Are you successful?

To provide an absolute definition of success, I would argue that success is the ability to appear in public – at any given point and time in one’s life – without shame. The basic premise is that success is not static, but dynamic. It is a rubric of self worth in the interim between the first conceptions of self and dying. Following this reasoning, a person’s life should run parallel and at the same pace as their ideal of success. More directly, I am 21 years old and a junior in college. In this light I consider myself successful. If I were 30 years old and a freshman in college, my self perception might be different. Consequently, self esteem (I believe) is an excellent meter of success. High self esteem indicates that an individual perceives themselves as successful. Given that success is dynamic and not a point to be reached, juxtaposing money and self esteem as meters of success proves money to be an inadequate measure. Money is impersonal and fluctuates in its weight as an indicator at different points in life. A college student with good grades and no substantial income will consider himself a success. Self esteem, on the other hand, is consistent in its influence on happiness and success because it reflects how a person perceives him or herself. In essence, success can be defined as the pursuit of happiness.

Love Triangle

Here's a true story for your entertainment. One of my friends has been involved with a girl for about three years now. He met this girl at K-mart, where they both worked together. At first, he felt that the girl was just another fling. So he attempted to use her for sexual gratification. In so doing, he asked her how she felt about a threesome. At first, she was opposed to the idea, but after much coaxing, she agreed. The plot thickens: my friend invites his best friend at the time (also one of my best friends) to join the party. They took the girl to our highschool parkinglot where they engaged in the threesome. The girl would perform oral sex on one while the other would "hit it from the back." Then, they would switch. After that night, however, my friend continued to talk to the girl. Currently, he is in love with her, and is getting married to the girl in May. Its crazy because he asked his friend that was involved in the threesome to be his best man. He also asked me to be one of the groom's men. However, Both the best man and I are opposed to the marriage. Long story short, there may be several objections during the ceremony.

A Rainy Day

Today, I left my apartment in LA to go to Riverside in order to take my dad's car back to him. Almost immediately after I got into the car, the sky turned black. Soon after I merged onto the freeway, rain began to poor from the clouds. The wind slammed into the car from all sides. In addition to the winds, rain, and darkness, I forgot my eyeglasses; I felt legally blind in these conditions. As I proceded on the freeway, I noticed tumble weeds rolling around on the freeway. Some were big enough to stop traffic and block entire lanes. It was an uncomfotable ride; I knew something terrible was about to happen. Not too far in front of me was a white pick-up truck. However, the driver of the pick-up was not driving to accomodate the slippery road. He continued to reach high speeds and weaved in and out of traffic. I lost sight of the truck after several minutes. However, we would soon come into contact once more. Approximately 30 minutes later I spotted the wite truck upside down on the right side of the road. It was wierd because the driver of the pick-up cut me off earlier, and I almost crashed. Hey, it might be carma.

Gay or Straight- Whats so Different?

Currently, the debate about the spread of HIV/AIDS has proved to be a very pressing, serious issue. In this regard, we understand that the disease is spread most effectively through anal intercourse. To explain, the tissue surrounding the anus is very thin. Thus, with forceful entry, the tissue is prone to tears and breaks. Consequently, the tears allow the virus to enter the blood stream more efficiently than vaginal or oral sex. However, I am not attempting to form a sex education course. Instead, I attempt to uncover the sociological aspects that might influence the rapid spread of the disease within the gay community. Moreover, we have all been to a nightclub, or even taken a casual walk through the mall. Many times, numerous men will approach a woman before the night at a club or stroll through the mall is complete. However, the majority of men’s efforts to seduce a woman are stifled, as the woman is usually the one to render any form of constraint. She is the one to say, “NO!” This argument implies that the majority of men will go to bed with whatever woman is willing. Similarly, what will we find if we apply this same concept to the homosexual population? Instead of the object of the man’s desire being focused on women, it is transferred to men. In this light, we uncover what distinguishes heterosexual interactions from homosexual interactions. Above, we determined that the presence of estrogen presented by the woman is what limits heterosexual exploits. In contrast, it is testosterone courting testosterone that magnifies the sexual occurrences in the homosexual population. There is no limiting factor that decreases the frequency of sexual interaction. Both men are equally willing and pressuring of the other- little constraint is enforced. My argument is not that gay men are more promiscuous; but rather, I argue that men are men despite their sexual preferences. When presented with the opportunity to have sex, most men will take it. Consequently, the lifestyles (i.e. gay clubs) are even more supportive of increased sexual interaction. Homosexual guys go to gay clubs with the intentions of men (i.e. find someone to go home with), and men often exhibited no constraint. With the above argument we might better understand the rapid spread of the disease within the gay community. Both the methods of homosexual intercourse and “the nature of men” promote riskier behavior. Accordingly, understanding this concept may help to fight the war against HIV/AIDS.

The Best Man...

A woman wants a guy that other women want. To clarify, human nature is to work for what we feel is important; otherwise, we are only settling for what is available. In this case, the feeling of accomplishment has not been realized once we settle for whatever or whoever is available. In relation, every woman has her idea of the perfect man imbedded in her mind. For the most part, he is not the one who is available at any given time; he is the one that she must work to get. Thus, the idea that looks don’t matter and personality is what counts is false. Moreover, once a girl begins to see that she is the only one attracted to her guy, she will eventually begin to question her own reasons for being with him. Accordingly, once she begins to question her motives for being with her partner, she will begin to think that she is settling. Besides, she has not had to “work” for him since he does not attract attention from other woman. As a result, the feeling of accomplishment is void. At this stage, all is lost; she believes that “she can do better.” Consequently, you are not the best man for her.

Who's Winning?

In a general sense, women want a man who is dominant; she wants a man that can “beat her at her own game.” More directly, if we examine a woman’s strongest quality whether it is looks, intellect, or even athletic ability, the man must exceed or at least equal her strongest attribute. I support this argument with the example of Marian Jones (the world’s fastest woman) who marries the world’s fastest man. In this case, the woman needed a man who exceeded her own athletic ability. In result, the woman does not feel bigger or better than her partner. We can apply this same theory to Lela Ali’s marriage to another professional boxer or even Jada Pinkett and Will Smith, by which Will surpasses Jada’s fame and fortune. If the woman feels that she is better or exceeds her man’s potential in any aspect, she will begin to think that “she can do better.” In this scenario, the best man for her is the one who “beats her at her own game.”