The more I study! The more I'm stupid!

Most people might think that if a person studies higher, that person should be more intelligent and smart. But as a Phd student who has gone through a lot of academic lessons, I’ve learned that studying higher doesn’t always lead to higher wisdom but conversely, sometime, transforms some intellectuals to be stupid ones. In this article, I’d like to reveal the bright and the dark side of study or education which are able to make us to be positively or negatively stupid.

To the bright side, I’d like to say that “The more you study” leads to “The more positive stupidity”. This foolishness means if you study higher and higher, from Bachelor to Master or even to Phd, you will realize the fact that the world of education is unlimited and beyond any boundaries. For the vast of the universe, there are countless of things for you to learn for all of your life and when you reach a certain point of knowledge level, then you’ll see another step of knowledge waiting ahead of you to learn.

This is how I consider “The more you study! The more you're stupid!” as positive because the more you study makes you realize how tiny of knowledge you currently have when compared to the rest of unknown knowledge. Helping you to be more active in learning process and move on to study things beyond your currently-held understanding. Importantly, this positive stupidity also makes you to be a humble person who has not been trapped in your own academic shadow and ready to take the other’s advices and comments with respectfulness.

And to the dark side, everything I said above is converse. “The more you study” leads to “The more negative stupidity” because the more one studies, sometime, leads to the false consciousness that one thinks that one is already smart and know everything. Also, higher academic titles one has, might make that one too pride to accept that there are other knowledge beyond his or her understanding, or worst, too pride to listen to the other’s advices and comments especially from persons with lower academic titles and experiences.

This is how I regard “The more you study! The more you're stupid!” as negative because, for sometimes, the more you study might make you think that you’re smarter than the others and entirely close your from the rest of knowledge. Metaphorically, a Buddhist’s philosophy well reflects this phenomena by comparing a glass of full water with persons who assumed themselves that they already have the entire knowledge about things just like the glass with no empty space for adding more water, and a glass of almost-full water with persons who also know much about things but retain a sufficient space for learning something new just like the glass that is able to contain more water.

To be positively or negatively stupid, it is entirely up to you to choose to be but what I remind here is that you shouldn’t let your knowledge overshadowing your true wisdom. For me, I’d like to say that the more I study makes me feel more stupid, but it’s a positive stupidity which drives me moving forward to gain more knowledge throughout of my life.

The history of Muay Thai

Today, I'd like to present an article about muay Thai which I wrote for a website a few years ago. Come through this and you may know more about the Thai fighting style.

Dating back to the medieval ages when the history of Muay Thai actually began. At that time, there were series of wars between states in Southeast Asia region. Those ancient warriors always engaged in hand-to-hand combats, which only short-range weapons such as swords, spears and clubs were proved useful. Because of close-range battle, those ancient fighters must develop their close-in fighting skills in order to win such a combat. Arms, legs, knees and elbows were therefore adapted to use as weapons.

In Thailand, or Siam as known then, this weaponless fighting style flourished rapidly. To protect themselves from continuous invasions of neighboring hostile Burmese, Siamese was to develop their individual fighting style called “Muay Boran” which means “Ancient Boxing”, or also known as “Muay Thai” to withstand the invader. Some historical evidence indicates that “Muay Thai” was taught to both commoners and royal families, even kings, to strengthen the Siamese nation. “King Naresuan” The Great, who released Siam from the occupancy of Burma in mid of 16th century and “Phra Chao Suua” also known as “The Tiger King, who distinguished himself as a peasant to take part in Muay Thai contests, are well recognized as the great Muay Thai boxer who used this martial art withstand and drive out the Burmese raiders.

Until mid 19th century, when the long-range weapons from western nations such as guns, rifles and cannons were introduced in this region, “Muay Thai” slowly faded from the battle fields. However, “Muay Boran” was adapted to be used as a sport for a brave man, which minor pains or serious injuries were unavoidable, and these boxing competitions were commonly found in Thai temples. In the early period of this sport, boxing equipments such as gloves, jockstraps, knee guards and head guards were not available. Thai boxers only bind their fists with ropes and went on the ring to fight. This kind of Muay Thai is called “Muay Kaad Chuek”. Because of its violence and savagery, this ancient type of Thai boxing is currently prohibited but you can watch the traditional “Muay Kaad Chuek” competitions between Thai and the old enemy, Burmese, which is yearly on “Songkran day” at Mae Sod district, Tak province, Thailand.

Today, Muay Thai boxers are required to wear gloves and jockstraps before fighting. In addition, rules and regulations are set up to prevent boxers from critical injuries. Although its sensation and thrill are decreased, but Muay Thai remains one of the most famous sports which most of Thai people always pay great attention to. The popularity of Muay Thai has now expanded to the west. Muay Thai schools are generally found in countries like Holland, England, France and United States. For more recognition, Muay Thai was recently been added to SEA Games, a biennial multi-sport event of Southeast Asia countries, as one of the sport in the official competitions.

In the future, if Muay Thai has received more acceptances from the wider circle, there might be seen Muay Thai in the bigger competition of humanity, the Olympic Games.

The origin of ice cream

Among the most popular desserts from all around the globe, ice cream has been well recognized for being a leading confectionery which is able to alleviate uncomfortable feeling caused by high temperature of the midday sun. Its cold and sweet deliciousness have attracted all types of consumer for hundreds of years. Therefore, this frozen dessert is truly considered as the word’s most popular confection. Today, I'll bring you back through time to see when and how ice cream started its story and set the name among the most successful desserts in food history. But remark! This article was wrote for a website of my former company.

The origin of ice cream remains in obscurity, some historical records claime that the first ice-cream-like dessert was first created in the time of Nero Claudius Caesar, a famous Roman emperor who lived in 618-97 A.D.. It is believed that the young emperor had ordered his subjects to bring some ice from a nearby mountain and combined the collected ice with fruit toppings and ate them like a light meal. However, this theory is not confirmed yet. Other historical evidences indicate that ice cream was actually produced in 618-97 A.D. by King Tang of Shang in China who regularly created some kind of confection by mixing ice with an amount of milk. This theory is supported by another explanation which said that Marco Polo had learned about this cold light meal from the Chinese and brought it back to Europe.

Anyway, the history of ice cream is officially started in the early 16th century when some kind of ice-cream-like dessert was produced and prevailed throughout Italy. Later in the 17th century, this frosty confection had been developed and spread to the nearby countries like France, Spain and England. These countries also crated their individual recipes and introduced it to the wider world in later time. Ice cream had arrived United States in the early 18th century and rapidly became a famous confectionery for most of the American. It is believed that ice cream was regularly served to several famous American leaders such as Gorge Washington and Thomas Jefferson in their house and office. In addition, ice cream is recorded as one of light meals which a famous governor, Bladen of Maryland served to their guests. In 1776, a first American ice cream parlor was set up. In this period, the name “Ice cream” was first called by American colonists who coined the name from the phrase “iced cream” which was similar to “iced tea”.

By the late 19th, Ice cream business rapidly expanded throughout the planet, especially in America and Europe. Ice cream manufacturers and brands were widely established and many ice cream recipes were continuously also made up to fulfill customers’ varied tastes. Until the late 20th century, because of the expansion of modern ice cream producing methods and the introduction of a new innovation called "refrigerator" which is able to keep ice cream stay longer, this frozen confection has finally become one of the most popular light meals in several countries, especially in tropical nations where frozen foods or drinks are extremely needed.

The Science of Sex Appeal

Know what? Now the topic about physical attraction has already been a yesterday’s news. Why...? It’s because some recently-released scientific discoveries have revealed unexpected roles of biological power to human’s passionate and sexual relationships. Those scientists claim that these biological determinations direct us to unconsciously seek for a particular type of person, perfectly matched with our biological requirements. What a stunning discovery!

Recently, I watched a documentary on Discovery channel, The Science of Sex Appeal, which talking about the process of forming and maintaining intimate relationships between men and women by using biological approach to study and explain. If all of the scientific discoveries of the documentary are true, then it means that we all are engaging in a chemical war which we unconsciously fight for searching and taking the most biologically matched partners.

There are three major biological determinations for our bodies to be considered when we trying to begin intimate relationships with someone. Smell, voice pitch, and face symmetry are hidden clues of attractiveness which our bodies are trying to detect and identify.

Sex therapist Dr. Laura Berman says there are 10,000 different scents which we are capable to identify, but in fact, there is an enormous realm of unconscious scents which we’re not even aware that they are existed as well as how much we are being controlled by them. In this case, the scents produced by our bodies. According to Karl Grammer and Elizabeth Oberzaucher, who are leading the research on the human scent's influence on sexual attraction, they claim that when women are in their ovulation period, they can produce copulins, a charming scent which can make real men to be submissive to women’s feet. Moreover, copulins also stimulates men to secrete androstenone, an undesirable odor which repels women who aren’t ovulating, increasing chances for beginning sexual activities. What an intelligent plan of Mother Nature!

Another biological factor that has been found to directly involve sexual attraction is voice pitch. According to Dr. Gordon Gallup, a professor at the State University of New York at Albany, he claims that women with higher level of estrogen producing higher level of voice pitch which is able to attract men’s attention. He says that most men like a women with higher tone of voice because the voice represents femaleness that means she needs to be protected by a man. His study also indicates that the higher tone of voices articulating by women in their ovulation period also offers clue to men that they are ready to be engaged in reproduction activities.

The final factor to talk about here is face symmetry. For me, it is pretty surprised to know that some scientists have recently created a kind of measurement to determine how much a face is really attractive. Dr. Kendra Schmid, an assistant professor of biostatistics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, claims that she uses 29 different measurements to create a formula for a “perfect” face by determining someone's appeal on a scale of 1 to 10. According to her study, the ratio of the length of the face to the width of the face should be 1.6, also known as the golden ratio. She says the face should also be divided into three equal pieces vertically, the forehead, then the bottom of the forehead to the nose and then from the nose to the chin. Not a big surprise! Brad Pitt has a perfect face because he got 9.3 out of 10.

As we see now, for us to search and select an appropriate partner as well as to maintain relationships with him or her, there are many factors to consider, including biological determinations. Although smell, voice pitch, and face symmetry might be regarded as unconscious factors of sex appeal which we are almost unable to design and control them, but we can learn how to use what we already have in the wisest and most profitable way for creating and maintaining a good relationships with someone. Also, after reading this story I hope you’ll realize that we all are playing in a game of love which is not solely controlled by courtship techniques or physical attraction, but biological power which can arouse our chemical of love to its peak when we met someone who matches our biological determinations of sexuality.

Lord Buddha, the greatest spiritual scientist!

What is the difference between Albert Eistine and the great Lord Buddha?

Eistine might be regarded as one of the greatest scientists the world has ever seen, but for me, the great Buddha has been recognized as a great scientist as well. Anyway, he is not a great scientist of physical science just like Eistine, but he is the greatest scientist from the world of spiritual science!

For most of us, the meaning of science is located absolutely far away from the world of spiritual power or superstitious beliefs like they stand in the different side of a coin. While Isaac Newton talked about the fact of the earth’s gravity by using mathematical equation, Lord Buddha talked about the fact of life by using spiritual guidance. As you see, the two famous figures are talking about the same thing that's a genius way to study and understand reality but they are using a different approach to gain knowledge and explain.

The first approach has gained knowledge by utilizing physical science whereas the second has acquired understandings by employing spiritual view. To explain this idea clearer, I'd like to say that physical science approach fits for study things which are physically, chemically, biologically, and psychologically existed but spiritual science approach extremely fits for apprehending secrets inside a human’s soul.

It’s easy to see why most people always reject the idea that spiritual guidance is also a scientific procedure to find reality. Maybe because there is no any objective evidence to explain or demonstrate how spiritual activity is actually working just like we see how a machine is performing its task. Lord Buddha once said that spiritual approach is the only tool to study the inner state of a human’s soul, only the one who does is the only one who will be enlightened. As you see now, spiritual philosophy above is completely different from scientific doctrine which says that if one finds a way to study reality the others can also see the reality without using any effort.

From my opinion, most of us like to think about ourselves as a brilliant and highly intelligent being because we think that we completely understood what science is all about despite the fact that we know nature’s secrets just only one part from billions. We like to call what we can study by using our five sensory receptors as science but for the rest that we’re unable to understand and explain we’ll put them in the area of supernatural, only because our ignorance.

I do believe that in the not-too-distant future, we, as human beings, will finally realize that the actual meaning of the word science is incredibly comprehensive and the word has covered studying areas much more than we ever imagined, including spiritual approach. And when the day has come, humanity will realize the exact meaning of Lord Buddha's 2,500-year teachings and know that he is truly the greatest spiritual scientist ever born to this world.

20th century, the most dramatic and exciting time! Part 1

Part 1: The abolition of absolute monarchy!

Have you ever sit and faced with this question? Which is the most dramatic and exciting century for human kind? I mean a century which contains most important events and discoveries that made tremendous changes for all of us, no matter good or bad legacies. And if the kind of question is facing on me, I'll unhestatingly reply that my most exciting century of all is the 20^th.

In this investigative series, I’ll be looking back through time 100 years ago to see what those important events were and compiling them into the 10 top dramatic and exciting events of the 20^th century. And now we'll begin with the first event, the abolition of absolute monarchy.

According to Christian Era, 20^th century began on January 1^st, 1901 and ended on December 31^st, 2000, and during this hundred years, a lot of triumphs and tragedies had been packed along its period of time. As you probably know, before the 20^th century, many nations around the world had adopted the kind of primitive administration through the form of absolute monarchy which only king solely regulated and controlled his subjects, and this form of governance worked smoothly and effectively at that time because the society was so simple and almost all subjects were less educated and entirely lacked chances to enter politics.


But remember what happened in the early 20^th century? When we saw the world has changed. We witnessed the dissolution of absolute monarchy in many countries throughout the world, especially in Europe and Asia continents, which brought tremendous changes to billions of people. The collapse of The Russian Empire, the German Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire has turned long-term subjects to become dominant classes who can control their own destinies as well as gain chances to what only noblemen derived in the past.


To the Asian nations' side, although the Chinese’s absolute monarchy was entirely abolished and the last emperor, Puyi, was finally chased away from his forbidden city and spent the rest of his life as a gardener, the Japanese and Thai monarchy have fortunately survived the event but they needed to adopt the new role of the head of the state under the constitution. Anyway, the smooth and bloodshed transmission of power from royal families to public in these countries only occurred by the generosity and sacrifice of those leaders at that time, and their great dedication will be forever noticed.

As we see now, the early 20^th century was truly the time of political and administrative transmission for most of the world’s population, especially in China which already contained billions of residents at that time. In the next part, I’ll bring you back to the world wars which also only happened in the 20^th century, and from my opinion, the outcome of these tragic events has enormously shaped the world’s politics and economic system which we’re connected today.

Welcome to my weblog!

Three years have passed, since I canceled my first weblog due to some limitations originated by a range of academic requirements which needed a lot of time and efforts to accomplish. Now it’s a good chance for me to come back on stage as a blogger once again. My reasons for creating this blog are simply explainable; the first one is to share some valuable and interesting stories about everything you can imagine from my point of view, and the second one is to find some easy and cheap way to improve my English writing skill, that's writing something for all readers to comment. Here, I do promise to share many investigative stories from a wide range of interesting topics, which are not only to increase knowledge for all readers but also to bring readers some fun and relaxation simultaneously. Ok! Let’s see more from here.