Wednesday, March 24, 2004
learning
i like to read a lot. you could call me a bookworm. in 6th grade math i got in trouble for reading a book (about the holocaust) that had absolutely nothing to do with math, even though i had already finished my work. the teacher took the book away from me for a day and told me it had content that someone my age shouldn't be reading (it's called maus, and it's in comic book format. a good read). anyway, there's no real point to that other than to demonstrate that i read a lot.
one problem with reading is that you often come across words whose definition are beyond your current vocabulary. it happens to me a lot, but usually i can figure out the gist of it by the context in which the word is used. there are, however, some words that are just so intellectual, eloquent, or archaic (you pick) that i could never come up with a definition for them on my own. one of those words for me has been catharsis and its various forms. i must have read that word hundreds of times over the years without ever knowing what it meant, but too lazy to look it up. today i was reading an article on cnn.com about 'lad lit' (basically bridget jones chick self-pity material, but now in a brand new male point of view packaging!) and the word catharsis was used more than i'd ever seen in any single book or article (which isn't saying much, cuz it was only used two or three times), so i finally decided to go through all the extra effort of opening up a second browser window, going to merriam-webster.com and finding out what it means. in case this particular word has baffled you for years as well, allow me to share what i've learned.
catharsis
1: purgation (the act or result of purging)
2: purification or purgation of the emotions (as pity and fear) primarily through art b: purification or purgation that brings about spiritual renewal or release from tension
3: elimination of a complex by bringing it to consciousness and affording it expression
so there you go. catharsis is basically finding away to release or cleanse your self from some emotion (that i assume is holding you back somehow). seems like a fairly simple definition....maybe i'm not as good as using context clues as i thought. no matter, cuz i'm smarter for having looked it up. and now i can refer to this here blog as my own cathartic form of therapy, which either makes me sound really smart or obnoxiously superior. they say using a word in a sentance is the best way to learn it. we'll see if this sticks. too bad i can't add it to my every day speech, as no one here speaks enough english to understand what i would be saying (aside from, maybe, my fellow team members).
i used to get a 'word of the day' emailed to me every morning, but i dont remember where it was from. maybe i'll start that up again.
symphonic melodies: los piojos - como alli
brain eats: various aim profiles
i like to read a lot. you could call me a bookworm. in 6th grade math i got in trouble for reading a book (about the holocaust) that had absolutely nothing to do with math, even though i had already finished my work. the teacher took the book away from me for a day and told me it had content that someone my age shouldn't be reading (it's called maus, and it's in comic book format. a good read). anyway, there's no real point to that other than to demonstrate that i read a lot.
one problem with reading is that you often come across words whose definition are beyond your current vocabulary. it happens to me a lot, but usually i can figure out the gist of it by the context in which the word is used. there are, however, some words that are just so intellectual, eloquent, or archaic (you pick) that i could never come up with a definition for them on my own. one of those words for me has been catharsis and its various forms. i must have read that word hundreds of times over the years without ever knowing what it meant, but too lazy to look it up. today i was reading an article on cnn.com about 'lad lit' (basically bridget jones chick self-pity material, but now in a brand new male point of view packaging!) and the word catharsis was used more than i'd ever seen in any single book or article (which isn't saying much, cuz it was only used two or three times), so i finally decided to go through all the extra effort of opening up a second browser window, going to merriam-webster.com and finding out what it means. in case this particular word has baffled you for years as well, allow me to share what i've learned.
catharsis
1: purgation (the act or result of purging)
2: purification or purgation of the emotions (as pity and fear) primarily through art b: purification or purgation that brings about spiritual renewal or release from tension
3: elimination of a complex by bringing it to consciousness and affording it expression
so there you go. catharsis is basically finding away to release or cleanse your self from some emotion (that i assume is holding you back somehow). seems like a fairly simple definition....maybe i'm not as good as using context clues as i thought. no matter, cuz i'm smarter for having looked it up. and now i can refer to this here blog as my own cathartic form of therapy, which either makes me sound really smart or obnoxiously superior. they say using a word in a sentance is the best way to learn it. we'll see if this sticks. too bad i can't add it to my every day speech, as no one here speaks enough english to understand what i would be saying (aside from, maybe, my fellow team members).
i used to get a 'word of the day' emailed to me every morning, but i dont remember where it was from. maybe i'll start that up again.
symphonic melodies: los piojos - como alli
brain eats: various aim profiles
