Stupid Mistakes.

I think most people (myself included) think way too highly of themselves. And what I mean by highly is that they think they are someone who are more capable than they really are. This is evident in the overwhelming number of students planning to follow the pre-med path and become a doctor--students ranging from people who can't even manage pre-calc in their senior year to ones who are so talented or whatever that they really should be in grad school right now as a high school student (like the Siemens Science Competition Grand Prize winner a couple of years ago, she's just amazing.)

Ok, allow me to digress. Doctor is an very important job. A tiny mistake could take away someone's life. This is about one's life and death, and I think only the most talented person--not necessarily a super genius but someone who is the most fitting for this job: (for surgeons esp.) have deft hands and fingers, fast-thinking, capable of working under extreme pressure (of course, for those who just want to be a dermatologist or whatever most stress-free profession these do not apply =.=), and brain capable of storing A LOT of information and continue to process and integrate new information as technology and science advances. Looking from all of above, doctor is obviously not a job that anyone can just do. And I'm sure most people agree with that too--but they themselves are always the exceptions. Not anyone can be a docotr, but they can.

And besides, what's this obsession with doctor anyway? Medicine is not the only way to save people's lives. And I believe at this point international relations, domestic concerns, climatic concerns are more urgent things that are definitely taking away and harming people's lives faster than anything. But of course, "most" people won't consider to become a civic worker or whatever scientist because it's hard to have a specific goal when you don't even know what options are available...a diplomat? a office worker who works at certain government agency? a consultant? well...these are just not as easy to think about as one general title--doctor--and they don't sound as cool either...of course...the money is the least that people are concern with but still...these "miscellaneous" jobs do not earn as much money and do not have as much reputation as being doctor.

(And since this is a blog of my honest conversation with myself, I have to admit that all my bitching above could just be my perverted competitive instincts--that just because I had given up on the pre-med track, realizing that this might be too arduous for me, I don't want to see anyone that think they have the capability to go through it. Ugh..this really sounds disgusting...I'm such a horrible person...but oh well, I believe at least 50% of my bitching is genuine concerns and not motivated by selfish private interest.)

Ok...let's go back to the main road...(no, not referring to the road to learning here.) So why is this post titled stupid mistakes? Just like I said in the beginning, I think most people...especially those who are even slightly competitive (those who see that they are faring better than the "average" American students)...think that they are someone better, more capable than who they really are. Record every time you get a math or science test back--there are almost always constant moanings along the lines of "OMG, I made SO many STUPID mistakes!! I could have gotten an XX!" I never did it--but every time I hear this type of talking, I get a strong urge to tell them "No, you DID NOT make a STUPID mistake. You made a MISTAKE. And it's not the mistake that's stupid. YOU are STUPID." So basically, when these over-confident people (but usually this won't be conspicuous at all...it's a very subtle mental message) are actually forced to face their own failure--the proof that they are not as great as they think they are, they make up these kinds of retarded excuses like "I made so many stupid mistakes" and to lesson the fault of own stupidity and make themselves feel better. Seriously? Is that necessary? Just admit that you made a mistake--not a stupid mistake, smart mistake or whatever, just a MISTAKE because you're stupid--and study harder and try to take off this stupid label the next time. But of course, we're such coddled children that we can't face our own failures (like my brother, so pathetic, he just stops playing at all when he sees that he's losing) and admit it with straightforward honesty.

To sum this up...my advice for the kinds of people that I addressed in this post..those who would never read this post...is: Get real, and grow up.