The Typical Malay

My first encounter with the word "nihilist" was about a year ago, used in the manner of self-description. From the moment I heard it, two noteworthy conclusions were formed. One, people will describe themselves using denominations that they themselves believe to be positive due to the subjective value of what those denominations mean to them regardless of the general perception. Two, I am immediately sceptical of people that are different from the norm due to knowing the human desire of being different just for the sake of being different. Contrarianism. After discovering the definition behind the belief that is "nihilism", I began questioning the significance of having a meaning in life. Life, in its pure essence, is definitely meaningless as there is no true clear meaning that is given to us upon birth or any time in between the beginning and end of life. Any sort of purpose is either given to us by others or discovered by ourselves. That observation alone is ...

When you teach someone, what is the imagined future of that person that plays in your head? It is safe to say that most people do not clearly imagine their student to master the subject taught. If the student were to show a slow start, some will think that it would be nigh impossible for them to master it. Some will think that maybe the student will become good at it at some point but probably not be able to master it. Realistically speaking, the best teachers will also harbour these thoughts. The difference lies in their ability to still adopt the idea that their students, regardless of how slow, will eventually be able to master the things being taught. Not merely become good, but to master it. Ask yourself. Would you really want to be taught by someone who doesn't believe that you can master the things they teach you? Would you be okay with someone who teaches you just so that you can become good but not the best you can be? If a teacher would be foolish enough to...

One of the reasons why many poor and middle-class people fail to emulate the ways of rich people is because they refuse to look beyond the surface. The have-nots admire the luxurious comforts of the haves but they rarely admire the great amount of effort that was put into acquiring those comforts. It is this kind of self-limiting perception that makes poor people stay poor. They see the fruits but they refuse to understand the roots. The ways to become rich or at least financially free are no longer secrets. Successful men and women have written more than hundreds of books on how to become as wealthy as they are. They also carry out seminars and give talks on the same subject. So if all the knowledge to become wealthy is already out there, what's stopping us from making ridiculous amounts of money? "Cuma nak atau tak nak saja." is a popular Malay saying that basically means "It's just a matter of whether you want it or not." The saying is very accurat...