Correcting people?

I've been told it's always been a problem of mine, correcting people when they slip up or are mistaken. I guess being corrected on something can be a little demeaning, especially when it's by someone your junior or someone you're supposed to have authority over. But how bad is it really? I don't recall ever being offended when someone corrected me, and in fact I thank people on the internet when they catch a grammatical or spelling error in stuff I write because I'm happy they share my appreciation for good English. I can't wrap my head around this fram of mind that refuses correction; don't you want to learn from your fellow man?

The thing that stirred this pondering was my stepdad talking about the World Cup today. He kept saying that "Guyana" was through to the next round of play. I misunderstood at first and thought he meant the South American country and told him they weren't through. Then I realized that he meant the African nation of Ghana, and further corrected him. He got angry and said, "What's the fucking point? You know what I meant." I can tell you the point; I don't want someone I know to appear like a fool in conversations when I can correct a simple error, so don't get offended when I'm trying to help you with no hint of condescension. You're welcome.

Response to AP English essay question

I took the AP English Language exam a few days ago, and I think I did very well. What this blog is about isn't how well I did, but how I feel about the synthesis essay question. The question provided sources for and against the integration of technology into schools as a form of teaching and doing work. I wrote my essay in favor of this, because I've used computers my entire life and think school using just computers would be infinitely more effective. What bothered me is that the only arguments against the integration all say the same thing: computers stunt children's imaginations and make them unable to appreciate things like books and symphonies, that require focus. I think this argument is complete bullshit and demeaning to the human psyche. Computers, especially the internet, have not stunted me in my intellectual growth at ALL, and I've been using one my entire life. The Internet has, in fact, served to expand my horizons and introduce me to new concepts, music, and people that I would never have known otherwise. I'm an atheist because of the internet. I'm better at critical thinking because of the internet. I've learned more from the internet than I have in the past 4 or 5 years of public schooling. I really don't think I'd be any different if the internet didn't exist, merely my means of learning new information and communicating would be.

I understand that old people are generally opposed to change and see the growing use of computers to perform tasks humans do as anathema to what they grew up with. They have to understand that what you grow up with is not always going to be the best method of doing things, as I will have to understand when I am old.

JUST REALIZED SHE'S A BITCH

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

True sadness is in the recognition of futility

Sad little title I came up with. It's so true though, and it makes one wonder: is it better to give up hope on something and feel depressed about it, or maintain an unrealistic hope and keep a modicum of happiness? I've always thought of myself as somewhat of a pessimist, but now I find myself facing a failure and being able to do nothing but think "This will sort itself out somehow". Logically I know nothing's going to happen, whether that's fair or not. But another part of me keeps coming up with scenarios in my head where I meet success. I don't know if this hopefulness will ever go away, what will happen if it does, or if I even want it to. Just an observation of existence.