned, they'll see the real you and know you were lying, so stay yourself, because any chances of them being your best friend are much higher!" It contradicts because if you are not acting properly such as being a good listener...etc., there might be a chance that you cannot find a best friend. But at the same time on the tips list, it tells you to be yourself when you are making a friend. So which one should people follow? To be themselves? Or somebody else that the others want? "Try to laugh at their jokes (Even if it's not funny) that would make them feel comfortable! " Again, it constantly tells people to be a "fake" person, but at the same time you should keep it real. This web page tells people that in order to have a good and meaningful life, you should have a best friend and used specific techniques to maintain this friendship. But by reading all the advices, I think it makes the people living a life with more contradictions. Even on the web page itself, it is obviously contradictive. "Make sure that this person isn't mean to other people, or two-faced. This can happen quite easily. Some people might be sweet to your face, then gossip behind your back. This doesn't mean accuse someone of being two-faced when they're really sweet, but you should just make sure this doesn't happen. A mean person doesn't make for a good friend." I think this is very ironic because before accusing your friend being a two-faced, yourself is already one of them. Thus, do true friendship exist? I think it might exist when you were a kid, but once when people get older, they think more deeper and have another voice in their mind about somebody else. It is quite difficult to maintain a friendship, but I don't think by doing the advice will help you to have the best friendship either.

In conclusion, I think most of these advices are making people's life more confused and full of contradictions. Also, it reveals the standard of the society and the public's eyes to the others. It certainly tells you how to live a good and meaingful life and how to get accepted by the society. But the ironic part was that by doing all of these steps, you are serving the others the priority to receive happiness, not yourself. While you are trying/struggling for happiness, having everything the best for your life, you are basically destroying the happiness of your own life.

Obama's Inauguration Day

What aspects of our lives were emphasized by the speeches, ceremony, music, song, spectacle? What image of "the good and meaningful life" was strengthened and what sorts of lives were implicitly or explicitly critiqued?

Obama's speech has really set up the mood of national unity. It also gives people a sense of justice, dignity, and equality. It makes people feel like they are all the same regardless of the social class and now we are all here holding hands. Trying to work things together and change America. In other words, refresh the country and step forward to get better, so it will benefits everybody. By looking at the spectacle from the television, patriotism reveals. It tells people that they should sacrifice like the ancestors for the nations. Everybody is specifically focusing on Obama, and now he is the one who leads everybody to have a better life. It seems like a lot of people are counting on the new president to make this change. In the other hand, Obama gives people hope, another chance to be better, to improve things, make people feel fresh, and have higher expectations. All about changing. Thus, everybody have a good meaningful life, mostly-happiness.

Would Obama's words come true? I don't know until I see the actions. It is great to hear his plans as the 44th president of the United States, but I think it makes a lot of people to have high expectations on him. It also makes me wonder have people thought of the negatives?What if he fails to achieve what he said? Do they still sense the unity of the country? Would Obama lost his trust? Obama's speech has dilute the reality that people feel like they are in a nation that is willing to change. My analogy about Obama's speech was that all Americans are on the boat with Obama fighting against the crisis, and he is willing to bring people out of the danger and giving people hopes.

"We have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord." "Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met." This tells us that we have to face the difficulties in our life and we will meet success, but not in a short period of time. It tells us that we have to solve these problems together, and unity is important. We should always have hope instead of fear, and by doing so, they will be met. The speech do gives people hopes and make people to look forward to it, but how long does it takes? It will be solved, but when? It sounds like a commitment, that everybody commits to this and we are all united. But do unity really exist?

"Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet." This quote tells us to be generous and to help the others. We cannot be greedy and irresponsibility, or else we are weakening the economy. I personally think is hard to get away from greed as human, and everybody are greedy. Who is willing to share their wealth? If a person works hard for what they have, why do they have to share with a person who does not work hard as they do? I think it is hard to unite everybody together, and before that, everybody have to be generous. Is that really the way of living a good life? Working hard to share? It reminds me of quote saying we learn so we serve. For me, I think Obama is right that the consequence is from the greed of people. But how do we make people to get rid of greed?

"The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness." I personally think everybody measure happiness differently, and everybody do deserve a chance to pursue as much as they could. But what if the merchants believe their full measure of happiness is wealth? How would they share? Are we really created equal? Are we really free? Everybody do deserve a chance, but I think it has to do with a person's ability to achieve, too. The chances are very limited especially for the ones who are born into a poor family who are starving for food. Do these people even have a chance to seek for happiness? Do they have the time to think about education when they have to worry about their next dinner? Is that equal/fair?

From the news knowing Obama's Inauguration actually spends a big amount of money. It kept me thinking about what would happened if partial of the money is actually spend on the poor. How much do those money really can help the people who really needed instead of for the ceremony, protection and safety, ...etc. Would it light up their life to seek out for another chance to have their full measure of happiness? Are their gartification is more easier to fuifil? Also by watching the ceremony on the television, I personally think is a bit boring and uninteresting. It also makes me think of while a lot of people are celebrating this special day with smiles hanging on their face, the other part of the world have somebody who are actually suffering and struggling their life with food. It is quite ironic but also the reality.

One of the music that is being play is called the "Simple Gift", I think it has to do with freedom and that is the simple gift that everybody should deserve to have in this nation. I like Obama's speech by pointing out the problems about America such as human's greed, not taking responsibility of things...etc. But I personally think it is way too difficult to solve these problems, and I'm looking forward to see how Obama take actions to solve the problem that he sees. Like he said, it is not easy, but it will be met. I am really interested at how he will actually do it, and curious about the results.

Response to Martin Luther King's Unfinished Business & Where Do We Go From Here?

After reading the article "Martin Luther King's Unfinished Business", I personally think the article is just telling the reader what did Martin Luther King accomplished and achieved in the years he is alive. He is such a man who did so many things for his people and he was assassinated in Memphis where he is supporting a strike of low-paid municipal workers. As what the article described, he is "much, much more than that and by the end of his life was advocating change of a revolutionary character, challenging the power of American capitalism." Basically, Martin Luther King has sacrifice his life to achieve his dreams and has never stop or give up on making a change for his people to have a better life. He is such a plastic postage stamp saint that makes him to be an elitist person in most Americans' eyes and it will not be forgot.

I personally think Martin Luther King is a important character in the United States, because I cannot imagine how it will be right now if he did not fight for equality. Even though I do not know enough to judge what he has done is consider good or bad, right or wrong, to the country, I do agree with him saying "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." I personally believes that everybody is born to be equal in this world that people should be treated the same regardless of what race you are. But in the other hand, I don't think equality exist in the society. For example, if there is a boy who is born in a rich family and a boy is born in a poor family, it is complicated to determine whether that is equal or not. Because once you are born, a lot of things are already being set up, you cannot choose who is going to be your family member or who is your parents. So how should we define equal or fair? I think in one point that everybody is equal because as human, everybody should be treated the same, that is the fundamental privilege that people should have. Also at the same time, you cannot choose your race, nationality...etc. So if you are born to have a dark skin even though you don't want to, it is equal because the person with light skin did not get to choose who they want to be either. This could also see as unfair or unequal, of course, the rich is better in the society because they would have more power over the others. In this case, regardless of wealth or social status, I agree with Martin Luther King that everybody are created equal, because people should not treat each other differently based on their skin color or race as human beings. This makes me think of equality plays a big role in our life because that indicates human values - dignity.

When Martin Luther King condemn the country's leaders for breaking the promises in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, he urged unity and announced "Many of our white brothers as evidenced by their presence here today have come to realise that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and they have come to realise that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone." Martin Luther King believes that everybody is actually connected to each other and nobody can work things out alone. Everybody should be together as a group in order to be united. I do agree with Martin Luther King that each person's destiny is tied up to the other and everybody is affecting each other throughout our life time. But I also wanted to point out that while Martin Luther King is fighting against racism, himself is racist, too. Because by reading his quote, it seems like he is fighting the rights specifically for his people. "Instead of hououring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad cheque, a cheque which has come back marked 'insufficient funds'. " I personally think when a person goes to the extreme, is never be able to determine whether he/she is right or wrong because there is always two sides on things. While he is fight the rights for the black people, it is the same for the whites too. Therefore, if we are all tied up together, what is the point of fighting each other? Aren't we all losers that has been defeated by death? This brought up a question in my mind, why do people fight?

From 1965, Martin Luther King started to attack the America's war in Vietnam and he told his staff that "there must be a better distribution of wealth and maybe America must move toward a democratic socialism." Throughout Martin Luther King's life, I have been noticing that Martin Luther King is mostly struggling and fighting for fairness among each other, such as the way people being treated regardless of people's race and wealth in the society. He has always been seeking for the equality, justice for humans, specifically for poor people, the lower class. This has brought my attention to the fact that it is impossible to determine fair and equal. It also makes me think that what is the definition of equal for Martin Luther King. Moreover, Martin Luther King's actions reminds me of Obama that he tries to make a difference in people's life and he is planning to end the Iraq war to save more money for the people who really needed. Lowering the health care...etc. All these things have to do with equality between people and constantly relating to fairness, justice. At some point, I felt like Obama has the possibility of turning into a plastic postage stamp saint that everybody admires like their idol that they will never be able to reach his elitist, successful achievements.

According to "Where Do We Go From Here", it said, "in order to answer the question, 'where do we go from here?' which is our theme, we must first recognize where we are now." I think it is so true that in order to make a difference, people should know where are they now. In the article, it explains the situation of unfairness, "Negro was 60 percent of a person. Today another curious formula seems to declare he is 50 percent of a person. Of the good things in life, the Negro has approximately one half of those whites. There are twice as many unemployed...This is where we are. Where do we go from here? First, we must massively assert our dignity and worth. We must stand up amidst a system that still oppresses us and develop an unassailable and majestic sense of values." Martin Luther King has struggle for his people about dignity, worth, and values in the society. This shows a lot about human life that how much this means to people, that we cannot live without such dignity. We must stand strong and create a system that is unassailable to protect these values. Based on this quote, it says a lot about human, and what is the good and meaningful life. Peace, fairness, and love. For so many years, Martin Luther King has fight for his definition of fair, equal for a lot of people that he made a CHANGE in people's life. "And I say to you today, that if our nation can spend thirty-five billion dollars a year to fight an unjust, evil war in Vietnam, and twenty billion dollars to put a man on the moon, it can spend billions of dollars to put God's children on their own two feet right here on earth." While reading the article, it constantly reminds me of Obama that the things that he wants to change. It also connects to our life that we make decisions based on what values more, what is more important. By doing all these things, it gratifies a lot of people's dreams in their life. Therefore, it makes the people who is making these changes to a person who is more than perfect, that is so elitist that people cannot be any better.

All these accomplishments that Martin Luther King has fight for his people has made him into a person that everybody admired that his flaws will not affect his image to the others. This also sends out a marginal message telling people that if you have done enough good things for the community, sometimes mistakes and your bad things will be cover by the things you accomplished. At this point, it is hard to determine whether Martin Luther King is a good person or not, and it is not important. But he is definitely an important person for the country in history, and without him, the issue of racism might be even worst in America.

【To Be Continued...】How to Live a Good & Meaningful Life?

Folk Culture Part
will be added to the previous paper about the corporate culture.

People do not only affect by the corporate culture to live their life, they are also related to the folk culture such as holidays, or lessons from the teachers or parents. In the United States, most people practiced the famous holidays: Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween...etc. These holidays are not only part of our culture, it is also a special day that teach people how to live a good and meaningful life. The most popular dominant message from the folk culture will be spend time with your family, friends, shared love, and peace. Most of these holidays are being practiced by the majority and people do follow these dominant messages to live their life. All these messages are difficult to determine whether is right or wrong in my perspective. It is definitely a choice for people to choose to live their life.

During Christmas, people often spend time with their families. It is a day that is related to religious since it is Jesus's birth. Also it is a day for kids to grand their wishes. Therefore, it is a very peaceful holiday that most people who practiced it belive it should be a happy, steady day. The decorations for this holiday are mostly red, green, and white. These are the holiday's requirement as being a person who is committed to Christams. Thus, people are limiting the things they can do on that day such as sad stories, unfortunate events, or anything that has to do with sorrowness. Even you want to share some stories that you really want to share with your family, the conversation on the dinner table is really limited. Everybody must keep the mood of this holiday constant and peace. After the dinner, people will share presents and spread love to their love ones. People feel happy from receving gifts from the others because it shows how much they value to the other. So, Christmas is a holiday that teach people in order to have a good meaningful life, you need to spend time with your family. But the marginal messages behind Christmas was that it is a competition between family memebers regarding on status. People want the majority to go to their house to celebrate this holiday while the others is fighting for the people to go to their house. This process of inviting people to your house reveals your status in front of the others. If you have a lot of people going to your house and celebrating this holiday, it shows your status among the others. Although Christmas could be determine as a good or bad holiday to celebrate, it is a choice for the people to choose whether they want to celebrate it or not. The folk culture is a culture that has nothing to do with money, it is a special day people created and being pass down to the next generation. It is a ritiual that most people do and it is just a holiday that giving people more choices to choose how to live their life.

Folk Culture Holiday Analysis (Thanksgiving)

For every holiday that most people practiced in the U.S., people are really limited the things that they can do on that day comparing to a regular day. In some way, it could be special for that day because people are doing something different. But in the other hand, people are really just limited their freedom on that specific day. Also, when the holiday is a a day that the majority practice, it is hard to get away from it, because you will not fit in. So, holiday could really be good and bad. The way to look at it, is just really another choice for people to choose to live their life regardless of whether is good or bad, meaningful or meaningless.

Thanksgiving, a popular holiday that most Americans celebrate, it is a holiday that really limits the things you can do on that day. For the people who celebrate this holiday, you must have eat a lot on that day. Even though you are on a diet, this day is an exception. On Thanksgiving, the choice of food is limited too. Such as turkey, corn, pumpkin, mash potatoes...etc. and it is representing the harvest of the year. Perhaps, some food are being abandon on that specific holiday. For the dressing code, you might have to dress in a certain way looking nice in the dinner, looking different than you used to eat dinner. Which is making yourself more uncomfortable on this specific day, but also special in the other hand. It also contradicts itself because your family should appreciate and feel thankful about what they have, family is part of it regardless of how each other looks, but you have to dress up on that day to eat with your family. In addition, the participants on this holiday is only for families mostly, it is not a day that you should spend with your friends or any other. This holiday is basically teaching people that in order to have a good meaningful life, you should be with your family and have a peaceful dinner. Then everybody gather around and have a nice day together. But the part that it contradicts is that the conversation on the dinner is very limited. Such as bring up the thanksgiving is actually celebrating the Indians got killed by the Whites (genocide). A lot of things that you might want to share with your family, it might not be a good day to bring it up on a holiday in case you might be the one who have just ruin the day that everybody is expected to be happy. Another part that it contradicts is that this holiday tells you that sometimes is acceptable to leave your friends out, and family should be the number one on the obligation list. In other words, family is more important than friends.Therefore, when there is a holiday, people's daily actions might be twist a little and is absolutely limited.

Sometimes the popular holidays are really affecting the people who care because people will have high expectations on that day. Such as Christmas, people are planning and expecting a lot of things out of these holidays. Also, people who practiced these holidays, they will have to do something special for it. But in the other hand, it often does not meet people's expectations. People usually have a fantasy imagination on the holiday that they will celebrate and on the day the holiday comes, they are not as excited as they thought they will be. Therefore, holidays sometimes affect people's feelings and it often upsets them when they did not meet or get what they want. It is also like birthdays, people are expected to receives gifts and blow the candle on their birthday. But if it does not turn out to be how people imagine, people often get upset. In other words, people all attempt to have expectations and the fantasy illusion is always better than reality that turn out to be, so when the outcome is not gratifying to the people, they make themselves more disappointed. In addition, most of these illusions are from the media such as holiday movies and commercials.

Having holidays are not totally bad for people to live a good meaningful life even though it limits people's actions on that day. Since one year has 365 days, if everyday is just a regular day for people to follow their daily routine, they will be boredom at some point in the middle of the year. But having a special day that limits what you can do, it creates the fun for people. Even though that holiday has a meaning behind it such as relating to religious or history and some other things, it is good to have some holidays that people can practiced, so they can have a day living in a different way in 365 days. Holiday teaches people how to live a life differently other than just following the same routine every single day, this will make your life more meaningful because you did something different. It also tells us that we should try new things and learn how to accept the things that we never saw.

Although sometimes is hard to get everybody to practice the same holiday, it is not so bad to get involve in something. Sometimes people are celebrating the holiday but left out knowing the meaning behind it. I personally think that it is not so bad because you are trying to understand other people's culture. In addition, the meaning behind the holiday might not be really the real meaning why people are celebrating the holiday, too. A lot of holidays are based on history's special events, these holidays' meaning might not be really relevant in now a days. But since it is being pass to generations to generations, people is just keeping the culture values. Thus, the meaning of celebrating a holiday might not be really important as to get involve in the holiday. Celebrating a holiday does not really have to relate to the reasons why people celebrate it, it could just be how we see the holidays as the culture's values that is being past from back then to now.

In conclusion, holidays could be bad especially when you really don't want to celebrate it while everybody is. But having holidays are not necessary bad although it often relates to the corporate culture. Because people get to have a special day in 365 days that they can do something different. It is like a parent always controlling what kids can do and cannot do, but when you grow up and you are on your own, you miss how your parent used to plan the day for you. It is like the holiday that sometimes people should be limited so that they don't really have to think about what they have to do on that day. The holiday is like the parents that already tells you what to do and you just have to do what the holiday requires you to do. Therefore, having different holidays in these 365 days might not be as bad as people think comparing to living a life with 365 regular days every year.