BOOT CAMP! and the all important lesson of Humility

after experiencing the life of an artiste through the CJSOPA camp yesterday and today, i guess i have pretty much tasted the life of a struggling artiste. The gruelling physical trainings, the vocal trainings and stressful choreographed dance steps and it's deadlines. The need to express yourself through vocal registers, expression, tone, dynamic. The concerts, counselling sessions, trainings, roleplaying activities, discipleship (in a sense) dance and vocal lessons all cultivated in the 6 (2 couldn't make it) artistes core principle values such as generosity, understanding, consideration and maturity.

But most importantly, it's about staying HUMBLE.

HUMILITY. everyone needs to be brought down to the ground from their floating invisible thrones in their head. Since when have we ever always thought we're meek and gentle? no way jose, i'm pretty sure everyone has ever felt like the most arrogant dumbass know-it-all sonofagun at one point or another. They are so happy to trample on those that are slower by nature, or those that are handicapped, or not as talented as them, and proceed to rub up their snobbish noses high up in the air, and cast a patronising look at them, thinking of them no higher than a piece of nian gao that has dropped behind your cupboard for more than a decade.

Just how is one arrogant? In my personal opinion, arrogance can come across many forms, such as passive arrogance and active arrogance. To a sense, it's definition is determined by the mode it has been communicated or perceived by other people. As are many mediums currently available in such a vast techno-age, arrogance has certainly a dominant foothold of information transfer in this age today.

Passive Arrogance is perceived as one that is subtle yet crying out for the need for attention, or worst, intention to offend a person. Such an example is of course, the use of the internet. Just how many subtle messages can one send over blogs, emails, Msn nicknames, Instant Messenging Services? Are all these but channels of communicating information as well as the giving the ample opportunity for slander, malice, ill will? It's really quite easy to identify with someone having the penchant of Passive Arrogance, such as constantly reverting any conversation back to "I wish.. I did... I am.. I have". The letter 'I' is always lingering around every other sentence made. The constant need for attention can also be perceived as passive arrogance, the need to make people realise that you're currently nursing a flu, walking your neighbour's dog, passing your driving exam with flying colours etc..

I'm not against the idea of letting people know the updates of your life through brief anecdotes and thesis statements per se, just that there should be a level of moderation and balance in how you present yourself. The need for attention is a sure-fire sign of insecurity and immaturity. Just like a baby in a cradle. Only when it gets fed or rocked to sleep does it finally settle down.

Active Arrogance is totally in your face, and it usually happens when someone relays a message of self-glorification or unconstructive criticism or just words of pure ill will through 2 or more senses. Like, in real life, sight and sound, or to more hum sup / lecherous people, touch too. However, over the internet, sure fire signs of active arrogance is again, just in your face sentences that clearly show.

Again, I re-iterate time and time again, these are all my own self-fabricated philosophies, I seek not agreement in what i say, but leave be if this is how i perceive. and also, to the people who have a lot of issues to settle and think too much for their own good, if you think that this post has been reverted to you, kindly approach me for some clarification, coz boy, i just wrote this out of pure by-the-moment periods. Don't give me talk on how i may have the possibility to contradict myself in any of my previous, current or future posts, coz this isn't a thesis or final term paper that i'm banking scholarship funds and crap like that. This is just mental masturbation, as Li-lin once said. :)

PS: I may be guilty of Arrogance at one point in my life or another, we all can make the effort to change, so instead of flaming people on tagboards, take everything in your stride and learn to leave your fucking name on the tagboards so as not to show passive arrogance. haha. okay, not funny but hell.