Op-Ed Archives - Page 4 of 9 - the bird on fire

Cancel Cancel Culture

September 29, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

thebirdonfire.org bloggers spent the week examining cultures and countries. Luke looks critically at the phenomenon of a social culture.

By Junior Luke Sonderman

What is cancel culture?

In recent years, you may have heard people talk about politicians, actors, social media influencers, and even everyday people in society being “canceled” for something they say, promote, or do. This is the foundation of cancel culture. To be canceled is basically to be cast out of society or from any social group. This may mean being banned from social media, losing employment, or being labeled as someone not fit to function in society.

Why is cancel culture so prominent today?

Personally, I believe that cancel culture is so prominent because it is the easiest and fastest way to hold someone accountable for their actions while not giving the accused a chance to make their case. In 2019, the 27-year-old Former Editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue Magazine, Alexi McCammond, “parted ways” with her job after an “anti-asian and homophobic” tweet from when she was 17 resurfaced (heritage.org). The platforms advertising was pulled and Vogue had to let go MCammond (heritage.org). One out-of-context tweet from ten years ago can be grounds to fire an employee and cancel someone from society. It is the easiest way for people to ruin someone’s social reputation without giving them a sliver of a chance to salvage it.

Where does freedom of speech play a role in cancel culture?

Well, it is partially true that in the United States, citizens are free to speak their mind without having interference from the government. But, private organizations like Twitter and Instagram are free to sensor anything they like on their personal platforms. Recently a social media sensation Andrew Tate was permanently banned from Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for being a “dangerous individual or organization” (variety.com). Andrew Tate’s rise to fame came from his controversial views on gender stereotypes, gender equality, and how he thinks men should treat women. His confident and insouciant demeanor as well as his supercars and money has made him a large appeal to teenage boys who want to live like him. Spreading misogyny and sexist ideas to the next generation is a very dangerous plague, but is it the job of companies like Twitter and Instagram to censor what is on their platform?

“Censorship is telling a man he can’t have a steak just because a baby can’t chew it.”
Mark Twain

It is the job of social media users to make opinions and decide for themselves what is right or wrong, not the job of the platform. Just because there are young teens on social media, companies should not censor and tailor their platform for what they should and shouldn’t be exposed to.

Why cancel culture is so dangerous?

Although cancel culture does silence some people with dangerous and controversial beliefs, cancel culture can also ruin the lives of people who have made mistakes. We are sending a message to the world that it is not okay to make mistakes and forgiveness is no longer something that is acceptable in society. We are also accepting blatant censorship as an American norm that is right now confined to private companies but is spreading quickly to our education systems and leading us away from a free, democratic nation.

Politeness is a Waste of Time

September 6, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

The Bird on Fire staff bloggers are tasked with writing about a cause. Here, Levi opts to go after the glue that holds together our society–politeness and small talk. It nearly goes without saying, the opinions of Levi do not necessarily represent the views of The Bird on Fire.
Blog Advisor Zachik

By Levi Kassinove, Junior

Dear Readers, given the comprehensive, semi-scientific post of last week, I feel you deserve a break. It’s time for a lighthearted post about why polite people are living a lie.
— Levi

Recently, on vacation, my friends and I were walking outside at night in the desert. Without giving too many details so as to not embarrass anyone, there were scorpions roaming around, and we needed a UV light to see them. We did not have a UV light. We walked around nonchalantly, accepting our situation, until a lady walked up to us and offered to let us borrow her UV flashlight. One of my friends fought absolute TOOTH AND NAIL for her to not give it to us. My friend repeatedly told her, “Oh you don’t have to, you really don’t have to,” to which the lady responded, “I insist. You guys are children and you should have fun.” This exchange kept going until I interrupted and said that I would like to use the light to see the scorpions. My friend grimaced and told me that I didn’t know how to handle social interaction. We had a great time looking at the formerly invisible scorpions in the night. We took pictures and gazed in awe at their beauty. Personally, I, along with some other people with us, had never seen scorpions in the wild before. It was a cool opportunity. Anyway, the point is that this would have never happened if my people-pleaser friend had successfully shooed the light-lending lady away. The lady had offered us a UV light that she already owned. She insisted that we try it out. So why fight out of politeness? It harms both parties in this case, since the lady seemed to genuinely want us to have fun. This exchange is an example of one of the many reasons why it is a bad habit to be unnecessarily polite, which is that it can prevent people from taking advantage of opportunities.

Small talk, on the other hand, is something that we’ve all had to endure throughout our lives. Some live for it. I’d say that they aren’t really living. You can forget having a real human connection with the person if you insist on rhetorically asking how the other person is doing. If one person simply gives the other a real answer, the conversation will switch and both parties will let their guard down. So, I say just skip the small talk. Everyone would find it refreshing, unless they don’t have anything to talk about beyond the weather. The people that prefer to stay engaged in small talk are not interesting, and not worth getting to know any further. That is, if there is anything further to know.

Perhaps small talk ties into politeness, if enough people feel that it is common courtesy. Ultimately, however, it is an unnecessary and exhausting exchange between people. And, it won’t provide any information of substance to the other person. To be blunt is to be genuine. I would go insane if people were to only engage in small talk.

Consider this guy Bill who’s asking about the weather, when they are both literally standing outside. Bill has no idea how to respond, as this is a nonsensical question. Be more like Bill.

How to Procrastinate

May 25, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Levi Kassinove

Now that the last final exam has been taken, the last project submitted, it’s safe to share Levi’s TIPS ON HOW TO PROCRASTINATE. Got summer reading? These tips will be handy.

Procrastination is a habit amongst people who either think that they can finish the work in one day, or are genuinely lazy and don’t care about school. The latter is easier to understand; the former seems like an illogical thought pattern. If people can finish the work in one day, why don’t they finish it early so that they have time to relax? As a master procrastinator myself (I waited until the night before every final project this year was due to start and finish them), I can say it’s because we don’t want to. We’re a stubborn group of people who’d rather put off the suffering and forget about it until we are forced to take care of it. Call us lazy, but I say it’s a way of life. Here are 5 steps on how best to procrastinate.

Step 1: Plan out your procrastination.

Actually forgetting about the homework or project you were assigned is an advanced technique and should therefore not be attempted by beginner procrastinators. The best thing to do is to plan out exactly when and for how long you’re going to procrastinate. A classic example of this thought pattern is, “I’m going to do absolutely nothing for the next three days, and THEN I’ll do my project after dinner at 10 p.m. That should give me enough time.” Forgetting about the assignment is a riskier move, but it does relieve the stress of not doing the homework. If you planned it out, you’d have to have the assignment in the back of your head the whole time. But, as our motto goes, “Stress is a future me problem.”

Step 2: Bargain and make empty promises.

A great way to prolong your procrastination is to make promises with yourself that you know you’ll never keep. These can include telling yourself that you’ll do half the homework today and the rest tomorrow, making a fake schedule for when you plan to do the homework, and promising yourself some ice cream if you get the homework done early. We all know, however, that we’d just end up eating the ice cream and never doing the work.

Step 3: Find better ways to spend your time.

Whether it’s eating ice cream, watching TikTok, reading (yeah, right), browsing Reddit, or playing video games, we all need to find something better to do than homework. We need to preoccupy ourselves so that we don’t feel guilty or stressed, unless you’re doing the advanced technique of forgetting the homework exists. Distraction is key for procrastination. “I could do my homework right now, but Genshin Impact just got a new update…”

Step 4: Gaslight yourself.

The most effective way to procrastinate is to convince yourself that there is no homework. That way you don’t even have to think about it. To convince yourself that there is no homework, start by asking the question, “How can I trust that I know we have homework?” Or even, “What is homework?” After you convince yourself that there is no homework, it becomes easier to convince others that you have no homework. The lie becomes easier if you believe it as well. “Yes, mother, I also think it’s weird that my teachers haven’t assigned homework in four days!”

Step 5: Do the work.

The time has come. Your assignments are due in three hours. The hardest part of procrastinating is actually doing the work just hours before it is due. Not only are you in a time crunch, but it’s also late at night, so you have the additional disadvantage of being tired. Sometimes I drink coffee and sacrifice sleep that night. The key takeaway here is that if you choose to procrastinate, you have to be absolutely confident in your ability to do large amounts of work in a short amount of time. Otherwise, you pay the price of a terrible grade.

Luke’s Top 5 MLB Fantasy Picks

May 19, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Luke Sonderman

Although sports like football may capture a lot of the attention in the United States, baseball, in my mind, is the best sport by a long shot as each player plays such a unique role in a game that is very strategic. Every year I research the league leaders for my fantasy baseball team, and this year I have created a list of my favorite baseball players.

Number One

Nolan Arenado

redbirdrants.com

Nolan Arenado, of the St. Louis Cardinals, has been a star third baseman since his time on the Rockies. So far this year, Nolan has kept up a 0.330 batting average and is one of the league leaders in batting (mlb.com).

Number Two

Manny Machado

Manny Machado, also a third baseman, is the star for the San Diego Padres who is stuck in the shadow of Fernando Tatis, Jr., I think that he is incredibly underrated with a batting average of 0.385 so far this season (mlb.com). As Tatis is on the 90-day injured list for a broken wrist, Machado is finally getting the attention that he has deserved.

Number Three

Shohei Ohtani

I know, I know. Everyone won’t stop talking about Ohtani; I promise you I’m not a bandwagon. But Shohei Ohtani deserves the praise he is receiving as he is not only one of the best pitchers in the MLB, but also one of the best batters as well. It is very rare for pitchers to be strong offensively, but Ohtani is the most well-rounded baseball player in the whole league. With a batting average of .285 this season and an ERA (earned runs average per 9 innings) of 3.08, I believe that Shohei Ohtani is the #1 Fantasy Draft Pick because he is solid in all areas.

Number Four

Jazz Chisholm, Jr.

One of my first fantasy picks this year would have to be Jazz Chisholm, Jr., second baseman of the Miami Marlins. I have always loved 2nd basemen because of their crazy agility, and, usually, they are very good baserunners. Jazz Chisholm, Jr., has a batting average so far of .300 (baseball-reference.com) which has been a major boost to the Marlins’ lineup.

Number Five

Paul Goldschmidt

I didn’t want to put more than one person from a single team onto this list, but I have a special love for the St. Louis Cardinals. I have been surrounded by Cardinals fans my whole life, and I have lots of family in St. Louis. Cardinals fans are just so passionate about the sport which makes them very easy to like. Paul Goldschmidt, the Cardinals first baseman, has been one of the Cardinals’ stars this year, picking up a batting average of .283 (espn.com). Goldschmidt always comes in clutch when the team needs him to and is always scoring points in Fantasy. There are other first basemen ranked higher than him, like Freddie Freeman, but I personally like Goldschmidt as a player more than the others (maybe just because he’s a Cardinal).

So if you still want to put together a fantasy baseball team, there is plenty of time left in the season. I would definitely recommend you try to snatch these 5 players as they were on my top 5 for the Fantasy draft.

Reptiles as Pets are Underrated

May 17, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Sienna Price, Animal Activist

When I ask people, “Do you have any pets?” they rarely answer with I have a reptile. However, I, Sienna Price, have a bearded dragon. I think a reptile is one of the best pets. The main reason I got my bearded dragon, Tuk Tuk, was because during lockdown I really wanted a friend and a distraction from what was happening.

Reptiles are interesting and make a very fun pet. Depending on the animal, reptiles can be relatively low maintenance. I would say bearded dragons are fairly low maintenance if you know what you’re doing. I researched A LOT before getting Tuk Tuk, and it still took some time after I got him to work things out. I got a bearded dragon because they are said to be the friendliest reptiles, but I think it’s like any animal. You can still get some that are not friendly. Luckily for me, Tuk has the biggest personality and is very friendly and sociable, but again I am glad I did research before getting him. I know if he’s stressed or if he’s hungry and even if he wants to come out of his enclosure. When Tuk Tuk scrapes his cage he wants to come out, and when he has ring markings on his stomach he’s stressed. The most popular reptiles as pets are leopard geckos, bearded dragons, blue tongued skinks, snakes and chameleons. Of course, there are many different types of species of snakes and chameleons, so make sure you understand the needs of the specific species.

Tuk Tuk in his holiday attire. You can get your own lizard Santa suit at PetCo.

Note, reptiles are not the easiest pets. You really need to know what you are doing. Everyone knows the basic needs of a dog without even owning one because dogs are so popular. If reptiles were more popular, I think their basic needs would be well known, too. They are also not the cheapest of pets to own–depending on the reptile you have. Tuk’s terrarium, which is forty gallons, cost around 200 dollars, and I would say forty gallons is the bare minimum for a bearded dragon. I have actually ordered Tuk Tuk a bigger terrarium that is one hundred and twenty gallons! It was a really good deal that I could not pass up. So, I think Tuk will be happy with my new purchase! Once you get your whole setup done, it does get cheaper again depending on the reptile. With Tuk, I order bugs to my house every two weeks, but I will feed him less as he gets older so it will get cheaper. And, note, many reptiles need heat lamps and a UVB light.

Before deciding on your next pet, I would strongly recommend considering a reptile. (As I just typed that sentence Tuk Tuk licked my leg.) Tuk Tuk brings me so much joy even if he is not the smartest sometimes. For example, yesterday he decided to jump off my bed. Don’t worry; my bed is really low to the ground, and he is okay. Thank you for reading, and, remember, next time, consider a reptile.

Cats vs. Dogs

April 27, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

An Op-Ed By Alyna Rei

A common question I hear a lot is “Do you prefer cats or dogs?” Both animals bring comfort to many people. It really does depend on the person if they prefer a cat or a dog. If you are into a calm, quiet, lazy animal, go with a cat (not saying all dogs aren’t calm). If you are into a more energetic, active, and happy animal, go with a dog. Cats will be in their own world and will come to you when they want to while a dog sticks by your side.

If I were to choose, I would choose dogs. For example, we have cat allergies in my house. So getting a cat would be torture. Another reason I choose dogs is because dogs help me stay responsible and active. Cats to me are more of an indoor pet, while a dog needs exercise. I have never seen someone “walk” their cat.

I also just learned that cats can not be service animals. The only animal that can be a service animal is a dog.

Below are my two golden retrievers, Lucy and Ethel. I’ve had them since I was in sixth grade. Both have taught me and my brother great responsibility: we feed them, clean the yard, and take them for walks.

Here are people’s opinions on this common question: Do you prefer dogs or cats?

“Dogs. Cats are bendy and weird.”
Sienna Price (8th grade)

“Both. I don’t want to be biased.”
Abigail Horwitt (10th grade)

“Both. I’ve always had cats, but dogs have been a revelation in my life.”
Ms. Zachik (teacher)

“Dogs. I’m allergic to cats. Dogs have more personality.”
Lilah Nick (sophomore)

“I prefer dogs because I find them to be more fun companions than cats. I appreciate cats’ independence, but dogs tend to play more and engage more with humans. Plus, no scratches with dogs!”
Ms. Coffey (teacher)

“Dogs are cool? But so are cats? Cats are a lot more mellow while dogs are a lot more active? I like them both.”
Cole Robinson (sophomore)

“Dogs. Dogs are so much more playful. Dogs are also good for protection. It depends which type of dog you have, but dogs are better at protecting. I doubt a cat would attack an intruder. I personally like dogs better, but I’ve also never had a cat.”
Christina Lam (sophomore)

“I like cats because they’re small and friendly. They are also cute, and their purrs are sweet. Dogs are more dangerous than cats.”
Jocelynn Montoya (junior)

Top 5 College Majors You Should Reconsider

April 13, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

By Levi Kassinove

It’s the end of the year. Graduating high-school seniors are signing up for next fall’s college courses, which means they’ve already made some decisions about what discipline they’re going to major in. This is a list of the majors that I think** you shouldn’t go into. Let me explain my reasoning.

The undergraduate majors in this list aren’t necessarily the most useless ones, just the ones I personally dislike. If I offend anyone, hopefully it’s not someone I know personally. Also, this list is not in any particular order.

*Levi’s Disclaimer: Do not take my advice seriously. Go into anything you want.

Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies

It’s the study of leisure. This is the major for people who want to create summer camps, become a recreational therapist, and design parks. That’s fine, but my question is: Why? Why would you want to spend your time in college learning about recreation, which is something we all take part in regardless of the presence of government-provided recreational services. You could learn about something that actually advances the world. Creating a park designed for maximum leisure isn’t going to stop wars. It’s not going to advance our scientific knowledge. So, it just seems like a waste of time and potential to me.

Computer Science

Too many CS students only sign up for the money that comes with computer-science-related jobs. Says Michigan Computer-Science Professor Igor Markov, “Based on my recent teaching experience, there are definitely many students signing up for CS majors who aren’t prepared enough and have difficulty getting through foundational material” (Forbes). I say, it’s a fine major, but it’s too popular. We don’t need a million people trying to be computer scientists.

Junior High/Middle School Education

The people who have the patience to teach kids in middle school are a godsend, but it’s not something that I’d do for a million dollars.

Astronomy

I love looking at the stars, and I’d love to have a nice telescope for astrophotography, but learning about space is something that doesn’t interest me at all. I feel that the secrets of the universe are more easily discovered at the quantum scale rather than astronomical. Also, you won’t become the next Stephen Hawking. Realistically, you’re gonna end up recording data for the rest of your life. You aren’t smart enough to become a theoretical physicist surrounded by giant chalkboards with equations written everywhere.

Pre-law/Criminal Justice

Too many movies depict lawyers as the most arrogant and pretentious people in the room. They’re right. I participated in Mock Trial once, and some of the “attorneys” were infuriatingly rude. There was one girl who kept cutting me off in the middle of my testimony! She would ask, “Did you see Jamie and Eric arguing at Jamie’s mother’s funeral?” and I would respond, “Yes, but-” and she would cut me off right there. Now, that might just be my anecdotal experience, but according to law gazette.co.uk, the general public views lawyers as “arrogant, disinterested or unapproachable.” And, on top of being viewed as an arrogant lawyer, you may end up defending people that strike against your moral compass. Criminal defense lawyers often have to defend clients against charges of pedophilia, murderer, rape, and other unsavory acts. So, unless you want to be viewed as a narcissist while also having to defend the worst people of society (if you choose to be a criminal defense lawyer), getting into law is a bad idea.

While these are my least favorite majors, most of them are still useful to the world. But, I ask: How do lawyers deal with the guilt? And, thank you middle-school teachers. Also, I used to love running around the playground and sliding down slides; so, I guess I have Leisure Studies majors to thank for that. If any of these majors are right for you, it’s not my place to say it isn’t. But, I hope I convinced you to re-think that career in law.

*Our Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by Levi Kassinove are solely his own and not necessarily those of thebirdonfire.org.

Student Led Conferences: Good Educational Practice or … What’s the point?

April 12, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Lilah Nick

Quarter 3 ended on March 11th, and the school year is quickly coming to a close. Thus, Student Led Conferences (SLCs) arrived on April 4th. SLCs are conferences with students, advisors, and parents. The purpose of them is for students to talk about all of their classes with their parents and advisors and then come up with ways for them to improve. But are they really necessary?

Most teachers and parents will argue that SLCs are good because you work together as a team, there is communication and transparency, and it allows the student to be in charge of the conversation. For certain families, there isn’t much communication about grades, so SLCs might be a good idea for them.

Personally, I don’t really like the SLCs. I have never liked them. You get a script, fill in the blanks, and talk to your parents and advisor about it. I’ve always found that most people fake their way through the scripts and put minimal effort into them. For example, there’s the value question. The script asks, “Which of the PVS values am I exhibiting regularly? How?” In my personal experience and that of my friends, we all fake this question the most. I’ll usually just select the value “Inquiry and Exploration.” I say I exhibit the value regularly in that I “ask questions” and I’m “interested” in my classes. It’s one of the easiest answers that we can just slap on the page.

My parents are always looking at My Backpack and checking my grades. If I have a low grade, they’ll ask for me to get it up. I don’t find SLCs necessary for me, but for other students whose parents don’t check their grades, it might be.

Let’s ask around: How do you feel about SLCs?

“It’s half an hour of my life wasted.”
Sienna Price, 8th Grade

“I hate SLCs. There is no point to me when I can just talk to my parents on my own.”
Alyna Llapitan, Sophomore

“My mom doesn’t check my grades. So, if that report card comes back with anything other than what I promised, it’s game over.”
Jessica Denyer, Senior

”I always think it’s good when parents, teachers, and students work together as a team.”
Ms. Zachik, Teacher

For better or for worse, Quarter 4 has no SLC. In fact, we have only 27 school days remaining in the 2021-22 year. But, get ready; SLCs return in only six months . . . .

Is Din Tai Fung Overhyped?

March 22, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Lilah Nick, Restaurant Critic

Din Tai Fung is a Taiwanese restaurant that specializes in Xiao Long Bao and noodles. The restaurant has won multiple awards–like the Michelin star five times (dintaifungusa.com). It is also one of the largest chains in the world with over 170 locations (dintaifungusa.com). Michelin stars are given to restaurants that have very high standards and are exceptionally good. Thus, it’s no surprise it was named one of the top ten best restaurants in the world by the New York Times. Din Tai Fung has recently been popping up on my social media accounts. I came across many different videos of people eating there and saying how good it was. So, in February, I went to the Santa Clara location and got to see what the hype was all about for myself.

First, I tried the Iced Green Tea with Passion Fruit.

It was amazing…until I took another sip. I was super thirsty and then got this cold tea and was excited. The first sip was super good, and then I took another, and I wanted to spit it out. It just tasted like hand sanitizer. I had my family try it, and they all agreed with me–not yummy. 5/10

Spicy Chicken Wontons

The chicken wontons were good, but the chicken wasn’t flavorful enough. I could tell it was there, but I couldn’t really taste it. The only real flavor was the spicy sauce. The sauce was good though; it wasn’t too spicy where it overtook the rest of the food. Overall, they were good but pretty bland. 7/10

Spicy Vegetarian Noodles

So far in the meal, these were my favorite. The spicy sauce was the same as the one from the wontons, and it was honestly great. It’s a simple but good dish. 9/10

Garlic Broccoli

Wow. Just wow. This broccoli was AMAZING. Honestly, my favorite thing I had. I’ll eat broccoli, but it’s not my usual go-to. Din Tai Fung’s had the perfect amount of garlic, and it was also perfectly steamed. I could have eaten the whole bowl. 1000/10

Chocolate Buns

I had these when I got home, so I have to admit they had been in the fridge for a bit. I microwaved them and then ate them. They were probably 70% bun and the rest was chocolate. They would have been super good if there was more chocolate because I was pretty much eating buns with a little piece of chocolate melted in the middle. 6/10

Din Tai Fung happens to be one of Ms. Zachik’s favorite restaurants. Her favorite items are the Xiao Long Bao pork buns and the spicy shrimp wontons.

“I dream about their shrimp wontons.”
Ms. Zachik

Ani Madanyan, writer for The Bird on Fire blog, also loves this restaurant.

“Their cucumber salad is the best thing I have ever put in my mouth in my 15 years of living, and their chocolate buns are extraordinary. If you’ve ever been to a Din Tai Fung you will never go back to Panda Express.”
Ani Madanyan

My mom didn’t think Din Tai Fung was that great either.

“The food was bland and the wait was wayyyy too long. I don’t understand why it is so popular.”
Ms. Paige Brown

Overall, I think that Din Tai Fung is overhyped. I was so excited and expecting top-tier food that would have been the best meal of my life, and I was kind of let down. There was a huge line to get in, so I thought it was going to be perfect. The food was good. Not very good, just good. It could definitely be better for how popular it is and for receiving a Michelin star.

How to know if you’re a narcissist (and how to change)

March 10, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Not a Narcissist Levi Kassinove

We all like to believe that we are great people. Very few are self-aware enough to make an effort to improve themselves, except for me of course. Are you confident and comfortable in your own skin or are you just a narcissist? Are you so disconnected from reality that you don’t see the hypocrisy in your article for the school blog? For the people questioning if they are a narcissist or not, the good news is that you’re most likely fine. Real narcissists are “fully aware that they are narcissistic and that they have a narcissistic reputation” (Psychology Today). The truth is that they just don’t see the problem with it, and therefore make no effort to change. But, for the people who think they have some narcissistic tendencies and truly want to improve, I have some genius tips and tricks to share with you. Read carefully because I’m not going to grace you with my wisdom again.

In order to identify narcissistic tendencies, we should start by looking at a non-narcissist such as myself. Modest people, when questioning if they are narcissistic, usually look online for a reputable-looking quiz to test for narcissism. This shows that the person is concerned about their behavior and wants to improve. A narcissist wouldn’t bother to take the quiz because they think that it doesn’t matter, and that they have nothing to improve. I took a quiz from Psych Central, which sounds reputable enough, and I got an extremely low score on the narcissism scale. When taking the quiz, keep in mind that you should answer the questions honestly, no matter how embarrassing it is to pick the option “I think I am a special person” in front of your friends. It is important to be honest with yourself so that you can do the quiz correctly, as I did.

Narcissists don’t critically analyze themselves in order to find their flaws. Instead, they focus on critiquing other people while believing that they don’t have any flaws. So ask yourself: Do I often spend my time at the center of attention, looking down on others? Do I care at all about self-improvement? And, perhaps most importantly, do I really care about the well-being of others or do I only offer help so that I can later manipulate them? If you think you have some narcissistic tendencies, it’s best to subscribe to this blog and keep reading my articles. Maybe even comment on something. It’s your only hope of changing your narcissistic ways.

For people with true Narcissistic Personality Disorder, change is impossible. “You cannot change a person with narcissistic personality disorder or make them happy by loving them enough or by changing yourself to meet their whims and desires. They will never be in tune with you, never empathic to your experiences, and you will always feel empty after an interaction with them,” says Dr. Angela Grace, PhD, MEd, BFA, BEd (Healthline). For the rest of us, and by that I mean the rest of you, the first step to becoming a better person is admitting that you can sometimes be a narcissistic jerk. From there, identify the times when you slip into that attitude and try to catch yourself. The most important thing is knowing the problem and wanting to change. Next time you explain something to someone or a group of people, try not to do it in a condescending way. You’ll find that people will be more friendly around you if you try to listen to their thoughts and feelings. The bottom line, though, is that this all comes down to being self-aware. As long as you’re self-aware, you can stay humble. Like me.