There’s something ingrained in us to be forgiving to others and harsh towards the one person we should go the easiest on. And there’s no other place that becomes more apparent than the mental gymnastics of comparative
studies.
All in Essay
By Fans For Fans — Introducing the OTW
The internet is a wonderful place, is it not? You can find people with similar interests from all over the world and get really enthusiastic about niche topics. This can also be seen in fandoms and how they express themselves.
On Parasocial Relationships and Podcasting
Ah, podcasts. Love them or hate them, you cannot deny their impact on our lives. Here are some thoughts Akseli wrote on his own experiences with podcasts.
Toxic Positivity
Positivity can turn toxic very, very fast. Sooner than you’d think. At first, it’s the “everything happens for a reason”, then it’s the “others have it much worse off than I do” and eventually the “let’s not think about that, it doesn’t matter, it’s all in my head, I’m fine”.
“Nay, Traveller! Rest.”: On Tourism and Literature
Some places just smell like the pages of our books, don’t they? Some of them trigger that “that’s what s/he meant” moment in our lives. Whether through a sudden realization or by actively bringing an author in mind when looking at a landscape, we think of links between what we read and what we see when we are in nature. Read about tourism, literature, and sustainability!
The Thinking of Thoughts and the Privilege not to Do So
This humorous, ironic and thoughtful piece will certainly pull a laugh out of you and it’ll offer you some fresh eyes to start up your week. Read on to remember the privilege of not having to think!
A-OK
“I don’t want to talk about the quarantine right now. I don’t want to remember that we’re all stuck inside holding our breath…” This brief essay turns the current global atmosphere into a positive one by reminding us how far we’ve come today. Make a perspective shift; read on!
From Third World-Life to First-World Life: Education, Time & Quantity
A comparative cross-cultural reflection of life in Costa Rica and life in Finland. This essay reviews education mainly, as well as a philosophy of time and quantity in advanced Scandinavian society.
Confessions of a dreamer turned opportunist
For many a job in the creative field, be it photography, screenwriting or clay animation, is the dream. Earnestly chasing THE dream, and then having the success story featured in a chic online publication--possibly the height of accomplishment. My dream has been to write.
Cultural Oddities and Other Observations
I wonder what this culture looks like through her eyes and whether she feels at home here. Does she view our social reservation as a form of segregation or our diffident demeanor as indifference? I start rewinding the events of the past 20 minutes, feebly attempting to see the “normal” every-day occurrences of my bus ride as something strange and unfamiliar.