On Honour and Tolerance

There i was, waiting for my football match to start, when this one particular female sent me a message. Blah blah blah, how are you, yadda yadda yadda, i'm so happy with my boyfriend, blah blah blah.

You see, her boyfriend had recently come back from somewhere, and the reunion had been much anticipated, and they were apparently having a ball. Which is beyond fine, i hope to experience the same kind of reunion pretty soon.

But then, in the course of our conversation, she sent me a message that rather perturbed me. I almost quote (cause i delete every message i get so i'm reciting from memory): "He got into a fight with some guy for leering at me. And of course he won. i'm so proud of him. Sexy wild beast".

And this pissed me off (after i stopped puking). What fools they were! Fucking idiots! Some guy got beaten up because he looked at this girl. Her boyfriend attacked the poor sod simply because he checked the girl out, something every single one of us with dicks (and some of you without) is guilty of.

The perpertrator (or the victim?) had violated her honour, the girl said, in justification for her boyfriends actions, after i expressed my disgust. Her boyfriend commited a crime (assault isnt legal) simply because he, being the over protective ASSHOLE he was, felt that his girl's 'honour' had been outraged.

Fuckwit.

It made me angry beyond expression. How could this guy injure another guy simply because of a percieved wrong doing? How could this girl encourage it? Claim to love it? People like this, the narrow minded folk who think in the short term, who think 'me' only, they are the reason the world is in such a rut. All the wars, all the capitalism, all the poverty, its all because of people who act first and think later. The ones so eager to show off their 'love' or skill or expertise that they thoughtlessly run over 'expendable' bystanders.

She was so happy he beat up the unfortunate chap. Who takes such pleasure from some one else pain? Even i dont do that, and i have no morals. She felt that the boyfriend was showing his love for her. She'd want him to beat up more people! It excites them, it makes them feel special, it completes them.

And her excuse was her HONOUR! The boyfriend was defending her HONOUR! Are they fucked in the head? How does some guy looking at her damage her honour? Honour isnt about things like that, her version is a cruel corruption of the concept.

Honour is a code by which you hold yourself culpable for your actions, not one by which you punish other people! The boyfriend should've beaten himself up, if he really had any honour. And she would have let the leer (god, i'm talking about it like its a real crime) pass, if she had any real honour. Even if her 'honour' had been hurt, in the sense the fools think it, it still didnt give the boyfriend any right to react like that.

Fuckwit.

As you have probably realised, i'm as angry as i get. Its irresponsible, and immature, to do things like that, and just as bad if you encourage it. I really couldnt stand the self satisfied way she was talking about her boyfriends despicable actions, the way she hero worshipped the little prick for his little show of muscle. And i made her well aware of my distaste. I dont think we'll be talking anytime soon.

But in one of her last messages, she said something interesting. "You're my friend, you should accept me the way i am, you should be more tolerating."

Should i? Should i have just told her, 'thats great! he's such a loving guy' or some such comment, and gone on with life? Was i being intolerant? Unreasonable? A bad friend? God forbid, close minded?

It certainly sounded like that, from the things i was saying. I told her that they were immature fools. Real idiots. And that their mentality was disgusting. And that the way they thought was appaling. And that people like them were the reason world peace was only a dream.

Also that i didnt want to associate with people who thought like they did. That i'd hold her to this misdeed till she reviewed her ways.

Sounds so terrible, doesnt it.

But i didnt feel like i was doing anything wrong, and accordingly, i dont think i was. Where is that line drawn? Between standing up for your own morals, and being intolerant? Is there even a line? In the name of tolerance and acceptance, are you supposed to bend over your back to accomodate all sorts of imbeciles you find repulsive?

I certainly hope not. Because i just cannot concede to people who i feel are irresponsible or immature. If i think their ways are retarded, i'm going to say so, openly and frankly.
Am i intolerant?

If standing up for my ideas makes me so, then i guess i should be called intolerant, or close minded, or unaccepting.

I guess the difference would be, when you're expressing yourself you just give your own ideas, and keep it at that. Intolerance implies an attempt to change the other persons frame of mind. Perhaps thats intolerance.

But what does one do when the person in question is beyong logic and rationality? How do you teach someone the error of their ways, without being considered 'intolerant'? Its impossible.

Because some people just wont learn. Some people are just so wrong its impossible to tolerate their ideas. You HAVE to show them the real way, the proper way, and move them from their destructive tendencies. Some people really MUST be changed.

The question is, is it them?

Or is it me?

On Words.

The exam is done.
It went alright, i didnt cry or pee in my pants or anything, but who knows what'll happen.
So med school isnt anything right now, cause med school is on holiday.
And my life is quite sad without school. I've got nothing to do.

Pathetic.

Anyway! This is just a quick post on an upcoming event! Malaysia has a catholic weekly, The Herald. Its obviously religious, and reports on current events affecting catholics here in malaysia and around the world, runs columns on various spiritual issues, publicises inter-faith dialouges, yadda yadda yadda. It has three or four sections, English, Malay, chinese and/or tamil, i cant recall.
So anywho. The paper has recently been granted its license to publish, but with a condition. The internal security minister, if i am no mistaken, decided that the usage of the word allah in various christian literature would be detrimental to the security of the country. So the herald has been prevented from using this word in any of its malay articles.

Score one for free speech.

Naturally this was met with protest from various groups, and the paper has decided to take the matter to the High Court. The first hearing is on the 26th of April, this saturday, and the Arch-Bishop Murphy Pakiam will be attending.

I reckon there is something seriously wrong in a system where people have to go to court just so that publications of a certain religion can use the word that means 'god' in a certain language.

So there's a bit of information for ya.
Stand up for freedom of speech.

And pray to all- i mean, god- that the court shows a bit of sense.

On Perspective

Med School currently sucks.
Exams are arseholes.
But i still love med school. =D


So anyway. Perspective. Its a beautiful thing. A persons entire livelyhood can be classified as good or bad simply on his or her perspective. What a person perceives, whether completely accurate or ridiculously false, is real and indisputable to that person. The world isnt built on atoms or quarks, elements or compounds, roads or buildings. No.
This world is built on perspective.

This world? Did i say this world? There is no such thing! Due to this amazing thing called perspective, no one really shares a common world. We all have our own unique little worlds, seperate from each other and yet irresistably entwined together. Your world begins when you're born, is shattered when your girlfriend sleeps with your best friend, and ends when you die (hopefully before that bastard of a best friend). Your marriage, your fathers death, your sisters graduation, your first job, all these events have a huge impact on your world. But no one seems to care, really. Despite all these potential life shattering events, the world spins on, people keep living. No one cares. No one even seems to know!
Why?
Because all these events are in YOUR world. Everyone else had their own world, free of your issues, but filled with their own happenings, none of which you really give a damn about.

A problem that might plague you, drive you up the wall, may seem like a real bed of roses with extra blessings on it to some people. This said, the greatest, most fulfilling triumph you have ever experiences may seem like the worst kind of curse when seen through someone elses perspectives.

Oh, the inequality!

Perspective really seems to seperate us. With different perspectives, no one is ever really going to agree with anyone! How are we gonna survive this? Disagreements, arguements, fights, fist-fights, battles, wars! We're all gonnna diiiiieeeeeee!

Ok, maybe i'm over reacting slightly. I'm looking at one extreme end of the spectrum. We've gotten on quite well, seeing as there are nine billion different perspectives in the world today. Ok, there have been a few wars, but hey, there are still alot of people alive. When you think about it, the world isnt going too badly.

But this realisation of the differences in perspectives isnt necessarily bad. While it can be a bit scary, it also opens up the door that comes with all episodes of realisation. The opportunity for understanding is now available.
If everyone realised that everyone else has a different perspective on life, and thinks in a very different way, people would get along so much better. For example, its hard to be angry with that best friend of yours when you understand that from his perspective, he was just an innocent guy who succumbed to the strong (very strong) pressure exerted by his balls. You might even realise that if you had been in his situation, you wouldnt have fared much better.
Not so much of a bastard anymore, is he?

But this understanding can be applied to problems alot larger in scale than your girlfriend cheating on you (yes, there are bigger problems. Like my exams). If George Bush realises what Osama thought, and Osama understood Bush's point of view, maybe alot of lives could have been saved. Maybe those planes would've still crashed into twin towers. But maybe Osama would've thought, 'hey, these people are not really out to get rid of my religion. They just want to live life their own way. Why shouldnt i let them?' And maybe Bush would've thought 'hey, these people are trying to get a point across. Maybe i should try to talk to them, instead of invading their country!'.

Think of the potential. Its not the same as everyone actually thinking in the same way. That would be monotonous and boring. But with understanding, everyone still retains their own personal views, while making allowances for the views of everyone else.

And with this understanding comes respect. With worldwide respect, well, alot more people would be happier. And everyone will be wiser.

This post comes with two morals, in the end. The first moral, of course, is we should all put in the extra effort to understand why someone does what he does, and to discern where a difference in perspective could cause a conflict, and how compromise to avoid said conflicts. We could all actually make the world a better place.

And the second moral of the story is, if i ever sleep with your girlfriend, dont blame me.
Blame perspective.

On Nothing at All.

Med School rocks.



=D



I've got no real reason to post right now, i just feel like it. I feel really sad right now, for various reasons, and i've found out something very interesting about myself.

So maybe i do have a reason to blog! =D



Anyway, most doctors and senior med students probably wouldnt blink, but last week i met my first patient! Its a load of fun, we werent meeting in an official capacity, rather myself and a colleague just happened to be in the same room as she was, so we struck a conversation, and she was really nice. She was in for something simple, and further details i wont post up (apparently patient-doctor confidentiality is a BIG thing). So we talked, i attempted to use my *non existant* medical interview skills to ellicit medical info from her, and made a complete fool of myself, yadda yadda yadda.



Basically she was a great first patient to talk to, and i really hope i dont forget it. =D



So that leads me to the first contributor to my sadness. My colleague who was with me that day just told me that apparently, my first patient has quite a serious disorder (once again, i cant quite disclose any information, so bear with me). It might not sound like much, but really, its a slap in the face. To think, just a week ago, i talked to her, she was perfectly (well, almost perfectly) fine. Now, her life is literally in danger.

Its weird.

But hey, i guess i'd better get used to it! I'm gonna be killing patients left right and centre after i graduate. =D

So anyway, this made me discover something about myself. I was really sad when i heard, i dont know why, maybe its a culmination of various negative influences in my life right now, but i was really sad.

I was in a group of friends, six or seven, all of them pretty close, and for some reason, even though i felt really sad, i just couldnt let it out. Seriously, there was nothing showing, nothing at all. I even tried acting a little sad, but that didnt work. I was just my usual moronic self, even though i was pretty sad inside.

Funny. The guy who talks too much cant express himself. =D

So anyway, thats all i pretty much wanted to say. I also wanted to record a sliver of a memory of this patient, in a place where i couldnt forget it or lose it. Maybe twenty years from now, when i'm a stone hearted bastard, i'll look back at this, and feel sad again.

Maybe.