There is No Excuse for Stupidity

      The culture that is New York City and the rest of the East Coast is unlike anywhere else in the country. Growing up in its shadow has certainly contributed to who I have become as a person. As a child, I thought that attending various dinner parties and spending the afternoon at the yacht club swimming and sailing on Long Island Sound was something everyone had the opportunity to do. If you didn't know the difference between port and starboard by the time you were five, you were considered a dunce. In a way, the existence from an outward prospective can seem extravagant, but in Larchmont, it's what everyone seemed to do.

      This culture trickles down from an attitude that I think more of society should take in life. When you visit New York and the people I have grown up around, you will not find an ignorant person. People who live here can be seen as a little conceited, pompous, and haughty at times, but you would be hard pressed to find someone truly oblivious to the world around them. 

     There is no shortage of intelligent banter that occurs in this what some might consider a socialite type of atmosphere. Everyone I know reads current events, is capable of holding intelligent conversation, and is interested in pursuing learning, no matter what their age. There is a certain level of social engagement that is expected of you here. It is amazing to just sit and listen, because everyone has an opinion that they are willing to back up with a reason for them. I find it refreshing that I heard a 16 year old chime up in the middle of a conversation about 4th century Christianity and Judaism and have an interesting comment to add to the conversation.

      I honestly wish that more people would prescribe to this style of living. If everyone was as socially engaged as this small circle of people that I have grown up around, the world would be a much more progressive place. People should feel that it is their responsibility to stay informed. It is alarming that a lot of children in Westchester County, New York are more informed about politics than most of American adults, but it's downright alarming that they are probably more insightful than many members of Congress.

      Everyone should take a leaf out of these peoples' books and pick up a book and tune into a news station once in a while. The prerequisites to become a citizen of this country should be ingrained in the minds of those born here. If you haven't bothered to read the Constitution and learn the more important points of at least the country's history and preferably the world, make it your mission to do so. If you have no idea the difference between a Shi'ite and a Sunni or what is going on in Syria, read up. 

      It has always surprised me that ignorance is not listed as one of the deadly sins. If you were to look at most atrocities happening on this planet, it always boils down to ignorance. The first step to making this world a better place for the next generation is to be informed about what makes this world a shitty one. Ignorance is not bliss. Picking and choosing passages of different texts, sacred or legal, and taking them out of context or ignoring the others is morally corrupt. Your beliefs and morals should not blindly replicate those of your parents. The only way for progress to occur is to expand your knowledge base and create your own. 

      I'm not saying to abandon what your family and friends have molded you to be, but you should expose yourself to as much of the world as possible. Drink it all in because the educated are who make it far in the world. If you look at history, the go-getters are the ones to enact the change. The phrase, 'I don't care,' was not in their vocabulary. Think of your biggest role model or someone you most admire in the history books, did they blindly follow the crowd or did they try to look at the world a bit differently? It really comes down to the fact that you have to be the change you want to be in the world and in order to do so effectively, you have to be educated.

20 Things You Can Only Learn Outside the Classroom

After 3 years of college, I can honestly say the most important things that I learned were not taught to me by a professor and not read in a book. The most important things I have learned have been from my peers and experiences outside a classroom setting and in my eyes are much more valuable than anything that can be taught while sitting at a desk.

1. You learn who your true friends are when you're struggling, not when you're partying.
2. You can love someone more than words can express, but hate them at the same time.
3. There are people who truly have no redeemable qualities. They are not worth having in your life.
4. Some people you can only tolerate when you're drunk.
5. You become the people with whom you surround yourself. Choose friends based on the qualities you want to ascertain. 
6. Even when they move thousands of miles away, your true friends will always be there for you.
7. Everyone has their own set of challenges and struggles, no one is perfect.
8. It is important to stand up for yourself, but pick your battles. 
9. Family is the most important thing in life.
10. Family is not only the people with whom you share blood. You can choose who you want it to be.
11. Life is fragile. You never know who will still be here tomorrow, so never withhold affection for those you love.
12. Sometimes those who care the most are the most overbearing and hard to handle.
13. People with disabilities or other obstacles are often times the people who have the brightest outlook on life.
14. There is so much more good than bad in the world.
15. The world is only as scary a place as you let it be. Confidence will take you far.
16. You are stronger than you know. Hardship brings it out fast.
17. Sometimes, it is okay to breakdown just make sure it's in front of the right people.
18. Hate is an emotion not worth having, replace it with indifference.
19. Resolve differences early and privately, don't let them fester.
20. The world is a small place. Be slow to burn bridges.