steve kwan user experience designer

Things I have learned

(May 16th, 2004)

These are the things I have learned.

People can be horrible, horrible creatures. They can torture you for the pure pleasure of it, they can take advantage of you, and they can make your life miserable. But no matter how angry you get, you must always be better than this. You must never sink to these lows, and you must never lose your composure. Always be optimistic and look on the bright side of things. Even if your life is not turning out the way you want and things aren't going your way, keeping a positive attitude will help you overcome these problems and will make you the better man in any struggle. There's no point in being successful if you have to be a shithead to get there, because you'll still be a failure as a human being.

Not all men are created equal. Some people are smarter, better looking, more athletic, or wealthier than the rest. But we must all play the hand we're dealt. What you start off with is irrelevant; what really matters is what you accomplish with what you're given.

You can control a lot of factors in your life: your appearance, your attitude, your personality...but you cannot control your feelings. Feelings are odd things which can totally mess your head up and cause you to do things you never thought you'd do.

A man isn't a man until he's been in love. Love is what separates men from boys. Until you've experienced love and understand how good it can make you feel - and how badly it can hurt you - you don't know what life is all about.

You can't control who you fall in love with. Sometimes you fall in love at first sight, sometimes it builds up over time, and sometimes it just hits you one day. You have no control over who you love or who loves you. But even though it's scary, you can't fear love. Love is the single most important thing about being alive.

You must never judge a person based on their beliefs. Who am I to dictate how other people should live their lives?

I have learned that stupidity has nothing to do with how quickly your brain can process information, or how well you score on tests. Stupidity is a blanket term for a lack of common sense, narrow-minded thinking, or no desire to learn. In the real world, your GPA doesn't dictate how intelligent you are.

Despite all the horrible things about the world today, it is still generally a good place, and I am glad to be alive. We must all do what we can to ensure that life is enjoyable for everyone, because without that love and compassion, life has no meaning at all.