Thoughts Behind...

 The only person who knows you as you is yourself. You know your own quirks, your internal monologue, your guilty pleasures. What a shame that everybody misses out on your unique personality! Nobody likes to be called basic, but we all see everyone else apart from ourselves as basic. So, take a look at it, you're probably not as individualistic as you think.  A better self-introduction than most, our You Know/I know presents the most fun version of ourselves-- the specificities that make you you! Everyone has their own niche interests and preoccupations, and mine include any type of junk food, sustainability, and really groovy music that I can't sing along to. All these obscure topics of interest exist in each person, yet our default impression of people only consists of being quiet, boring, and lacking passion. I'm sorry if I offended you by being negative and saying you're not that unique. Instead, I mean to point out that we're all the same in the way that we...

In accordance with the 8+ age recommendation plastered on the side of the Game of Life box, we've been exposed to the "blueprint" ("Life Stories") of life since we were mere children. Our stages of life have been set out for us, with timestamps at the approximate ages of 5, 18, 22, 30, and 60.* It's so standard--this kind of thinking. And there's a reason for it. Obviously, these stages of life are traditional for most people, but they're also so tightly grasped onto because of the stability they provide for holders of this idea. It provides a clearer vision and comfort from the frightening mystery of the future.  Yet as we linger in each stage, we continuously look to what comes next. Personally, I've always admired those older than me and glorified their experiences. In comparison to their grand stories, my life always felt slightly less interesting-- always one step behind. And being exposed to what would soon be coming, I only had my thoughts...

Every meeting, email, or letter begins with a greeting. "Good morning," "hello," or "dear *recipient.*" Only once an opening has been made can the intent of communication be addressed. However, though unnecessary in content, such polite phrases serve to transition and maintain friendly relations beyond just solemn work. In Korean, the staple greeting comparable to "hi" or "hello," literally means, how are you? However, no one interprets it that way or responds to the question. Despite not staying true to its meaning, it is a necessary means of easing into the meat of a conversation. Very isolated from the other employees, I often found myself asking for favors or questions at work without saying "hi" or "how are you" first. I noticed I was disrupting their work and disregarding their existence as a person and instead only seeing them as a source of inquiry. By bypassing any greeting, any conversation becomes too a...

The Coronavirus. Many say it all started with a Chinese man who had consumed bat soup, and it has spread irresponsibly ever since. We've heard stories of travelers from China, Korea, and Italy returning to the United States recklessly infiltrating mass gatherings and most definitely thought of such an action as selfish and rash. The simple solution is to quarantine yourself. But the reality of avoiding the virus is much more complicated than we say. Quarantining means two weeks of nearly no human interaction and remaining within the few thousand feet of a home. Not only that but quarantining also raises the issue of spreading the virus to family members. Either you become isolated from the rest of the family, which can be incredibly difficult because of the close proximity, or everyone in the family accepts their fate of becoming infected. However, this dilemma doesn't even consider the challenge of quarantining. Regardless if one were to be doing so out of fear of others o...

Nearly everyone imagines getting married one day. Some girls create a Pinterest board with the perfect dress, venue, and bouquet, while others don't. Regardless of the amount of thought put into it, the majority of people picture having a grand white wedding with all their friends and family--just a happy time. But aside from the obvious fear of commitment and attention, one of the scariest parts of a wedding is paying for it. Sources state that the average wedding costs $38,700. This includes the cost of an engagement ring ($5,000), the ceremony and reception ($29,200), and a honeymoon ($4,500). To put this into perspective, according to the U.S. Census, the average household income in 2018 was $63,179. That means on average, couples spend over 60% of their annual income on a single unrecurring event--and that's being generous considering the fact that new couples make less early on. As Didion criticizes the commercialized nature of American culture, she exemplifies with a...

The concept of satire in comedy is fundamentally questionable, though it works. Society's rule is generally to avoid calling out people's flaws, yet comedy finds a loophole of balance to do so without offending the general population. The obvious face of comedy in America is Saturday Night Live. Although the program is known for its many parodies of electoral debates and "Weekend Updates," most of its production is not government-mocking. It varies from commercial parodies to high school skits and more; these clearly don't target specific individuals, allowing for wide entertainment. In other cases, the subject of the joke is so absurd that everyone can enjoy it--even the subject itself. Because the principal purpose of comedy is to entertain, those being made fun of must accept that they are only a small expense of this entertainment. And even more, because these jokes are exaggerations, the audience knows not to take the message too literally. These behaviors a...

All across the world, there is a type of people called "snafs." Snafs are blended into society--some conspicuous, some never revealed. Indeed there is a variation of snafs, though most tend to be of ages ten through twenty and share similar preoccupations. Snafs are not born into this identity; only once they encounter their leader do they become snafs. The process of conversion starts with mild and casual admiration of their leader's products, then quickly spirals into total fixation. Most spend their time practicing their most integral rituals, even while going about their days. Like chants, meaningful words of their leaders replay and leave lasting sounds ringing in their heads. Once familiar enough with these sounds, the words become effortlessly ingrained in snafs' minds and they even start to chant themselves. The leaders of each type of snaf are worshipped. However, like snafs, they were not always like this. Through a process of fate and light, they rea...