Kuya Migoy was already getting into my nerves when he told that my article is needed. They informed me that Muny and Nate already did their part. Yes, I've been notified for weeks now by Kalasag and Blue Knight. Here it is then: A series after the other.
One word: Procrastination. Kuya Migoy, my mentor for 4 years straight, asked me why kept slacking off with my works. One word: procrastination. On the 20th of September, he prompted me to give him the draft of my article. I had no choice but to do it. Luckily, there's a bunch of The Weekly Sillimanian scattered in my room since I actually started reading and following it week after week. I scanned through every article starting from their latest issue. PAASCU? Ateneo's full of that. We've been through hell and back just to get a re-accreditation during our senior year. Founder's Week? Ateneo just celebrated the school's fiesta so it's pointless to discuss that. I suddenly came across an issue in which the headline was "President's home gets bomb threats". I smiled. That is pretty normal way back in Davao
I won't go into technical since this is an article from a college publication; it went through a series of drafting and editing as much as this review has to go through. The prose of the author is raw and realistic. There are no bluffs and it has appropriate word play. Now, into the content.
"Drowning from Within
Editorial by Alton
As we enter into a more diverse community in college, we encounter people from nearly all walks of life. It is a difficult transition from high school in a sense that we meet different people in a matter of an hour or two. Because of that, we come across different personalities from friendly individuals to loners, from studious students, from introverts to extroverts and from sensible to shallow people. The world is full of shallow people and I don't know if that is reason enough to write about them but I will, anyway.
Generally, shallow people see almost everything in a superficial manner. Ironically, a lot of them are not even aware that they are already drowning in their own shallowness. They are, most of the time, suffering from boredom and unhappy with their state of life―which actually explains why they end up picking and prodding at another person to feel good.
So, how do we really know if a person is shallow? Listed below are a few characteristics that compose a shallow person based on personal and other person's experience. These include intolerance, insecurity, being judgmental, hypocrisy tactlessness, materialism and flashiness.
A shallow person desires to get rid of all unattractive people in the world—something clearly futile and nearly impossible to accomplish. They are intolerant of how other people dress and look like, with mindset that they are far superior. Who would one stand next to for him to feel less unattractive himself in the first place? Pardon me for the joke but it somehow makes sense, doesn’t it?
Shallow people ridiculously take too long before they decide to introduce their boyfriends/girlfriends to peers fro they're afraid to have them "stolen". I can't help but think that this is due to insecurities they possess. Unfortunately, this happens frequently in real life.
"It takes one to know one" as they say; shallow people think otherwise. Being judgmental is apparently innate in them. They easily jump into conclusions thinking that they know everything. It's pain that they assume to know us more than we do. Adding insult to injury, these narrow-minded people mostly insist on what they believe is true; often not paying attention to what other people said.
Hypocrisy is another addition to the parameters of shallowness. If it's not you, don't act it! Showing people something contrary people something contrary to the real you doesn't help but add to the long list of vices you can have. There may be instances that may be so that you may see hypocrisy as a last resort. But even then, it should not be considered a choice.
Words are extremely powerful that a word could either please or hurt a person. When people start using the wrong words, it may follow that he/she is tactless, insensitive or just don't have a life. A tactless person can be identified as someone shallow. It is worth remembering that some thing's are better left unsaid to avoid making someone miffed; a tactless person can be very weak at this.
Shallow people give importance to material possessions more than well-being or anything else. Materialistic as they are, shallow people attend to seemingly unending crave for a variety of things at the expense of intellectual or even spiritual values. There is more to life than mere materialistic happiness.
Those who show-off a lot is more likely to be shallow people. They are attention seekers who think they are successful in entering the limelight through flaunting their possessions. Oftentimes these people have high self-esteem and most, if not all, are too arrogant.
Now is the perfect time to evaluate yourself whether you belong to the growing number of frivolous people or not. So, if you think you are one of them, you shouldn't wonder why a lot of people dislike or not even bother to notice your existence. It’s not yet too late to make a full-360 though, so make that change and make it now." -tws, 19th of August 2009.
Sapul, right? To those who are bound to graduate from high school, buckle up. You are going to have one heck of a ride. I know most of us are guilty of these charges. These are facts and, believe it or not, most Ateneans are getting more and shallower.
We used to go out SIR and eat there with the elementary students. We didn't care whether you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend as long as you are still our friend. We used to speak with courtesy and highest respect even to our underclass. We used to rationalize and assess the situation before taking the appropriate actions. We had the best of our high school lives because we felt secured, accepted and loved by our community. Whatever happened to the Ateneo High School
A stream of students is rushing towards the clinic because two boys got involved in fist fight. Four students were caught cheating during a major examination. Yes, our batch knows how to cheat but NEVER, never on a major examination. The Prefect of Student Discipline's Office is now busy with cases; suspension of a whole class, class post due to cutting classes and such. Another case involving a student threatening a teacher, face to face, with no inhibitions. Has the Jesuit University
I know each and every one of you is reading this right now; you are required to do so. Can't you still see the connection between the quoted article and this one? Simple, change. We need to change one characteristic at a time.
Starting off with intolerance to those you think inferior to your physique. The SIR barangay has been with us during Christian Service Involvement Program. We, Ateneans, served this community relentlessly because it is the nearest urban poor area to our school. But us, alumni and teachers, have been very disappointed how later batches, not to includes Sheldon Wong's batch, on how Ateneans have been treating the SIR kids. You either prod the people there because you think it is dirty and unattractive. There is a reason why our CLE teachers wanted us to clean the area. They also have a reason why they give lectures about justice and fairness among us. Don't be alarmed that most of you are starred at when you pass the SIR gate. They are ready to consume you when you pass there since you have emotionally consumed them.
Insecurities, we all have them. It only varies on how you handle them. I've been hearing about cat fights more often than I ever did in my entire life. The reason you ask? Because your best friend thinks you stole her boyfriend even if you were just talking. Insanity as I refer to it. It is ridiculous how relationships get into your friendship. You are so paranoid that you become distancet to your friends altogether. Come on, how low can an Atenista stoop?
Good old hypocrisy, say hello to the Ateneans. If the school were to eliminate hypocrites, be ready for the lowest population outcome. Most of the Ateneans social climb due to the social stigma by the people around us. But seriously, would you benefit from living a fake life? Demi Lovato's role in Camp Rock 1 is a definite example for all the complications you are to experience when you commit duplicity. She was able to change by the end of the movie. We are more than capable of change, think about it.
The worst sight would be a teacher crying due to a student's embarrassing remarks. What satisfaction do you get from it anyway? What's the point in insisting that you are right when in the first place you don't have any reference and proof? Tactlessness is a product of Ateneans' social climbing. You want to be "oh-so-conyo". But even Andrew, Lara and Mimi are not conyo. No matter how hard you've been trying to be that person, you will never become one. Instead, you will become a poser: the worst social criminal.
Listening to your iPod when the teachers are discussing, playing with your PSP during PE, amplifying your acoustic guitar so that the whole level would hear your untimely jamming session, wearing the latest fashion against the description of the dress code, and texting with your Blackberry during class hours. Still nothing wrong it? You then make fatal excuses; none of them justify the ends. You see, flashiness is insulting. Especially to the teachers. Why so? You have insinuated an act defying every rule just so others will notice you when no one really cares.
*No copyright infringement intended. Permission has been granted by the author.
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To Kuya Migoy: Ayan na HA! don't kill me alright. I finished that around 1am and still, not much good to it.
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