Turning Weaknesses Into Strengths

During my 19 years of life, I have been given a number of opportunities to speak in front of large audiences. Performing in plays during my elementary and middle school years became commonplace and I even had the chance to speak at my own high school graduation. My preparation for these public speaking opportunities were relatively similar. Initially, after concentrating on learning the mechanics of what I was saying, I utilized repetition to memorize key passages and ideas to build from during the talks. I believe that, through these experiences, I have gained confidence when it comes to public speaking.

Even though I feel at ease when presenting to larger audiences, I can still showcase nervous ticks or verbal fillers that detract from the speech's quality. I can reduce these weaknesses by practicing my speeches in front of friends and asking for constructive feedback when it comes to these negative traits. Additionally, I tend to move around when giving public presentations, and this can become a weakness as it distracts the audience from the actual words being spoken. Especially in situations where movement is discouraged such as podium presentations, it is vital to remain stationary. Continued practice of this style speech is something I can use to increase my proficiency of public presenting.

Lastly, speaking at a faster rate than normal has affected my public speaking experiences in the past. Even though I practice at a normal talking rate, the excitement of presenting often results in quicker language. To combat this weakness, I must consciously remind myself to slow down and take pauses during my talks. This can allow the audience to digest the words I am saying and increase my ability to focus my thoughts before continuing the speech. With all these ideas to improve my public speaking, I hope to someday reach a point where my very own weaknesses can become my strengths.

Image Credits:

Image Provided by Patrick Slaven

No Mercy for Mercer: Circle Blog #5 (analysis of own topic)

Mercer represents every last true human quality left standing in the world of The Circle. David Eggers utilizes Mercer's almost eclectic qualities to showcase the embedded necessities of people to retain a sense of privacy and individuality.  It is important to note that Mercer used to be seen as the antagonist of Mae, always pulling against the trend towards technology.  However, he begins to represent the rejection of so much change towards the end of the story.  Driven to insanity, Mercer exemplifies the effects that reduced privacy can have on individuals through his running, rejection of logic, and ultimate suicide.

The fight or flight instinct of all living things helps save lives.  During the novel, Mercer accepts the instinctual quality of running away from a force too large to defeat himself.  As everyone becomes enthralled in the Circle, Mercer remains skeptical of so much globalization and interconnection.  To him, the only logical thing to do is to run away.  During the scene where Mae and her coworkers search for Mercer, they showcase the extreme excitement a predator may feel when it finds its prey through the exclamation: "There he is! Driveway!" (Eggers 460).

As Mercer continues to run by driving his truck as fast as he could away from his compromised position, he begins the next stage of degradation.  In this scene, Mercer can be seen throwing logic aside as he rejects Mae's pleas to stop driving and instead responds with a more intense fear of the unknown.  Even though he recognizes Mae's voice, her shear lack of individuality maker her non-human in Mercer's eyes, and he connects her solely to the circle.

Finally, Mercer's suicide represents one of the most pivotal and eye opening emotional destructions of the entire novel. When he drives off the bridge, he cements the idea that privacy no longer exists and that all human qualities that used to thrive off individuality and intimate moments is dead.  Mercer has been violated beyond repair and his brain cannot handle being hunted in a society when interconnection is valued more than human experiences.  The concept of being dead is more appealing than dealing with a world like this.

In the end, it is evident that Mercer truly does represent the average human in today's day and age.  Few people toady would be willing to give up true human interactions with others for solely online relationships with other.  On the other hand, there is a modern trend where people live vicariously through their social media profiles and forget to put their phones down instead of making real life memories.  It is important to recognize the importance of pure human interactions, and Egger's usage of Mercer losing his mind fully completes the idea that privacy is necessary to truly remain human.

Image Credits:

Image provided by Marcy Leigh

The Invisible is only Visible to the Invisible: Circle Blog #4

To be completely honest, the shark in the fish tank portion of The Circle was beyond creepy.  This menacing, mysterious, monster invades the habitat of all the other sea creatures and generates massive amounts of panic as it consumes every living thing in sight.  The other ocean life, most originating from the Mariana Trench, are no match for the nightmarish fish and seek shelter in the container they are held in before being fed to the shark.  The entire scene, as viewed by Mae's transparency cameras, represents an overgeneralized version of the Circle and its impacts on individuals in society through connections to privacy, greed, and total annihilation.

The Circle kills privacy.  Perhaps not on purpose, the Circle views privacy as a dark place secrets can hide and eat away at society.  This idea is exemplified by the victim sea creatures' apparent clinging to their tub habitat before being fed into the tank (Eggers 320).  In their perspective, the privacy is all that is left to protect them from the jaws of death.  Similarly, in society during the novel, the privacy of the individual is being sacrificed as people begin to put all of their information online and visible to everyone.  There is no more metaphorical "tub" to protect people from one another.

The Circle is just as much a greedy monster as the shark in the tank.  Stopping at nothing, the three wise men have the vision to "complete the circle" and to finally get everything connected and online under one platform.  In this way, the shark in the tank begins to replicate the actions of the Circle through is ravenous hunger.  One obstacle at a time is consumed and disposed of and the hunger is still not satisfied.  The problem with the Circle is that, with their amount of wealth and influence, an infinite amount of social "improvements" can be found.  The shark has a relatively supreme sense of power in the tank and cannot be stopped, just like the company.

In addition to being extremely greedy, the sea monster in the tank also showcases the idea of total annihilation.  Even though the Circle supports the idea that nothing should be able to be deleted anymore, they indirectly delete any real-life interactions from being genuine. Everything the Circle attacks has been destroyed or dismantled and then displayed for the world.  For example, when Mae breaks the law, they utilize their transparent cameras to showcase to everyone how they can correct an individual's wrongs.  The shark in the tank also shows the world its ability to do the same by being slightly translucent and allowing viewers to see its digestive track process its food while it defecates ash (Eggers318).

In the end, the shark in the fish tank is mostly a forced metaphor set up by Eggers that represents the idea of the circle.  In my opinion, the relationship between the monster and the innocent fish around it it is too close to the interaction between the Circle and society. Although it creates a clear similarity between the two, the shark appears asa random symbol created to establish the metaphor.  Regardless, the shark form the Mariana Trench is an accurate representation of the Circle in that it invades the privacy of other living things, it knows no limits, and it totally destroys anything without leaving a recognizable trace behind. Hopefully, Mae can realize this negative trend in society and move to action.

Image Credits:

Image provided by Klaus Stiefel 

The Killer Glue: Circle Blog #3 (Response Choice One)

Here's a crazy fan theory: Mae Holland dies at the end of Book I in David Egger's The Circle.  Well, maybe not physically dies, but she definitely loses what made her unique from the start.  Originally, Mae Holland constantly struggles to acclimate to the cultural revolution of the Circle company.  In addition, Mae's lack of savvy technology skills and interest regarding online interactions leads to conflict with several Circlers during her first few months of employment.  Even though Mae wishes to blend in at the company, her character rebells against the reduction of privacy that is replaced by an all-knowing society.  As Mae repeatedly tries to accept the Circle's ideology, she eventually discards her fundamental requirement for privacy and eventually becomes just another part of the machine.  The reoccurring theme of Mae's unintentional rebellions against the Circle is what holds Book I together while at the same time tearing Mae apart.

The "real" version of Mae does not like to be exploited.  In fact, she becomes extremely irritated when Francis utilizes her online profiles to mock up a perfect romantic relationship with her in front of an entire company demonstration (Eggers 124).  Feeling violated and embarrassed, it becomes blatantly obvious early on that she values her own information above society's ability to know everything.  As the storyline progresses, however, cracks begin to appear in her armor.

As Mae slowly begins to blend into the Circle's culture, she continues to react negatively when the exploitation of privacy involves her personal life.  Often the antagonist of privacy, Francis' recording of Mae's sexual acs lead her to plead "I can't believe this.  Delete that. Now," (Eggers 205).  The simple knowledge of knowing that something so intimate can be accessed by anybody drives Mae to extreme anger.  This anger solidifies the concept that Mae's character, consciously or not, cannot naturally accept a state where privacy does not exist.

Finally, Mae's tendency to reject privacy loss keeps the plot moving forward throughout the later part of Book I.  As if in a fundamental "death throe," Mae commits her final act of defiance by stealing a kayak to gain a short-lived period of privacy on the water.  Most likely aware of the possible ramifications, the discovery of her criminal acts still tears Mae down to a vulnerable state of mind.  Near the end of Book I, Eamon Bailey capitalizes on Mae's unstable mental state to teach a lesson and require her to become "transparent," (Eggers 206).  In this moment, the real Mae dies, as she finally loses the last part of herself that was holding onto privacy.  The glue for Book I is dissolved, and it can be assumed that this fundament change in values will begin to wear Mae down mentally and physically until she resembles nothing of her former self.

Image Credits:

Image provided by Pat Guiney

An Intimate View of Privacy: Circle Blog #2

Have you ever thought what a world without privacy would look like?  Well, in the world of the Circle, intimacy has simply ceased to exist. All relationships and interactions are up for display, and societal rules apply in every situation. Even when people are not watching, intimacy still fails to prevail as all actions can retroactively be viewed by anyone. Furthermore, as intimacy begins to fade into the unrealistic, privacy begins to decline until it is deemed unnecessary by society.

A main pattern found in the novel is society's movement towards unlocking the ability to know everything that happens. While this tendency can increase security, it can also reduce privacy and intimacy. For example, most employees of the Circle see social media as a necessary and innovative way to connect individuals and initiate relationships. What the employees fail to recognize, however, is that privacy is destroyed when every action is broadcasted online. In other words, relationships can begin with social media and other outlets, but intimate relationships are also disrupted by the same technology.

When Francis shows his initial interest in Mae, he does so by broadcasting his desire to the entire Circle community. At a company event, he steps onstage as a guinea pig to show how technology can set up ideal relationships. As Francis chooses Mae as his focus, the rest of the company then spends time devising the best ways to achieve a relationship with her. Searching her online profiles and databases, Mae's interests, allergies, and tendencies allow Francis see plan his relationship with her. However, the new technology lacks the ability to let their relationship be intimate. Normal, intimate beginnings of a romance require knowledge to be passed people in person, without everyone in the world watching (Eggers 122).

Another example of how reduced privacy decreases intimacy is showcased when Mae visits her new doctor. With the new technology of wrist and internal trackers, Circle doctors can successfully monitor an individual's health at all times. In terms of health, this is a positive improvement as any variances in key body functions can be recognized quickly and the proper treatment can be administered. On the other hand, as the privacy of medical history is erased, the intimate relationship an individual has with their doctor is also eradicated. Many people do not want the entire world to have access to this information, as bias and judgment can result from this knowledge. This tradeoff shows how much the Circlers overlooked all ramifications when devising new technology (Eggers 154).

Cracks begin to show up when Mae experiences a major online adrenaline rush. As she readies for bed, Mae pulls out her tablet and realizes "she couldn't sleep. Now, thinking about how much better she could do, she logged on again... and pledged to do work until two in the morning" (Eggers 192). Mae's semi-addictive actions of commenting, liking statuses, and interacting with people on social media prove that when intimate relationships with real people deteriorate, these human needs demand to be filled with other forms of interaction. At this point it becomes apparent that the Circlers acts first without asking questions; as they decrease the want for privacy, intimacy decreases right along with it.

Image Credits:

Image provided by osseous

A Circular View of Penn State: Circle Blog #1

Let's face it, becoming the "newbie" in any situation is often overwhelming and confusing.  The plethora of little traditions and know-how of current members can make new individuals feel out of place.  In several ways, adjusting to life at Penn State is similar to Mae's first few weeks at the Circle. Most notably, the flood of new information, cultures, and traditions makes for a tedious transition into both communities.

New information is vital to the success of any community member, regardless of current experience.  For example, even though the longterm Circlers are comfortable with constant technology changes, they still benefit from evolutions in their company gadgets.  On the other hand, the landslide of information results in Mae feeling overwhelmed.  Although she handles the pressure well at the start, it becomes obvious that every additional task required becomes burdensome.  A "newbie" Penn State student may begin to feel the same way, specifically when it comes to getting involved. Freshman students drowning in countless emails and advertisements feel temped to skim over the involvement processes.

As Mae acclimates to her new environment at the Circle, she also becomes aware of a revolutionary culture.  Most employees at the company are the epitome of efficiency.  Sitting at a desk with several screens at once, the workers strive to achieve perfect evaluation scores from clients while handling other duties as well.  Several tricks of the trade, such as sending out follow up assessments if perfection was not achieved the first time, highlight the cultural trend for excellence (Eggers 52). At Penn State, new cultures meld together to generate a sense of pride for the University as well as bolster newcomers to join the ranks.  While perfection is not required, Penn Staters share a fundamental goal to achieve the highest standard or learning possible, even if this requires multiple attempts.

Finally, the unwritten traditions of a new environment can make or break a newbie.  Mae's first nighttime party showcases new social interactions and party games she knew nothing about. Furthermore, people always tended to pick up on Mae's inexperience.  For example, while laying down with other circlers while playing a relaxation game, an older circler said "Look at this one.  She looks so peaceful" (Eggers 32).  The fact that another community member cutely referred to Mae "this one" proves how easy it is to pick out someone who is new.  At Penn State, the same rules apply. Most freshman are extremely easy to pick out due to their obvious lack of know-how and confidence. Both communities also share traditional mantras that bring the community together such as Penn State's obvious "We Are," and the Circles more obscure "All that happens will be known" (Eggers 71).  Even the traditional obsession for Penn State football creates a feeling of unity.

Although starting off at the Circle or Penn State can be similarly challenging, differences in fundamental values also emerge.  The Circle focuses more on following the flow of command.  Mae's boss constantly checks in on her to make sure she is doing a satisfactory job (Eggers 54).  At Penn State, however, individuals operate with a greater degree of freedom.  If someone wants to shortchange their academics by going out every night, they are allowed to do so at their own expense.  While these differences are what makes Penn State a more individualized experience, the structure of the Circle does appeal to order.  The similarities and discrepancies between these two communities makes us question balance between individual freedom and control.  As someone who believes in personal liberties, I am glad Penn State is not the Circle.

Image Credits (in order of appearance):

Image provided by Heath Brandon

Image provided by drocpsu

Explore by Day, or Explore by Night

Is exploring better when you're awake or asleep?

I am passionate about having passion for my passions.  We all know the drill.  Every single person on Earth has a set of unique interests that make them who they are.  Collaborating and sharing these so called "passions" can help enhance the human experience and teach us new things.  Sure, sure.  But after some time, it can start to feel like we are just "going through the motions" of communicating our loves and nothing comes from it.  How do I plan on avoiding this monotony?  The answer is simple: I need your feedback to tailor my ramblings to your passions as well as my own.

Right now, I am investigating two ideas to share and discuss at length.  One is a love for exploring the outdoors.  The other concept deals with exploring the inner workings of your mind while you sleep. Check out my ideas below and let me know which topic interests you more!

Topic Idea Number 1: Exploring by Day

As a young boy, the outdoors was a scary place. For example, I legitimately believed that grandaddy long leg spiders were going to be the death of me.  I would lay awake at night in a circa 1940's army tent and hide under my sleeping bag, visualizing the spiders descending upon me... perhaps even crawling into my mouth while I slept.

By some miracle, I survived those first nights and developed into a more seasoned outdoorsman.  Today, as an Eagle Scout, I believe that it is my duty and privilege to serve others and teach people about the natural world we live in.  If weekly outdoors advice and stories interests you, then this may be the digital adventure you've been waiting for!


Topic Idea Number 2: Exploring by Night:

I have an interactive question for everyone: Who likes to sleep? If you answered no to this question, jump up and down where you are 5 times. If you do like to sleep, do nothing! Wow! It appears like everyone loves to sleep.  While I may have rigged that question, it still holds quite true. Now, what if I told you that while you're sleeping, you could also control your dream and actively problem solve real-life issues?  Lucid dreaming provides an excellent avenue for people to make sleeping even more rejuvenating.  Who would be interested in a resource where people could learn the proper techniques and benefits of lucid dreaming?

Image Credits:

Photo provided by - bjornsphoto -