|
Dear Dr. Sullivan,
Please find below my term paper for your perusal. Thank you for being such a great prof. I thoroughly enjoyed your class! =D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What's in a self?
When one reaches a realization of self, one gains insight into oneself - the good, the bad, the extraordinary, and of course, the wacky. I am proposing that we all have a wacky self. For my discussion, wackiness is defined as something that deviates from the ordinary, the norm, the sane, the average, and so forth.
There are many facets to this phenomenon. Wackiness permeates all human beings, but how one chooses to display this character trait within oneself is vastly different. Two main categories exist, namely external and internal wackiness. External refers to the unveiling of one's wackiness to public whereas internal is the keeping of one's wackiness to one's private self. These are fairly broad categorizations, and thus, it is necessary to further define external and internal wackiness. There are three sub-divisions within each category - high, medium, and low. For external wackiness, these three levels refer to high, medium, and low levels of disclosure of wackiness respectively. For internal wackiness, these three levels refer to the level of non-disclosure of wackiness.
As can be seen, the wackiness phenomenon runs along a continuum. However, do not be confused. Having a low level of internal wackiness is not equivalent to having a high level of external wackiness as these two categories of wackiness are not opposites of each other. When one has a low level of internal wackiness, one is merely keeping less of one's wackiness to oneself, thus not necessarily referring to one actively exposing one's wackiness to others to a great extent. In terms of relativity, the levels of wackiness rank from lowest to highest degree of wackiness disclosure as follows: high internal, medium internal, low internal, low external, medium external, and high external.
There is also active and passive wackiness, which further differentiates those in the external wackiness category from those who are in the internal wackiness group. The distinction lies in the effort one adopts in displaying one's wacky behaviour. The consequence, of course, is the perception of others in regards to such wacky behaviour. Some people have a tendency to actively pursue wackiness, believe it or not. This behaviour is classified as active wackiness. Conversely, there are others who choose to be wacky passively. This refers to the perception of wackiness by others without great effort on one's part to engage in a multitude of wacky behaviours.
Based on personal observations, active wacky individuals display wacky behaviour on a daily basis. People take one look at them and will know that they belong to the wacky category in terms of social group classifications. On the other hand, passive wacky agents have a tendency to release spurts of wackiness on occasions that are more spaced out. It is more difficult to parse out this group because on the surface, they appear to be very normal. But alas, it is a mere disguise. Underneath the physicality lies a super wacky soul. This group of individuals conceal their wackiness very well. However, do not be alarmed - especially if you are one of them. We all have our own ways to deal with the wacky self within us. Some may choose to bury this side of themselves, ignore it, perhaps even yearn that it does not exist. But we are all aware that suppressing our wacky self will amount to nothing but detrimental health. Research has indicated that 100% of the population who denies one's wacky self result in a fatal, untimely death. I implore you not to become part of this statistic.
As can be seen, whether or not you admit it, there must be a wacky self within you. No matter what the degree of wackiness is that is currently residing in you, it is nevertheless what it is - your wacky self. In closing, let the wacky side within you take over! No matter how deeply you have hidden this part of you, there is still hope for recovery. (If you need personal assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me for wackotherapy.) We all have a wacky self, so you need not be ashamed. Through the sharing of wackiness, which I have coined "wacky-sharing", we will all be able to communicate who we truly are - both inside and outside - to those around us. A journey worth venturing, that is for sure. Should you have any questions, please feel free to discuss them with me. I am always open to personal testimonies of those who have come to terms with their wacky self.
Submitted by
Lisa W. C. Tang
Student #: 469-2259 (IM-WACKY)
|
