The Fault In Our Stars: Some Infinities Are Bigger Than Other Infinities

An edit by me. The images used are from the movie, so I don't own them.

Okay. If you're reading this blog post, you probably like The Fault in Our Stars, a wonderful book by John Green (click here to read my review) that got made into a great movie. And you probably recognized that "some infinities are bigger than other infinities" is a direct quote from the book (which they included in the movie, thankfully). That quote is really a good example of the theme of the story, and that theme is what I'd like to discuss today in a #fandomphilosophy post.

(Note: if you haven't read (or at least seen) The Fault In Our Stars, you probably want to stop reading now to avoid spoilers. Okay? Okay.)

So, Hazel and Augustus both know their time is limited. We all know we'll die eventually, but for these two, they know that they will likely die of cancer very soon, so the reality of death is even more real to them. Sorry to start you off with such a morbid thought, but it's absolutely true.

Do they fear death? Well, they don't want to die, but from what I can tell, they don't actually fear death , or at least not in a way that consumes them. However, we do know that Augustus fears oblivion. He wants to be remembered. If you think about it, there's a deeper meaning to the fear of oblivion. To be remembered, you have to have a life worth remembering. You have to have a life that has meaning. What Augustus (and almost every human being) fears is having a meaningless life.

So what makes a life meaningful? What you do with it. Some infinities are bigger than other infinities, and everybody wants forever within the numbered days. Many religions have an afterlife, but even so, you only get one life on earth.

Living for what you believe in is the best way to find meaning in your short life. You believe in God? Good. Do what you think God wants you to do, and live for God. You believe in love? Good. Find someone to love who loves you back, and live for love. You believe in knowledge? Good. Learn everything you can, and live for knowledge. You believe in fun? Good. Do the things you enjoy (that don't detract from others' happiness), and live for fun. You believe in all these things? Good. Live for all of them. You don't believe in any of these things? Fine. Find something you do believe in, and live for that.

Another thing that gives our lives meaning is to give other people's lives meaning. Be kind to everyone, even if (like Peter Van Houten) they're not kind to you. Love other people, and show them you love them. (It doesn't have be romantic love like Hazel and Augustus' relationship, you can always show platonic love to others.) Make other people happy, not because you want to make them like you, but just because seeing someone smile because of you is a beautiful thing. Life is too short to hurt other people because in doing so, you hurt yourself. Whatever it is you do, do it in such a way that others can benefit. Even if you think you're a nobody, you never know how many people you have inspired, how many people you've made happy, how many lives you have saved. Give others an infinity within the numbered days.

And of course, don't forget to live for yourself. As Gus said, "I decided a while ago not to deny myself the simpler pleasures of existence". Take the time to do the things you love (like going to Amsterdam) because you never know which day will be your last.

Life is short. Even if you're perfectly healthy (or appear to be healthy, like Gus), your days are numbered. Hazel and Augustus knew that, and they made the most of their time. They created a forever within the numbered days, and that is what we should all strive to do. Make every day count, and you will have your own infinity. The more meaning you put in your life, the bigger the infinity. Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.

Endings And Beginnings

School is out! Yay!

I know most of you who are school-age have probably got out of school already, but I just got out today and I'm glad it's summer (it's not that I don't like school, it's just that I like the freedom to spend my time however I like).

The school year is over. In addition to making me happy, the end of the year has kind of put me in a philosophical mood. Over at Pond's Philosophers Guild (a Google+) community, I've shared my philosophical posts with the hashtag #Catherinecontemplations. However, I've got an idea that is related to fandoms, so I'm going to post it here. And for philosophy stuff about/related to/taken from fandoms, I will make up a new hashtag: #fandomphilosophy.

The time for sitting in class and doing what the teacher says is over, and the time for relaxing, catching up on all the things you never had time to do during the school year, and having fun has begun. It's the end of one thing, and the beginning of another.

When you think about it, it's the same way in a fandom. You finish a season of a show (or a movie or book in a series), and then you're happy that you've seen all of it, but also sad that it's over. Then you remember the cliffhanger at the end of the season finale (or see the trailers for the next movie, etc.), and you watch/read the next season/movie/book (or wait for it to come out). The end of one thing is the beginning of another.

Now I know what you're thinking: what if the show is canceled? What if there are no more books in the series? What if the producers of the movie actually decided not to make a sequel? Yes, that does mean the end. It's a more permanent destination. But it's still a beginning, too, just a different beginning.

Think about it. Don't you hate ?
When you finish a series (or a show, or whatever it is), there are no more spoilers. It's the beginning of participating in fandom conversations without worrying that somebody will ruin the ending for you.

This is what your friends are like when they accidentally reveal a major spoiler to you.

It's also the beginning of going back and finding all the things you missed the first time. For example, rewatching lotr and just focusing on Legolas (I haven't done this yet, but I intend to do so.)

So before you get upset at what you think is the end, remember that it is also a beginning.

Merlin: Random Acts of Kindness

Hello, friends. In the past few days, I have become obsessed with the BBC show Merlin. The rest of my family watches it a little, but not as much as I do. During episode 7 (The Gates of Avalon), *sort of a spoiler alert but not really* Merlin has to save Arthur *quasi-spoiler over now*. My mom asked me, "Is it always like that?"

"Basically, yeah," I replied. The general format of any given Merlin episode (at least the ones I've seen so far) is this: Arthur Pendragon (the prince of Camelot) gets in mortal danger, and Merlin (Arthur's servant) has to save him. However, Merlin has to use magic to do so, and magic is an offense punishable by death (because King Uther is a jerk), so Merlin can't tell anyone. Oh, and Merlin's typically helped by the physician, Gaius. 

So, for those of you who read the title of this post carefully, you're probably wondering when I'm going to talk about random acts of kindness. And that time is right now. See, when you think about it, Merlin is an incredibly selfless person, and in every episode, he performs what might be called a random act of kindness. Random acts of kindness are things people do to help other people, and these acts are often done without any reward or recognition. Merlin will put his life on the line over and over again to protect Arthur, all the while never getting the credit. Now, I'm not saying you need to be that extreme, but a small act of kindness can go a long way. Helping others provides us with a sense of fulfillment, making us realize that we, like Merlin, have a destiny, whether we know it or not. 

Merlin is also a show about breaking the rules in order to do what is right. Every time Merlin uses magic, he is breaking one of the most important laws of Camelot. And yet, he's doing it for the good of others. Harry Potter, too, is an example of breaking the rules to do good things. Sometimes, we have to be willing to do what might seem wrong, because we know it's actually right. Any small act of kindness you do makes you a better person. And who knows? It just might save a life. 

Divergent: Being Different

A little while ago, I posted a review of the book Divergent, and said that I was looking forward to the movie. Well, after far too much waiting, I was finally able to go and see it. So, I figured another post about Divergent was in order.

No, this isn't a movie review. I'd like to talk about the different factions and what it means to be divergent. 

Abnegation

The selfless. They wear plain grey clothes and eat bland food. They look out for everyone and even feed the factionless. They avoid anything that gives the least suggestion of greed, and they would die to show their love. 

Erudite

The intelligent. They wear blue clothes and are constantly studying. They aim to learn as much as they possibly can. However, knowledge corrupts, and they seem to think they need to be in charge, not the Abnegation. 

Candor

The honest. They wear black and white to symbolize that there are only truths and lies, with nothing inbetween. They choose to tell the truth and do what they believe is right, no matter what the consequences are. Because of their honesty and trustworthiness, their jobs are in the judicial system. 

Dauntless

The brave. They wear black and jump off of moving trains. They are daring and are often called crazy, but they don't care. They are the soldiers, brave, strong, and confident. 

Amity

The peaceful. They wear red or yellow, and they are the friendliest of all the factions. They are the farmers, the nurses, the artists, taking on the simple, relaxing, but nevertheless important jobs. Similar to abnegation, they want to help others, but their ultimate goal is simply to he happy. 

Factionless

The outcasts. They don't belong anywhere. These are the people who failed initiation. Now they have to live at the bottom of society. 

Divergent

The different. They pretend to fit in with whatever faction they choose to join, but they don't belong in any one faction. Their test results were inconclusive. They are the outliers, and they can't be controlled. 

All the factions have their different values. They all have their own advantages, problems, and sources of corruption. But, as Four says, "We've all started to put down the virtues of the other factions in the process of bolstering our own. I don't want to do that. I want to be brave, and selfless, and smart, and kind, and honest." So what we really need is to be Divergent. We can't be afraid to be different. We have to be able to embrace many different sides of things. Honesty is nothing if you don't know the truth. Bravery is useless if you are selfish or stupid. Kindness is valuable, but without another virtue to complement it, it goes nowhere. We have to be willing to be different, and yet we have to work with each other in spite of our differences. If we can't agree about anything, we will never make any progress. We have to learn how to be part of all the factions. We must become Divergent. 

Knowledge Is Power

You've probably heard the saying, "knowledge is power". Well, that took on an entirely different meaning when I saw this:

And that freaked me out for a little bit. Also, anyone who's read (or seen) Divergent knows that knowledge isn't always a good thing. And again, that makes me worry. Is knowledge simply finding out the best way to exploit your enemies and manipulate people? After all, I do consider myself something of an intellectual. Should I stop learning because it can lead to bad things?

Fortunately, Loki isn't the only person who has something to say about this.

That's right, the Doctor likes learning, too. And unlike some people, he uses his extensive knowledge to save people. So maybe knowledge isn't so bad after all.

But then why is there such a difference? Shouldn't people all use knowledge for good?

They should, but they don't. This is because not everybody is perfect. We all mess up sometimes. And some people decide to use good things (like knowledge) for evil purposes (like taking over the world). But not everybody. Knowledge is power, and it should be used to help others and make the world a better place.

Knowledge is power. Use it wisely.

The Book Was Better Than the Movie

We've all said it. Far too many times, you read a great book, then go to see it in the theater - and it's awful. Even if the movie is good, the book is (in most cases) better. But why is that? That is precisely the question I am trying to answer. Let's look at a few possible reasons:

1. There are some things books can do, but movies can't.
For example, only in a book can a familiar character say something without you knowing who it is. The author can keep you guessing for suspense. In a movie, you'd recognize the character instantly by his/her voice. Also, in a book, you can tell what the characters are thinking and feeling. You can be directly told be the author what's going on in the characters' minds. In a movie, you have to convey that with actions and words. And sometimes, those fail. (In Les Misérables, they used singing to convey feeling and thoughts better, which actually worked quite well.)

2. Sometimes movies are trying to meet/not exceed a time limit.
Often movies have great scenes taken out, or horrible scenes added in, simply because the writers/producers are trying to make their movie a certain length. It can be annoying, or it can be so bad that it ruins the entire movie.

3. Movies often have extra love scenes added in.
This particular one drives me crazy. I hate it when there's some extra, stupid, mushy love scene that wasn't in the book, just because the writer felt like it. An example of this is in the second Hobbit movie. (By the way, the movie may be a prequel to the Lord of the Rings movies, but the book came before the Lord of the Rings books. Just FYI.) I'm sorry, but a love triangle between two elves and a dwarf? I don't ship it.

4. The book is interpreted differently than you wanted it to be.
Anyone who has ever had an intelligent discussion about a book knows that there's more than one way to read it. In fact, there are so many different was to interpret any given book that the chance that the script writer understands the book the same way the author does is practically none. In many cases, this isn't a problem (unless you're the author and think the writers/producers/actors didn't do your book justice). But every once in a while, there comes a movie that is horribly different from the book and is a positively ghastly adaptation.

5. Scenes/characters in the movie look different than you pictured.
How many times have you gone into the movie theater and thought "That's not how he/she's supposed to look!" or "That's not how that scene goes!"

It should be noted that in some cases, the movie is actually as good as or better than the book, but for the most part, the book is better.

What about you? Why do you think the book is often better than the movie? What are your favorite examples?

What Is The Difference Between a Villain and a Hero?

Earlier, I wrote a post about why we love villains (see here). In it, I said that the greatest enemy we face is ourselves. That got me thinking: what makes a villain different from a hero, anyway?

This is my own picture. Yay! (Although I obviously didn't make the photos themselves, I just put them together.)

Heroes
According to the dictionary, a hero is "a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities", "the principal male character in a story, film, etc.", or (in Classical Mythology) "a being of extraordinary strength and courage, often the offspring of a mortal and a god, who is celebrated for his exploits". That's a pretty great standard to live up to, but many characters do it admirably. Note that I said "characters", not "men" or "guys". By no means do I intend to discredit women. There are lots of awesome female protagonists (see my blog post about it here), and they are called heroines. So, heroes and heroines are amazing characters who are important to the story.

Villains
To get the full story on what a villain is (and why we love them), check out my blog post here. The short of it is this: a villain is "a wicked or malevolent person" or "(in a novel, play, film, etc.) the main evil character and antagonist to the hero". These guys (or girls, if you're talking about a villainess) are pure evil, and they don't care. A villain is basically the opposite of a hero: a hero is the important good character (i.e., the protagonist), and a villain is the important bad character (i.e., the antagonist).

So what's the difference?
Honestly, they're eerily similar. Yeah, that's pretty scary, especially for those of us who want to be just like the heroes. So then what is the difference? We want the hero to do well, and we want the villain to lose. We get angry when Sherlock is thwarted by one of Moriarty's schemes, and we laugh in delight when Wile E. Coyote gets blown up and the roadrunner gets away again. Also, the hero is usually more trustworthy. This isn't a rule, though. Sometimes you see a daring plot twist where the hero is revealed to be the villain. Or, in the case of Jekyll and Hyde, we knew all along that the hero and the villain were one and the same.

The biggest difference
We've all heard that with great power comes great responsibility. This is true in the real world and the fictional world. Typically, both the hero and the villain have a lot of power. The real test of who's who is what they do with this power. Do they play with it, hurting innocent people, or do they use it to save others, often endangering themselves in the process? In the words of a great song from Chameleon Circuit (Exterminate, Regenerate),

"We both carry the fire that has the power to end life

But what I do with that flame is what separates our types"

So, heroes and villains really aren't that different after all. But the difference is an important one, as it saves or ends lives. "Is that character a hero or a villain?" That answer changes the whole course of the story, and affects the character's entire life and portrayal, and changes what the reader/audience thinks of him/her.

Why Do We Love Villains?

Aren't we all?

Quick! Name your favorite villain/psychopath! 

Having trouble naming just one? You aren't alone. Many of us fall in love with fictional villains. 

But why? That's what this post seeks to answer.

First of all, let's be clear about who we're talking about. According to the (World English) dictionary, a psychopath is "a person afflicted with a personality disorder characterized by a tendency to commit antisocial and sometimes violent acts"*. And a villain is "a wicked or malevolent person" or "(in a novel, play, film, etc.) the main evil character and antagonist to the hero". So these people are not nice. And they don't care. In some cases, they even enjoy being evil.

So why do we like them? Some people might say we just like the actors, but not all villains look attractive, and the whole "it's just the actors" theory doesn't account for characters in books, comics, etc.

Therefore, we must be attracted to the characters themselves. What makes these characters attractive? Well, let's take a look at a few example villains.

Moriarty (Sherlock)

Who's the archenemy of the world's only consulting detective? Jim Moriarty, the world's only consulting criminal. Obviously. He's totally crazy, but has enough sense to pull off huge crimes and not get caught. He's very good with technology and has all sorts of good uses for it. He even pulls off fake identities, such as Jim from IT and (I won't spoil it for the rest of you, but people who've seen season 3 know what I mean). He pulls off a huge crime in broad daylight and gets off scott-free! (Or is it Andrew-free? Pun intended.) And we even discover he did something pretty amazing (again, I'm trying to keep this spoiler-free, and some of you will know what the amazing thing is). He's powerful, smart, malicious, and crazy in a sexy sort of way that few can pull off. All in all, he's an awesome villain, and it's no wonder people are obsessing over him and shipping him.

The Master (Doctor Who)

For those of you who've seen both Classic Who and New Who (if you don't know what Classic Who is, you probably haven't seen it), you know that the Master is a recurring villain, and he's regenerated a few times. For the rest of you, you've probably seen the Master at least once. Like the Doctor, he's a Time Lord who survived the great Time War. The two used to be friends, but then the Master became crazy and evil. He hears the constant sound of drums in his head, which apparently call him to rule the universe. He's every bit as clever as the Doctor, but unlike the Doctor, he has no kindness or forgiveness, and he thinks killing people is fun. Depending on which regeneration of the Master you look at, you might find the actor attractive, but even more would argue that the character himself is evil in a seductive way. He certainly managed to deceive poor Lucy.

The Daleks (Doctor Who)

I know there should probably be only one Doctor Who villain, but I just couldn't leave out the Daleks. And besides, "good men don't need rules" and "the Doctor lies". Daleks are the quintessential villain: machines of pure, unadulterated hatred. Hate is the only emotion they can feel, and they feel it quite strongly. Their goal is to exterminate every living thing that is not a Dalek, especially the Doctor.

Mr. Hyde (The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde)

I've only read the book, so that's what I'm talking about here. Hyde is Jekyll's own invention, and is essentially Jekyll's evil nature. All he has to do is drink a potion and he is transformed to a huge, grotesque villain. Mr. Hyde is not very bright (unlike Dr. Jekyll), but he is very evil. All he knows is how to be pure evil. Jekyll learns throughout the book that the more he uses Hyde, the more evil he becomes. I don't think anyone could argue Hyde is attractive, but he is extraordinarily evil and certainly a villain.

Voldemort (Harry Potter)

Whether you're talking about the movies or the books, there's no doubt that Voldemort is a villain. I mean, for most of the series, the characters won't even say his name! He's either "the Dark Lord" (for the people on his side) or "He Who Must Not Be Named". Full of selfish greed, he kills witches, wizards, and muggles left and right, then has no qualms about murdering both parents of the boy who will supposedly kill him. Only he can't kill the boy. Voldemort may be an evil guy, but in the scope of the story, his success rate is pretty low. As with Mr. Hyde, I have a hard time considering Voldemort attractive, but hey, you never know.

Cruella de vil (101 Dalmatians)

Arguably one of the best movie villains of all time (she has a bit more competition in literature), this woman has a great sense of fashion and a horrible sense of animal rights. This dog-killer is bad to the bone (pun intended).

Khan (Star Trek)

Like the Master, Khan has appeared many times and has been played by multiple actors. Most recently, Benedict Cumberbatch (Moriarty's enemy, Sherlock in BBC's Sherlock) has played this nemesis. Whatever the specific plot is, Khan's goal is always the same: mess things up Captain Kirk and his crew. There's nothing quite like a dangerous, focused villain.

Darth Vader (Star Wars)

No list of villains would be complete without this guy. He's a stranger all in black, breathing loudly in a way that somehow freaks everyone out, a man with powers (that he won't hesitate to use) to choke someone to death. A guy who can whip out a glowing red weapon and kill a super-important good guy in less than a minute, a guy who looks the protagonist in the eye and says with his haunting voice, "Luke, I am your father." And then we find out that this guy used to be a jedi, just like Luke. He's scary, make no doubt about it!

So, what did we find out? Most, but not all evil characters are attractive. They're all scary, though. Are we just attracted to scary characters? Maybe, but that answer doesn't satisfy me. Here's a few more theories:

1. A good villain is much less scary than the real enemy- ourselves.

Some psychologists would argue that we are our own enemies. I mean, after all, think about all the times you've wanted to do something evil. It's much easier to blame all the evil stuff on a villain than acknowledge that we are in fact responsible for evil.

2. Liking a villain is safer than acting out our own evil desires.

A corollary to #2, we like to do evil things. But most of us know that doing so is a bad idea. So, we just think about all the stuff villains do and admire them, all the while secretly envying them. Sometimes we even think about what we would do if we were villains.

3. Villains get what they want.

Let's face it, we all want lots of things. Villains get whatever they want. Sometimes we are jealous and therefore like the evil people who do whatever they feel like.

4. Villains can give revenge.

Ever gotten so angry about something someone did that you plotted revenge? Most of us have. But have you gotten so angry that you imagined getting a villain to do your revenge work for you? Some of us have done that, and then of course we like the villains for doing what we ask them to (at least in our minds).

5. Villains are powerful.

You can't deny it, power is attractive. Yes, it may not be all it seems, yes, it corrupts, but it's still attractive. We like people who have power, and that includes villains.

And that's about it! Comment and let me know who your favorite villain is?

*Technically, "sociopath" is just another word for "psychopath", so Sherlock Holmes is not a sociopath as he claims. Apparently he didn't do his research. See here and here.

What Fiction Teaches Us About Life

We all love fiction. Whether it's TV shows, books, movies, or all of the above, most of us belong to at least one fandom. Some people just watch (or read) for fun, while others are diehard fans. But whatever you are, if you pay attention, you can learn all sorts of things from fictional characters.

1. Be friendly

Especially, make friends with people who seem alone. Often, those people who seem to be outcasts are actually the main character, and even if they don't seem to have much to offer, friendship is amazing. It's always good to know someone will have your back. 

2. Fight for what you believe in

How does the protagonist of a story become the protagonist? By standing up for something they believe in. Even if the story starts off with a simple adventure or accident, the hero inevitably has to prove his/her worth. 

3. Don't give up

Have you ever noticed how it's right at the darkest hour, when everything seems to be going wrong, that things finally start going right? If you never persevere, you'll be defeated at the climax, instead of getting to the happy ending. 

4. It's never too late

As any fictional work will show you, it's never too late. Better late than never you tell someone you love them, stand up for what you believe in, save somebody, change the world, anything. The sooner the better, but just because it's been a long time doesn't mean you can't try it. 

5. Believe in yourself

You've seen it a billion times. The ordinary guy thinks he's nothing, and then he discovers he's a wizard, or the dwarves' new thief, or an owner of a dragon (the good kind), or... the list goes on. A wise person once said "Some people are born great, some become great, and some have greatness thrust upon them." So even if your life seems totally mundane now, remember, you just might be a hero in the making.