Author: Vincent
-

How Does Toxicity by System of a Down Reflect Society’s Illusions?
Read more: How Does Toxicity by System of a Down Reflect Society’s Illusions?Can listening to politically charged music lead to real change? I first began listening to System of a Down when their second album, Toxicity, was released in 2001. Produced in part by Rick Rubin, the album solidified the band’s unique sound—an intense fusion of metal, punk, and traditional Armenian influences. Though an American band, all…
-
A “Consciousness Label”?
—
Read more: A “Consciousness Label”?Thinking is good, but unfortunately, it doesn’t pay the bills. Unless you go to extremes or simply have the means from the start, you cannot escape this rule: you need money to live. And you need to live in order to think. It’s true that the opposite isn’t necessarily true. But isn’t it because human…
-

Fight Club: How Does Mental Health Shape Our Reality?
Read more: Fight Club: How Does Mental Health Shape Our Reality?What Does Fight Club Teach Us About the Invisible Struggles of Mental Health? Fight Club is a 1999 American film directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter. It is based on the 1996 novel Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. I have watched it multiple times—not only because of…
-

Can Dragon Night Help Us Reflect on War, Justice, and Awareness?
Read more: Can Dragon Night Help Us Reflect on War, Justice, and Awareness?Dragon Night is a song by SEKAI NO OWARI, a Japanese pop band, released in 2014. An English version exists and may be more well-known internationally, as it is the official PV on their YouTube channel. The song is catchy and straightforward, but the inspiration behind its lyrics may reference a historical event—the Christmas Truce…
-
The weight of society and its effects on our consciousness
—
Read more: The weight of society and its effects on our consciousnessThe more people there are, the greater the inertia of society becomes. This seems obvious, but it also explains how religions were able to develop. Every Sunday, my wife and I watch the new episode of the anime Chi, which fictitiously portrays how the heliocentric theory might have emerged at a time when any thought…
-

Zombie by The Cranberries: Is Humanity Doomed to Repeat Its Mistakes?
Read more: Zombie by The Cranberries: Is Humanity Doomed to Repeat Its Mistakes?Zombie is a song performed by The Cranberries and released in 1994. It is a protest song about the young victims of a bombing in Warrington, England, during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. I was around 10 when I first listened to this song. Naturally, I didn’t understand the full context of the conflict, and…
-
The Red Pill, and the Blue Pills
—
Read more: The Red Pill, and the Blue PillsOnce again, a reference to The Matrix today—but it’s such a revealing movie that it’s easy to refer to. For those who have seen and enjoyed the film, we all remember the famous scene where Morpheus offers Neo a choice: the blue pill or the red pill.The blue pill keeps Neo in the Matrix, while…
-

How Does Free Solo Reflect Neuroplasticity, Balance, and the Pursuit of Excellence?
Read more: How Does Free Solo Reflect Neuroplasticity, Balance, and the Pursuit of Excellence?Free Solo is a 2018 American documentary film directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, profiling rock climber Alex Honnold’s quest to achieve the first-ever free solo ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in June 2017. Watching it a few years ago, I still remember the sweat on my hands and feet—I…
-

How Does Suzume Reflect Our Reality and the Power of Awareness?
Read more: How Does Suzume Reflect Our Reality and the Power of Awareness?Can disasters shape our collective memory? Suzume is a 2022 Japanese animated coming-of-age fantasy adventure film written and directed by Makoto Shinkai. The story follows 17-year-old Suzume Iwato and a young stranger, Souta Munakata, as they team up to prevent a series of disasters across Japan. Their mission is to seal doors that release a…
-
Bread and Games
—
Read more: Bread and GamesYesterday, I came across a post on Threads, featuring a video that compared the Roman Colosseum, with the famous “bread and games,” to the world today, which hasn’t changed. The bread and games have been replaced, of course, but the essence remains. I, for one, was nurtured in my childhood by the cartoons from Club…