Tag: Awareness
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Can Music Help Us Break Free from Dogma? Exploring Machine Head, Religion, and Trauma
Read more: Can Music Help Us Break Free from Dogma? Exploring Machine Head, Religion, and TraumaHow do beliefs shape our reality? Machine Head is an American heavy metal band formed in 1991 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Robb Flynn, who remains the only original member of the band. A drummer friend of mine introduced me to their music, and I was immediately drawn to the raw energy of their tracks, seamlessly blending…
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V for Vendetta: How Can We Break the Cycle of Oppression Through Awareness and Action?
Read more: V for Vendetta: How Can We Break the Cycle of Oppression Through Awareness and Action?V for Vendetta is a 2005 dystopian political action film directed by James McTeigue from a screenplay by the Wachowskis. I hadn’t initially planned to write about V for Vendetta yet, as I felt its message could easily be interpreted as a call for chaos and anarchy. However, history has shown us time and again…
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Zatoichi and Self-Awareness: Can a Blind Swordsman Teach Us to See the World Differently?
Read more: Zatoichi and Self-Awareness: Can a Blind Swordsman Teach Us to See the World Differently?Zatoichi is a fictional character created by Japanese novelist Kan Shimozawa. He is an itinerant blind masseur and swordsman of Japan’s late Edo period (1830s and 1840s). The story became a movie series, followed by a television series, both featuring the same actor—who likely served as the inspiration for Admiral Fujitora in One Piece. More…
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How Can Final Fantasy Tactics Teach Us About Mastery and Self-Discovery?
Read more: How Can Final Fantasy Tactics Teach Us About Mastery and Self-Discovery?Final Fantasy Tactics is a 1997 tactical role-playing game by Square, released in 1997. This is the first installment of Final Fantasy as a tactical RPG, yet it has been cited as one of the greatest video games ever made. It is also the first entry set in the fictional world later known as Ivalice,…
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Schindler’s List: “Whoever saves one life saves the world entire.”
Read more: Schindler’s List: “Whoever saves one life saves the world entire.”What does it take to break free from passivity? Schindler’s List is a 1993 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is based on the historical novel Schindler’s Ark (1982) by Thomas Keneally. The film follows Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist who saved more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…