LwEi’s World

Perusing through an acquaintance’s blog has made me averse to penning another entry for quite a while. It has been unduly disconcerting to be made aware of your own limitations in writing. Especially since improvement at this stage would entail huge opportunity costs in terms of alternate activities forgone. Not to mention the sheer difficulty of lifting one’s language ability up that seemingly tiny notch.

Sometimes I wonder if one’s flair for writing is innate, and further cultivated and refined through sheer love of the literal word. Or is it simply drilled into one since young through numerous experiences with grandiose vocabulary and phrases, repetitive grammar and punctuation practices, not to mention conscious exposure to and analysis of acclaimed literal works? Perhaps it’s a mixture of the both.

However one has to consider priorities when encountered with a situation like this. It would be inexplicable for me to delve into research and in-depth thought about the myriad techniques to improve in this aspect when I’m so deeply entrenched and bogged up in the kaleidoscopic world of academia and mundane social dealings surrounding me. The sense of conforming to its expectations in hope of evident success and acceptance is all-pervading indeed.

It is understandable hence that my level of writing would have to remain thus for a long while, given my imposed commitments. And totally unacceptable if I should cease the incessant ramblings about my thoughts, just because I felt doing so would expose my supposed weakness to others’ attention. I value the process of writing too much to be discouraged by the accompanying apprehension of backlash and criticism.

Pertaining to the issue of self-consciousness of one’s Achilles’ heel(s), I cannot help but find fault with those male acquaintances of mine who list self-consciousness as their main gripe for not being able to participate in activities which involve stripping down to the bare essentials. Say swimming. I simply cannot fathom why others would actually bother to look or comment at a body far from perfection. As such, the former’s fears can be sufficiently allayed, to say the least.

Have always felt strongly about the male physique, and that it should never be far from being lean and toned, notwithstanding the prime specimens of the sporting arena who require an alternate build to further their ambitions in their various disciplines, nor those with severe innate physical limitations. Lack of a sufficient level of build definition simply spells mental weakness, a lack of discipline, and a severe shortage of self-restraint.

Appearance does not define the person, but it certainly shows how much pride he takes in himself and the activities he partakes in, not to mention the likely correspondence with that of his level of achievement in other fields. It serves as a precursor to conversation in most cases, and is an adequate indicator of the person’s true self. Definitely there is a significant level of fallibility involved in solely placing emphasis on it, however, its importance cannot be undermined nor overlooked in today’s world.