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I didn't learn about being beautiful from supermodels walking down the runway. I didn't learn about being beautiful from glamorous movie stars or musicians. I didn't even learn about being beautiful from the pretty girls at my school. No. I learned about beauty from my best friends and the freckles on their cheeks. I learned about beauty from the scars and imperfections they hated. I learned about beauty by watching them believe they aren’t.

I didn't learn about being intelligent in school. I didn't learn about being intelligent from some documentary I watched or book I read. I didn’t learn about being intelligent from studying day and night. No. I learned about being smart from my brother. I learned about being intelligent when I watched him stress for four years about college. I learned about being intelligent by helping him cram for tons of tests and quizzes and celebrating his success. I learned about being intelligent listening to his sobs when he received a full ride to his dream college.

I didn’t learn about being kind from some after-school special. I didn’t learn about being kind from watching my parents help being at the supermarket. I didn’t even learn about being kind from being treated so unkindly. No. I learned about being kind from my band director. I learned about being kind when I sat in her office with tears permanently stained on my cheeks and she just accepted my tears. I learned about being kind when she let me sleep on her shoulder for two hours on a bus. I learned about being kind when she gave me the coat off her back because I didn’t have one.

I didn’t learn about being courageous from daredevils on the news. I didn’t learn about being courageous from gutsy characters in books or on television. I didn’t learn about being courageous from teens who thought yelling at a teacher for no reason meant courage. No. I learned about being courageous from the people I saw stand up for themselves and for others no matter where it may be. I learned about being courageous from the people who risked their lives to save somebody they didn’t know. I learned about being courageous from the men and women who defended our country everyday, sometimes with nothing to show for it.

I've learned about beauty, intelligence, kindness, and courage throughout the years. From my best friends, my brother, band director, or perfect strangers. I didn’t learn about those things through mainstream ways that you find crammed down your throat.

You don't have to learn how to be you through people you don't know. Take a step back and look at those you do, because I'm sure it'll mean more to you when you start seeing those qualities in yourself.
Ah yes, the true story of me learning to find what I want to be in the people I love.
Lesoulist Feb 2015
Don’t judge me with the book I’ am holding,
Don’t criticize me if I desire to gain wisdom.
When curiosity wraps my head down to my feet,
I know that I am in need to be filled
The fear of lacking ensembles me..
Growing in intelligence entices me..
To be a a woman than a lady encourages me,
To be a person than a human changes me..
Arun C Feb 2015
When do
the thinking machines
come on the scene
10 yrs to fear
some say more like
a fright in 30 or 40
but on this path
do the math
and it will most surly happen
if we are still here
someday shed a tear
when computers say
cogito ergo sum
inorganic panic
faster to think
in a blink
knowing more
then ever you or I could
if the strongest survive
how do you and I thrive
after creating our replacements
Joseph Schneider Oct 2014
Intelligence isn't based through an IQ score, nor through ones ability to count to ten.

Intelligence is based on an individual's ability to grasp a concept in an exceptional fashion.

Rather it be math, social skills or even ones ability to make others laugh. These all show an intellectual and subjective level of intelligence.

Although regularities may vary, the general outcome of one's ability to stabilize information is no different then those of a "higher" place.

"Everybody is a Genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."

-Joseph B Schneider
© Joseph B Schneider. All rights reserved
1) Family ***** you up, but at the end of the day it’s up to you how you’ll deal with it.
2) You have to learn how to take care of yourself. Mentally, physically, and spiritually. Nobody’s going to do it for you and nobody can do it but you.
3) Education is very important but bad grades does not equate your intelligence.
4) It is okay to be sad every once in a while. You are allowed to feel vulnerable. The point is being able to pick yourself up afterwards.
5) Appreciate the little things. The smallest gestures of appreciation and love from people around you. It can be as simple as “text me when you get home” and you will see who are the people who matter.
6) You will never be able to fully define yourself. By doing so, you are restricting the idea of change. You are constantly growing–evolving, into a better (or worse) person you were yesterday.
7) Learn to adapt. Adapt to your environment and the people around you but never forget who you really are.
8) Society is weird because you are expected to be yourself but they will shun you if they disapprove.
9) Discrimination of all kind exists. There are thousands of people who suffered/are suffering because of this. As a decent human being, it’s your obligation to treat fellow humans as people.
10) Life is filled with very rough patches. If you are going through hell keep going. Because one day you will look back and be able to say “I’ve been through worse.”
11) There are different kinds of perception of beauty. If you find someone unattractive, don’t be an ******* about it.
12) Intelligence is not equated by beauty or if the woman is wearing makeup or not. They are in no way correlated with each other. Destroy this idea that women cannot have more than one trait.
13) There are different kinds of strength. One can be physically strong and have a fragile heart, another can have the weakest body and have the strongest will.
14) The opposite of love isn’t hate. It’s apathy. Stop the “I don’t give a ****” ******* and treasure the people who matter to you.
15) Soulmates does not necessarily mean romantic partners. It could be your best friend, your sibling, or your parent. This is the person who knows you inside and out and vice versa.
16) Stop hating on others and instead notice the nice things about people. Like you think someone’s haircut looks great, tell ‘em. Makes them happier and it makes you happier.
17) Find your passion, pursue it, but make sure you can make a living out of it. If you’re an artist, learn to market yourself. It is as an occupation just as much as being an accountant.
18) Live in the moment. It’s hard not to dwell into the past or be excited for the future, but you should also focus on the now. You will never be as young or as old as you are right now.”
My ramblings to mark my 18th Birthday
Michael Ryan Dec 2014
They Call me the Ocean.
Maybe to people that means how large of a man I may be.
Or they are confused by my physical form,
because I don't look like an Ocean.
But believe me I am the ocean,
and you are the ******* puddle.
On the ground outside right now.
You only last for a few hours, even if that.
Your depth is not one that can equal the ocean.
We can explore all your insides within one second.
I can take one step and be all the way through you already.
To make you it takes one single rain cloud.
To make me, you can't replace this.
No matter how many rain clouds there are in world.
You can't remake this for the entirety of our existence.
Yes there may be other oceans in the world, but I am part of them.
There is only 4 oceans, but we can't count how many puddles there are.
The only thing within you can be shown on the surface.
You merely reflect the little world around.
But if you were to look at me.
You would see the reflection of the whole entire sky line.
See that's where everything stops with you.
The mere reflection of what's around you.
But with me.
Everything isn't taken so literally.
That within every little drop is a part of the ocean.
The deeper you dive the easier it is to tell what's different.
With a puddle you need not explore, but simply walk by.
But the ocean, you can never find it all.
You can only find so much.
People have tried since the beginning of time.
They only know that I am deep.
They don't know what's all within me,
and maybe they never will...
I think this is how the world is, there is so many people in the world, but most of them are puddles, they lack so much, and there are oceans and they have so much to them, but there are so few.
You are beautiful, from every inch inside
You are amazing, no need to hide.
You are talented show the world who you are.
You deserve everything, so go out and go far.
Scream in joy your name to them, for they all need to know
Who you truly are, let your insides show!
Cali Nov 2014
a great quantity of money
goes to education
but what about being  brainwashed
we indirectly pay for it
we are blind to the world
a fine line between facts and opinions
and putting two and two together
it takes 1 line in our life
a goodbye kiss
a death
someone's last sentence
to learn everything we need to
so much money
to think how someone else thinks

unoriginality

we save up for

my grades are bad
but little do they know Im bored

I hate education
spending money and a large percentage
of our lives
to turn our organic minds
into a one way street
that everybody is parked on
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