It’s the end of Persian year of 1386 and it’s time for the traditional house-cleaning for Nowruz. House cleaning (In Farsi Khane-Tekani) involves cleaning the house and also closing all the open loops in ones life; finishing unfinished projects and doing things left undone, Hence I am writing this post at the end of which I’ll present a purpose and plan for this blog.
But before I get to that for let me update you on what happened in the recent episode of my life so you know where I’m standing and why I want to end this blog as it is and re-open it as the new form that I intend:
If you know me personally you probably know that I was applying for a number of PhD programs. You may also know that I have been rejected from some of my most desired schools. Applications was a sad experience for me as I found out that many of my most beloved scientists had very recently passed away (like Erin Anderson and Anatol Rapaport and please don’t ask for the complete list as I can’t get through it).
Recieving rejections from these schools was certainly a happy ending for this happy process. Paying an application fee of, often, 150$ and then wishfully waiting for a positive answer and then receiving a nice letter that tells you “you’re not actually that good” is probably the worst kind of torture. A kind of torture that, by the way, I am currently going through.
All of this -as good as it may sound- made me realize important things about my life and what I want to do with it. If you like the term, I had an epiphany in the middle of all the fun. A lot of this comes from a friend of mine who got accepted to a program and started to act totally different as if he’s more important or more human than I am. He changed behavior! Not saying hello and not saying goodbyes. It was interesting since we did many research projects together and also shared many of the schools we applied to.
The epiphany was not, niether not-to-be-arrogant nor be-happy-regardless-of-what-happens. These were obvious. What I found out was out whole system of social advancement is based upon rules that have nothing with the personality advancement of individuals. In other words you need not be a good person or and understanding one in order to get to high places, be it presidency; be it a PhD program. Hitler and my old friend are compelling evidence on this.
This observation made me decide to change my attitude towards life and take development of personality as seriously as professional and academic life ( a fading dream these days), never to change into either Hitler or my old friend.
What did all this have to do with my house-cleaning? well nothing actually. Please bare that as a part of my bloggery-narcissistic personality type. And I also had to take all of that pain off my chest.
About the blog, I think you (the 5 or 6 people who visit this humble corner of the blogsphere) should decide. After all you are the customer and as the only (and only) teaching of marketing says you are right, whatever that may mean.
I think it would be appropriate if I present to you an insider view of Iran. True enough to give you a better perspective, and careful enough not get me killed or sent to Evin prison. I will also talk about my Academic interests and try to present a background talk on what I am doing in that area (as I have no other place to say those things).
Hope that works out for everyone…
