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.