Quote #65

"Someone who says that they are ignorant of nothing is clearly ignorant of something." - Klinsman Hinjaya

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Q&A (Q-Man and Answers) #2: What's your least favorite dino and why?

  

#2

Question from Christela Cindy: What's your least favorite dino and why?

Q-Man's answer:

Let me tell you the truth. Cindy, who is another English enthusiast and a fellow poet, actually (and kindly) sent me two questions, the first one being "Why are you so fond of dinosaurs?". This question can simply be answered by an article I wrote many years ago entitled Why Dinosaurs? and this is the reason why I decided to feature the second inquiry for Q&A #2 instead.

So, what dinosaur is actually my least favorite and why? Posing this question is akin to asking what my most favorite dinosaur is and what the reason is. As I've stated on Facebook, to say what my favorite dinosaur is is indeed exceptionally difficult, but I would not feel very "sinful" if I utter the name of the most popular dinosaur on the planet: Tyrannosaurus rex. This massive predator would have tipped the scales at between 5 and 7 metric tons and was capable of crunching the bone of its unfortunate victims with its bone-chilling teeth (see what I did there?). T. rex was definitely a dinosaurian badass. What about my least favorite dino then? Well, I would not take a much, if any, different approach: Asked this remarkably tough question, I would probably point to a dino that is sort of plain in appearance, like Dryosaurus or any of its close relatives. Despite these, in my book all dinosaurs are special and unique in their own ways.

Q&A (Q-Man and Answers) is a section where I answer questions from my readers. Feel free to send me any question through one of my social media channels. Note that you may choose to remain anonymous.

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My Extremist Self

This article could be considered special in that I am going to be sharing about myself: more specifically, my past self. Many people have known me for a handful of years, and that obscures a whole bunch of things this spectacled Chindo has done and experienced in life. Even those who have been friends with me for eons may not really be aware of the quirks that have annoyingly clung to me. At present, I can be seen as an incredibly friendly guy who beams his countless smiles in all directions and I believe that a lot of folk get the impression that there is no way implacable hatred nests inside this man's seemingly pure heart. Well, I do hope to live up to this positive image, but it was certainly not the case in the (not-so-)distant past.

You may not believe this, but I used to be an extremist, perhaps to the point of being bigoted. In what sense? I reckon there are various things that can be associated with extremism: in my case, it was religion. At the age of 12, I formally renounced my inherited religion and embraced my chosen one. I was very excited about my new religion and I loved it so much that I would do my best to please my God and not disappoint Him, worshipping the Creator with all my heart, soul, strength, and mind – I was primed to be a devout believer. At first, it may not have been apparent, but it was during this period of religiosity that I thought, acted, and behaved in extreme ways, casting my life into a sepulchral dimension.

How so? I adopted or formed a profoundly damaging attitude. Maybe you yourself can relate to this. As an adherent of one particular religion, I had this view that the members of my religion were superior to those of others. I saw those who were not wearing my religion emblem as second-class humans. To me, they were filthy beings deserving to be hurled into Hell for eternity if they didn't repent and accept my God and religion as the only way to Heaven. And since they were not "the chosen ones", I felt being in close proximity to them would potentially increase my chance of straying away from "the truth", so I tried my best to maintain "a safe distance" from them in order not to be infected by their impurity and falsehood. This is utterly disgusting, isn't it? I clearly remember a crazy habit of mine in which I would try very hard not to suck or inhale the smoke produced by the incense sticks that my dad burned as part of his religious ritual, for example by dashing upstairs (he was doing it on the ground floor) and covering my nose with my T-shirt (though I must admit that this extreme behavior was perhaps molded or solidified by some kind of sermon by a cleric of another religion of the same ilk).

My life was also filled with an intense desire to proselytize infidels, saving them from plunging into "unimaginable darkness". Well, not only that, I felt impelled to rectify sinners belonging to the same religion. One particular memory will stick forever in my mind. I heard that a cousin of mine with the same belief system used contraception, which was forbidden and considered to be a sin according to the teaching of our religion. I had this mental conflict over whether or not to talk to her to make things right (she may not have realized that it was a sin): if I did, I would do the right thing in the eyes of my God, but I would probably end up being disliked or hated for meddling in her business. I finally made up my mind to do so and what I feared did happen: I was admonished for doing what I thought was a noble act.

For me, it was the real Hell. It should have never happened and I am terribly sorry to all of those who were affected by my inappropriate behavior. I am glad that I have gone through a lot of things that have shaped me into who I am today. In my (new) book, the notion that certain human beings deserve to be looked down on is truly nauseating. All of us are humans and our nature is the same – nothing should unjustly segregate us. I would like to express tremendous thanks to science and those who have educated me on this subject, making me a more likeable individual (less prejudiced, more tolerant, etc.) and transforming my life into a much more fulfilling one (one related book that popped up in my mind and would foster this much needed attitude is Why Dinosaurs Matter by American paleontologist and TED speaker Kenneth Lacovara). I also cherish personal space and perfectly understand that one can do whatever they want inasmuch as it only affects them themselves.

I am now a liberated person. In this way I can achieve my full potential, unleashing what is untapped, and contribute to the world in a much more meaningful and effective way. And I am really excited about it. 😉

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The Magic of Reality – Book Review

The Magic of Reality

by Richard Dawkins

Let me begin this review by commenting on the first phrase you read even before you crack this book open. The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins probably has one of the most impressive titles of all the books ever published. The subtitle is also extremely arresting: How we know what's really true. I got this sleek copy of mine on my second visit to Big Bad Wolf Book Sale Jakarta 2020, and I brought it home for an orgasmic bargain price, partly thanks to a discount voucher I had won from my first visit to the grand book fair. So, what do I have to say about the contents of this little book? Let's get rolling!

The Magic of Reality aims to clearly explain to the readers what is real (and what is not), in life, in the universe. The first chapter sets out the nature of reality and how it compares with magic, and then it is followed by 11 chapters each dealing with a question on a particular subject, several examples of which are "What are things made of?", "When and how did everything begin?", and "Why do bad things happen?". Dawkins begins most of the chapters with myths and then provides explanations for what is really true, or what really happens, through none other than science.

The Magic of Reality is the second book by the world-renowned British scientist that I've read, the first one being the religion & atheism book The God Delusion. The language in The Magic of Reality is "lighter" than in TGD, but Dawkins still writes eloquently in his delightfully conversational style, which would transport readers through his strings of ideas smoothly. It is a book that I wish I could have (and had) read 10 or 15 years ago, at a much younger age – had that really happened, I would have formed a real understanding of reality earlier. Insightful, informative and addictive, The Magic of Reality also has made me wish Prof. Dawkins had been my science teacher in school (not only of biology, but also of physics and chemistry)! In my mind, The Magic of Reality is a terrific (and, indeed, magical) book on introduction to science, quite possibly the best one available.

The book that you see in the photo above – the one that I own – is actually the minimally illustrated (and paperback) edition. To see the richly illustrated (and hardcover) edition, click here. (Even practically without illustrations, The Magic of Reality was so easy to digest; I wonder how much of smooth sailing my reading experience would have been if I had read the lavishly illustrated version!)

I would like to finish this review by making a more general compliment to the author: I believe Richard Dawkins is one of the greatest science communicators out there.

Note: I would be more than happy to discuss my review of this book with you in more detail. Feel free to contact me through one of my social media channels.

Have you read The Magic of Reality? What is your opinion on this book? Share what you think in the comment section below!

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Q&A (Q-Man and Answers) #1: How does it feel when you can help other people improve their English speaking skills?

 

#1

Question from Dewi Kania Saputra: How does it feel when you can help other people improve their English speaking skills?

Q-Man's answer:

It is no exaggeration to say that being able to use English properly is a primary need in the current era. Although, according to an article by EF blogger Isabelle, it is not the most widely spoken language in the world (the honor goes to Mandarin Chinese, with more than 955 million native speakers, including the one and only Jay Chou), it is undoubtedly a crucially important language to learn and proficiency in this sexy medium of communication means access to a multitude of opportunities which can literally change one's life. When I am successful in teaching my students (or anyone, really) such that they can use English better than they used to, I feel deeply grateful for being able to take part in their unique journeys to reaching their own dreams. It is infinitely rewarding to help someone take a step, however small it is, towards a brighter future.

Q&A (Q-Man and Answers) is a section where I answer questions from my readers. Feel free to send me any question through one of my social media channels. Note that you may choose to remain anonymous.

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Limitless Learning

His glass is full. Don't take this sentence literally. The metaphorical statement is a comment made on a student who apparently feels that the classes he joins are worthless. Regardless of what the real truth is, I would like to give my take on this attitude towards learning.

Firstly, let's make sure we understand the meaning of the "glassy" expression above. The glass can be thought of as the student's head, brain or mind, while the fullness represents the total amount of knowledge that occupies his cranial space – no room left. But it's not only that. The jam-packed state also implies the unwillingness to learn or acquire something new. It is commendable and even recommended that we carry all the bits of information and understanding that we have when we are engaged in a learning process, for example, in discussions – that's how civilization advances. However, this has to be accompanied with the grand, essential attitude of humility.

Humility underpins the success of education. When one thinks they know literally everything, that's when they impose a limit on themselves. This intellectual deception hinders progress of any kind and is a serious obstacle to our advancement, as an individual and as a society. This easily stems from the fact that no single person would ever possess a full, thorough understanding of the universe. Every person ever born on Earth experiences different things than anyone else (this is beautifully formulated in the first rule in Bill Nye's guide to doing everything all at once: Everyone you'll ever meet knows something you don't.), and this necessitates reliance and dependence on our fellow (wo)men, if we are to thrive in this world. This realization should lead us to being more humble and respectful to others, and thus, naturally, we should always provide room for learning from literally anyone, who together makes up an inexhaustible source of knowledge.

While we're on this topic, I would like to share my reading experience related to this with all of you. As some of you may already know, I'm currently reading a science book by the eminent evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, whose title is probably one of the coolest ever in the history of book publishing: The Magic of Reality (to read my review, click here). In this book, there are at least a couple of instances where Dawkins states that he is not knowledgeable about a particular subject. To me, this is an exemplary act which shows how humility entails an admission of one's limits.

To end this article, I would like to sort of quote from a dinosaur book (I hope this sums up the contents of this article neatly). It goes something like this: Even if you think you know everything, there's always something new to learn.

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Quote #64

"Language is the human gateway to reality." - Klinsman Hinjaya

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