Ms Ang mentioned in GP about Catch-22. Read it in an article and remembered it. So interesting! and i think that the situation posed in the novel is very scary and probable in reality. I hope that i won't get caught in one like that


From Wikipedia:

Catch-22 is a term coined by Joseph Heller in his novel Catch-22, describing a set of rules, regulations, procedures, or situations which present the illusion of choice while preventing any real choice. In probability theory, it refers to a situation in which multiple probabilistic events exist, and the desirable outcome results from the confluence of these events, but there is zero probability of this happening as they are mutually exclusive.

The archetypal Catch-22, as formulated by Heller, involves the case of John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces bombardier, who wishes to be grounded from combat flight duty. To be grounded, he must be officially evaluated by the squadron's flight surgeon and then found "unfit to fly".

"Unfit" would be any pilot that is actually willing to fly such dangerous missions: as one would have to be mad to want to take on such missions.

But the "problem" is that to be declared "unfit", he must first "ask for evaluation", which is considered as a sufficient proof for being declared "sane". These conditions make impossible being declared "unfit".

The "Catch 22" is that "anyone who wants to get out of combat duty, isn't really crazy"  Hence, pilots who request a fitness evaluation are sane, and therefore must fly in combat. And at the same time, if an evaluation is not requested by the pilot, he will never receive one (i.e. they can never be found "insane") meaning, he must also fly in combat.

Catch-22, then, ensures that no pilot can ever be grounded for being insane - even if they were.

i think too much has been going through my head, bruising my ego. i had so much confidence in the past, but slowly and surely, all that has been eroded.

Probably because i have always ranked my happiness with other peoples'. Even when i've achieved something, i always contrast it with others, and there is always a higher mountain which seem to dwarf the one you're on. And i downplay my achievements, i undermine my hard work, i under-celebrate my happiness. It is time i objectively judge my happiness, taking things as they come, celebrating the highs and lows in my life. i wanna feel some peaks and troughs in my emotions again, rather than always disappointment.

and i've not been doing things that affirm my desires and ambitions. somehow, i've been dreaming, thinking that without effort on my part, my talents and capabilities would be acknowledged and shine through, convincing others that i am deserving. somehow, i thought that we would be allowed to play without limit, and the adults would pass it off (even foolishness) as just enjoying one's childhood/teenhood. but apparently we're on the brink of becoming adults ourselves - there's only 6 months of school left - and it's time to act like an adult. so i will give it my all now; i just hope it will be enough.

"There are as many nights as days, and the one is just as long as the other in the year's course. Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness."

- Carl Jung



really liked this quote. just struck a chord in me when i read it(:

Current Mood: lethargic

wow half the year's gone. and i think i will definitely enjoy the remaining of the year, including promos. i swear i'll study(:

Season went by excruciatingly slowly, but still... DOUBLE CHAMPS. (: and i did enjoy it at that moment, that euphoria. i had forgotten the feeling of euphoria..  and missing CTs for combined schools may not have been the best decision, but i live with it, and at least we got 3rd. now i just have to study harder sigh.

oh well school's gonna be busy and VERY EXCITING in this term; im all geared up! there's match supports next week (judo and track and floorball), ihc the following, and to end it off National day. and in this time i will stay awake during lectures and tutorials and absorb as much as i possibly can. am excited about interhouse and nat day. hopefully MT will come out stronger and fiercer than ever:D

and i learnt a few things from yesterday:
1. it's a balance of everything in an interview. never too confident, never too shy. never too cheerful, never too reserved. and always tell the interviewer exactly what you want, but be careful about the posture, tone, phrasing... SCARY.
2. never judge a person/have preconceptions by how he appears to be. give them a chance, and you may be pleasantly surprised, like i was yesterday.

yeah yesterday was rather meaningful (and painful, cos of sunburn while filming)


CHEERS

shall have an update now, since there's no school:D

many things happened, but school has been fun on the whole. class camp was the best thing that happened to me and 09S06N i think, cos now i really enjoy hanging out with them. the camp at ubin itself wasn't THAT fun haha, but it did fulfil its objectives quite decently. so now breaks are quite happening whoppeee. my classmates are actually quite cool yeeeeeeeeah

trainings have been tougher, pilotpencup next week. was quite down for a short moment and depressed that my playing won't pick up, but now i see some glimmer of hope for my game. am hoping and hoping that i will be on form; only one tough match, after all. and somehow, i am believing more and more now.

other things that happened: IHC rangoli!! my first interhouse participation, in which we had loads of fun, loads of laughter, loads of saikang, but not loads of points (MT got last again). but all was fine because we thought we were really good and we really did enjoy ourselves. am gonna take part in more IHC stuff because it's all in good spirit of making fun and laughter!

outings with lihua are always great, whether short or long. somehow it's my only avenue of releasing stuff that i have on my mind, stuff that have been kept there for way too long for my own good. going out with her later yippeeeeee! and oh mans holidays will be filled with comps, but i have to study too...): am lagging quite badly since i've yet to be able to juggle badminton and school and work the most efficiently. and the wake-up jerk was felt only during those lecture tests.. but at least those were lecture tests! dammit i have to work harder, make a conscious effort.

woah 5 days of holidays over just like that!!!!! no homework done, much candies/fattening food eaten, little training, extremely little angbao $. ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

so school starts tmr, and i guess the cycle of lessons, waiting around in canteen for lessons, getting high, getting tired after, training after long scool days, sleeping w/o doing any work, copying work the next day and etc. starts all over. but i enjoy it!! rj life has been good, shall end on a good note(:

 hello!

i do write here, if you didn't know(;

add me if you want to. i prob will take a few days to add you back though

-cherylteo

ah so i've decided to start a livejournal, with possibly the primary intention of reading charlotte's. HAHA

muacks charlotte!

Current Mood: sleepy