My Bad, Bro

If I had a bitcoin for every time some dude bumped into me and pushed it aside saying "My bad, dawg, my bad", I'd be rolling in bitcoins.

In all fairness, I don't understand the true value of bitcoins because they're niche and ridiculous, but you understand my point.

You know what I don't understand? The person who says "My bad" instead of "I'm sorry". I don't understand when an individual moves others in a crowd and says "Watch out" instead of "Excuse me". I hear these exact words from strangers nearly every day.

Would it be so hard to add yourself to the equation? I would really like to know if it's a generational thing, or a social problem on a grand scale. What makes this behavior so problematic is the fact that it alienates people from real interaction, allowing them to absolve all responsibility for their actions (at least in their own heads), and feeds the fire of self-indulgence.

I don't want to make the claim that speaking this way is sociopathic, but it's not a constructive way of communicating and to use the term "my bad" instead of a real statement that proves you accept that there are others around you is the work of someone who most likely lacks conscientiousness or maturity.

I heard a classmate use "My bad" to a professor today and even though there's no book that says you have to respect your elders, there really shouldn't need to be. It should go without saying.

You know what else we should go without saying?

"My bad".

Until next time,

Move. Move. Watch out. Move.

The World in Your Head

You don't live on Earth. You don't live in a country. You live in yourself.

Here's my theory: Your life is all based on both sound and distorted perceptions.

I've had a cold for the past few days. Last night, as I tried to sleep, I experienced a lucid dream that lasted for what seemed like ten hours. I writhed in bed while my imagination went wild, dreaming that there were tiny germ fighting construction workers living inside my body, trying to eliminate the flu-ish threat that was weakening my bones.

I abstained from checking the time, thinking that the sun would come up soon. When I finally checked my clock, I found that it's only been one hour.

I don't typically mind when this type of thing happens because it's generally really interesting. Of course, my annual flu in Florida last February was less interesting because I was bedridden for almost two weeks and that time really did feel like an eternity.

That aside, I'm fascinated with the fact that our lives take place in our mindsets relative to what's happening around us. Have you ever played a video game for hours on end, not realizing that hours have gone by? If you haven't experienced this, don't play The Sims.

Digital Cocaine

Or maybe you've recently watched a two and a half hour movie that felt more like five hours because it contained so many sub-plots.

Whatever the case, time is perceived differently by everyone. Not only time, but thoughts and emotions. When you're having a bad day, you might undergo extreme selective attention, meaning you'll only notice a percentage of your surroundings. You'll hear and see only the things that make you feel good (or bad-- blame your subconscious for that).

Wait... This car is from EUROPE!

My point is that life is as subjective as it is objective. That's what makes our lives so dynamic. We're not simply amalgamations of skin and bones. It's our thoughts, our ever changing minds that make our existences so valuable.

Keep on,

-Philip