Got bored... decided to surf around..
Your Working Style
You have a great deal of warmth, but may not show it until you know a person well. You keep your warm side inside, like a fur-lined coat. You are very faithful to duties and obligations related to ideas or people you care about. You take a very personal approach to life, judging everything by your inner ideals and personal values.
You stick to your ideals with passionate conviction. Although your inner loyalties and ideals govern your lives, you find these hard to talk about. Your deepest feelings are seldom expressed; your inner tenderness is masked by a quiet reserve.
In everyday matters you are tolerant, open-minded, understanding, flexible, and adaptable. But if your inner loyalties are threatened, you will not give an inch. Except for your work's sake, you have little wish to impress or dominate. The people you prize the most are those who take the time to understand your values and the goals you are working toward.
Your main interest lies in seeing the possibilities beyond what is present, obvious, or known. You are twice as good when working at a job that you believe in, since your feeling adds energy to your efforts. You see the needs of the moment and try to meet them. You want your work to contribute to something that matters to you--human understanding, happiness, or health. You want to have a purpose beyond your paycheck, no matter how big the check. You are perfectionists whenever you care deeply about something.
You are curious about new ideas and tend to have insight and long-range vision. You are interested in books and language and are likely to have a gift of expression; with talent you may be excellent writers. You can be ingenious and persuasive on the subject of your enthusiasms, which are quiet but deep-rooted. You are often attracted to counseling, teaching, literature, art, science, or psychology.
The problem for you is that you may feel such a contrast between your inner ideals and your actual accomplishments that you may burden yourself with a sense of inadequacy. This can happen even when, objectively, you are being as effecive as others. It is important for you to find practical ways to express your ideals; otherwise you will keep dreaming of the impossible and accomplish very little. If you find no actions to express your ideal, you can become overly sensitive and vulnerable, with dwindling confidence in life and in yourself.
http://www.quizbox.com/personality/test47.aspx
Jul 19, 2008
Jul 8, 2008
Saifa Kata
The new kata I'm learning. The standard to strive for: (so smooth, yet so sharp and fast)
Jun 29, 2008
The Hedgehog and the Fox II
There's a teaching behind the story of the hedgehog and the fox.
According to this school of thought, there are basically 2 types of people in the world - the hedgehogs and the foxes.
The foxes are very common in our world today. They pursue many ends and perceive the world/situation/problem as very complex. The way they think is very diffuse and complicating. But their thinking is never unified into 1 simple picture, idea, concept or vision. Basically, they believe and thrive in complexity.
Hedgehogs reduce everything to a very simple idea, concept or vision. They dislike complexity. Anything that cannot be reduced to their simplified idea/concept basically has no relevance to them. They're not stupid. They just concentrate on the essence of things.
Foxes may seem very smart, but at the end of the day, it's the hedgehogs who change the world. Some examples of hedgehogs: Freud and the unconscious, Darwin and natural selection, Marx and class struggle, Einstein and relativity, Adam Smith and division of labor. All their works revolve around a central idea or theme, and even till now, sciences are based on their central ideas. These hedgehogs manage to see through the layers of complexity and uncover the underlying patterns or principles. They see through all the peripheral, straight into the core and the essence.
According to this school of thought, there are basically 2 types of people in the world - the hedgehogs and the foxes.
The foxes are very common in our world today. They pursue many ends and perceive the world/situation/problem as very complex. The way they think is very diffuse and complicating. But their thinking is never unified into 1 simple picture, idea, concept or vision. Basically, they believe and thrive in complexity.
Hedgehogs reduce everything to a very simple idea, concept or vision. They dislike complexity. Anything that cannot be reduced to their simplified idea/concept basically has no relevance to them. They're not stupid. They just concentrate on the essence of things.
Foxes may seem very smart, but at the end of the day, it's the hedgehogs who change the world. Some examples of hedgehogs: Freud and the unconscious, Darwin and natural selection, Marx and class struggle, Einstein and relativity, Adam Smith and division of labor. All their works revolve around a central idea or theme, and even till now, sciences are based on their central ideas. These hedgehogs manage to see through the layers of complexity and uncover the underlying patterns or principles. They see through all the peripheral, straight into the core and the essence.
Jun 22, 2008
The Hedgehog and the Fox
“The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.”
The fox is a cunning creature, able to devise a myriad of complex strategies for sneak attacks upon the hedgehog. Day in and day out, the fox circles around the hedgehog’s den, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. Fast, sleek, beautiful, fleet of foot, and crafty—the fox looks like the sure winner.
The hedgehog, on the other hand, is a dowdier creature, looking like a genetic mix-up between a porcupine and a small armadillo. He waddles along, going about his simple day, searching for lunch and taking care of his home.
The fox waits in cunning silence at the juncture in the trail. The hedgehog, minding his own business, wanders right into the path of the fox. “Aha, I’ve got you now!” thinks the fox. He leaps out, bounding across the ground, lightning fast. The little hedgehog, sensing danger, looks up and thinks, “Here we go again. Will he ever learn?” Rolling up into a perfect little ball, the hedgehog becomes a sphere of sharp spikes, pointing outward in all directions. The fox, bounding toward his prey, sees the hedgehog defense and calls off the attack. Retreating back to the forest, the fox begins to calculate a new line of attack. Each day, some version of this battle between the hedgehog and the fox takes place, and despite the greater cunning of the fox, the hedgehog always wins.
source: "http://www.jimcollins.com/lib/goodToGreat/ch5_p90.html"
The fox is a cunning creature, able to devise a myriad of complex strategies for sneak attacks upon the hedgehog. Day in and day out, the fox circles around the hedgehog’s den, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. Fast, sleek, beautiful, fleet of foot, and crafty—the fox looks like the sure winner.
The hedgehog, on the other hand, is a dowdier creature, looking like a genetic mix-up between a porcupine and a small armadillo. He waddles along, going about his simple day, searching for lunch and taking care of his home.
The fox waits in cunning silence at the juncture in the trail. The hedgehog, minding his own business, wanders right into the path of the fox. “Aha, I’ve got you now!” thinks the fox. He leaps out, bounding across the ground, lightning fast. The little hedgehog, sensing danger, looks up and thinks, “Here we go again. Will he ever learn?” Rolling up into a perfect little ball, the hedgehog becomes a sphere of sharp spikes, pointing outward in all directions. The fox, bounding toward his prey, sees the hedgehog defense and calls off the attack. Retreating back to the forest, the fox begins to calculate a new line of attack. Each day, some version of this battle between the hedgehog and the fox takes place, and despite the greater cunning of the fox, the hedgehog always wins.
source: "http://www.jimcollins.com/lib/goodToGreat/ch5_p90.html"
Jun 10, 2008
Audience
Something I learnt from the recent karate tournament...
It's really very different seeing the event as an audience, and when you're inside on that mat, giving and receiving the punches. It's so easy for the audience to judge, comment and criticize. But I realized, audience have no right to judge anybody on the mat, because they are not inside.
Once on that mat, the whole experience is so different. Audience often says, "should have done this/that", "bad move", "he/she sux" etc. But when you're up there, there's really no time to think. Your body moves without conscious thought/planning. It's pure auto-pilot mode. Easy for audience to give suggestions. But inside, the most you have is probably a split second.
Hence I say, audience have no right to verbally put down or judge anybody on the mat (or in the ring). Comments are normal and okay, but judgement is not. At least they took the step onto the mat, and are receiving the punches & kicks. No joke, they really hurt.
It's really very different seeing the event as an audience, and when you're inside on that mat, giving and receiving the punches. It's so easy for the audience to judge, comment and criticize. But I realized, audience have no right to judge anybody on the mat, because they are not inside.
Once on that mat, the whole experience is so different. Audience often says, "should have done this/that", "bad move", "he/she sux" etc. But when you're up there, there's really no time to think. Your body moves without conscious thought/planning. It's pure auto-pilot mode. Easy for audience to give suggestions. But inside, the most you have is probably a split second.
Hence I say, audience have no right to verbally put down or judge anybody on the mat (or in the ring). Comments are normal and okay, but judgement is not. At least they took the step onto the mat, and are receiving the punches & kicks. No joke, they really hurt.
Jun 5, 2008
Jun 2, 2008
True Friends
I feel really fortunate to have a group of people who, for the past few months, have been demonstrating what true friends are really about.
Friends who continue to be there despite your flaws and idiosyncrasies or moods.
Friends with whom you can freely express, and not fear/worry about judgments or insults.
Friends with whom you can freely share, and not worry that your words will be used against you later in the future when things go sour.
Friends who will send you SMSes of concerns, and even some "paranoia" that you're bugged by something.
Friends whom you can send random SMSes to and fro.
Friends who teach you not only how to give affections, but to receive affections.
Friends who are there while you discover life and discover yourself.
Thank you ZH and Mer for being really good friends, who taught me that there's nothing to fear about receiving affections (or presents); that I am a person who have people who will accept me for who I am, love me for who I am without conditions, without reserves; that I can have the freedom, opportunity & support to explore and screw up in the process of discovering myself; and most importantly, taught me what friendship truly is.
Thank you M and C for always being the big sisters: so concerned, always with support and advice (and naggings :P ).
Also truly grateful for the bunch of psych friends that I've made this year. People with whom I truly feel at home and at peace. Company that fill me with contentment and peace. Just to name a few: YL, Mav.T, LH, LW.
Friends I do not have a lot. Friends I do not make easily. But I really feel so blessed to have a taste of what true friendship is like, and how beautiful it really is.
Friends who continue to be there despite your flaws and idiosyncrasies or moods.
Friends with whom you can freely express, and not fear/worry about judgments or insults.
Friends with whom you can freely share, and not worry that your words will be used against you later in the future when things go sour.
Friends who will send you SMSes of concerns, and even some "paranoia" that you're bugged by something.
Friends whom you can send random SMSes to and fro.
Friends who teach you not only how to give affections, but to receive affections.
Friends who are there while you discover life and discover yourself.
Thank you ZH and Mer for being really good friends, who taught me that there's nothing to fear about receiving affections (or presents); that I am a person who have people who will accept me for who I am, love me for who I am without conditions, without reserves; that I can have the freedom, opportunity & support to explore and screw up in the process of discovering myself; and most importantly, taught me what friendship truly is.
Thank you M and C for always being the big sisters: so concerned, always with support and advice (and naggings :P ).
Also truly grateful for the bunch of psych friends that I've made this year. People with whom I truly feel at home and at peace. Company that fill me with contentment and peace. Just to name a few: YL, Mav.T, LH, LW.
Friends I do not have a lot. Friends I do not make easily. But I really feel so blessed to have a taste of what true friendship is like, and how beautiful it really is.
May 26, 2008
Finally moving on
The Empty Chair thingy really works for grief. 1 encounter, and now I really feel I can and am able to close the door, and move on. Can finally move into the last phase. The memories still come, but now I'm able to just shrug them aside as soon as they come, and not feel the hope/desire anymore.
Something that M said over the phone days ago, when I related the hospital event (and my feelings then) to her, made me sigh in realization. Even when you're in identity crisis, when you lack a self, there are still certain selves that you cannot force yourself into (even if you really think that it's your self because someone important said so). Lost anyone yet?
A paradigm is really a very powerful thing. It puts blinders on you, and make you see the world & everybody else as you think they are. Even if you think that you cannot be tied down by any paradigm. Well, that's probably the most blinding cognition - to think that you are so totally flexible and invulnerable to influences, paradigms, attributions and other cognition flaws. As Mer also agreed, these are the people most easily manipulated, because they arrogantly refuse to recognise & to accept, they are most vulnerable.
Finally able to follow the advice that M has been giving me for years - you cannot ever live for other people. I finally understand why. Because it'll never work. You'll either get burned out, or kicked out, or both. The world, and thus other people, do not operate along that axis. Doesn't matter if everything was done for other's approval or success or just to fit that stereotype of you. The world is just gonna make dispositional attribution, and that everything done was individualistic. One can only push that far and that much before fizzing off. Not to mention, pushing one to do something outta your mold is gonna end up in problems, mistakes and screwups sooner or later. It cannot be avoided. Just like people who are not naturally motivated by power, but think they are, will never make good managers no matter how much they carve or work for it. It's just not in them. Like my Sun Tzu prof said, if it's not in them, then there's really only so much he can push/nurture/shape.
Now I totally understand the people who complain that their parents are constantly trying to mold them into people/areas they are not, or pushing them to achieve in areas they're(the children) totally not meant for but (the parents) personally yearn for. Blinders, paradigms, lens... The reality is only as real as the individual makes it to be; there's no good/bad, success/failure, valuable/worthless, jewel/garbage for it all depends on the lens you're wearing.
Love hanging out with social workers who still have the passion. The optimism, the emotional strength & resilience, the non-judgemental attitude, the positive energies, the never-say-die-never-give-up mentality & belief. Woah. Their emotionality really helped guide me in taking things and other people more lightly (but erm, more dislike towards a certain group of people).
Ok C probably gonna complain my post very long again. LOL.
Something that M said over the phone days ago, when I related the hospital event (and my feelings then) to her, made me sigh in realization. Even when you're in identity crisis, when you lack a self, there are still certain selves that you cannot force yourself into (even if you really think that it's your self because someone important said so). Lost anyone yet?
A paradigm is really a very powerful thing. It puts blinders on you, and make you see the world & everybody else as you think they are. Even if you think that you cannot be tied down by any paradigm. Well, that's probably the most blinding cognition - to think that you are so totally flexible and invulnerable to influences, paradigms, attributions and other cognition flaws. As Mer also agreed, these are the people most easily manipulated, because they arrogantly refuse to recognise & to accept, they are most vulnerable.
Finally able to follow the advice that M has been giving me for years - you cannot ever live for other people. I finally understand why. Because it'll never work. You'll either get burned out, or kicked out, or both. The world, and thus other people, do not operate along that axis. Doesn't matter if everything was done for other's approval or success or just to fit that stereotype of you. The world is just gonna make dispositional attribution, and that everything done was individualistic. One can only push that far and that much before fizzing off. Not to mention, pushing one to do something outta your mold is gonna end up in problems, mistakes and screwups sooner or later. It cannot be avoided. Just like people who are not naturally motivated by power, but think they are, will never make good managers no matter how much they carve or work for it. It's just not in them. Like my Sun Tzu prof said, if it's not in them, then there's really only so much he can push/nurture/shape.
Now I totally understand the people who complain that their parents are constantly trying to mold them into people/areas they are not, or pushing them to achieve in areas they're(the children) totally not meant for but (the parents) personally yearn for. Blinders, paradigms, lens... The reality is only as real as the individual makes it to be; there's no good/bad, success/failure, valuable/worthless, jewel/garbage for it all depends on the lens you're wearing.
Love hanging out with social workers who still have the passion. The optimism, the emotional strength & resilience, the non-judgemental attitude, the positive energies, the never-say-die-never-give-up mentality & belief. Woah. Their emotionality really helped guide me in taking things and other people more lightly (but erm, more dislike towards a certain group of people).
Ok C probably gonna complain my post very long again. LOL.
May 25, 2008
Attention Seeking Bird II
Here are the pictures of the AS Bird.
Staring at me...
Getting in the way of me and my work on the monitor... (and peeping at what I'm doing)
Staring at me...
Getting in the way of me and my work on the monitor... (and peeping at what I'm doing)
May 7, 2008
Love of my life
Past few social gatherings/outings reaffirmed one aspect of my self-concept: I really love psychology, all the way to the end of the world and back. Can't imagine what I'll do if I don't get into grad school. Can't imagine doing anything else but live & breathe psychology. Just thinking about it make me all worried and panicky.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)