Barbie

Barbie. Barbie serves as the unattainable standard. Barbie creates an illusion "as if we're all trapped in Barbie's world and can never escape." However, let's be honest. Barbie is not the only unachievable standard. In this world, there are hundreds of Barbies whether it be academics, arts, or anything ambitious. In school, we are expected to never forget a piece of paper, listen constantly, and reciprocate whatever is taught every second. Being the standard: having a 4.0, 1550+, 100% on each test, 36, studying 24/7, all 5s on APs. Ugh. It is exhausting to type out all of the expectations, forget actually fulfilling all of them. This is only one aspect.

I grew up playing with barbies. Popping off their heads, styling their hair, and dressing them up...it was all good fun. Looking back, I see no wish to be an actual Barbie. She is too perfect...perhaps a perfect that is just plastic and inhumane. After realizing the stereotypical image Barbie provides, people are advocating for a positive body image and acceptance of yourself. The perfect image is no longer barbie, buts it just loving yourself.

Perhaps there are millions of standards in the world, but slowly, each standard will mend into something new and something acceptable. Barbie will eventually be accepted as some delusional man's invention and accepted as a plastic toy, nothing more. It will not serve as a symbol for women. It will not serve as a standard for women. It will not be something women strive for. It will be a dumb toy.

The unexamined life is not worth living

Socrates, on his trial to die rather than head off to exile, said: "The unexamined life is not worth living." For him, death was a better option than to be separated from the philosophy-the love of wisdom. For Socrates and many scientists alike, asking questions and critically thinking about the undiscovered is the most important pursuit in life above any other alternatives. For some, logical thinking and an individual "examination" of life is the beginning and end of their day. Knowing we all will die one day, a life without adventure and discovery is one without a purpose. While Marie Curie may have died to discover radium, her wish to find something out of the world and bring an element to her life unknown to mankind before was successful. Radium is now the base of radon which is used to treat many cancers. This is not an argument to justify the lives lost or the horrifying effects of radium. However, the element of discovery in life is something that is used to date. What if man chose to sit still with not wish to discover? What is all scientific research was stopped? What if every element to understand more stopped? The earth would become its own grave. What we have to plainly understand is that discovery leads to bad and good things. While radium was discovered, the fact that we started the "radium craze" is what caused deaths. So while we discover more and venture into the roots of the earth, the implementation of what is found is in our hands as well.

ARTifice

While it may seem that the standard we hold political leaders to is acceptable and achievable to the extent that the hundreds of workers in the government are classified as loyal and honest, the use of artifice employed by politicians is used to create an effective pretense of being ordinary and regular. Artifice not only masks political candidates and workers but also reduces the effects of scandals and day-to-day obstacles. For example, Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton's use of artifice to hide scandals resulted in the outcome. Despite the daily accusations against Donald Trump, his use of artifice created a stronger intimacy with citizens. Although Clinton did attempt to cover up the deletion of emails, she was unable to master the art of artifice, hence her loss. Alike Hilary, her husband, Bill Clinton was another victim of failed artifice. His inability to bury the story of his affair and prove himself a common man proceeded to his impeachment. To be portrayed sincere and honest and personal as a political candidate is one of the most effective strategies to relate to citizens and be relatable to the public in general. Artifice is what differentiates a political candidate that wins to the one that loses. While all political candidates may not have a clean slate, how each fact of their life is displayed to the public is one of the most important factors in a successful political career. Artifice is truly an art that each person must master to have close relations and success.