VIP Class Notes (Nicholas)[S]

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Reviewed email corrections

Original

I’m starting to believe that. When I wa born in kind of poor family I didnt believe in fate because by believing in fate it means I won’t have a bright future – because we didnt have social resources we didnt have money I couldn’t go to the best schools in society, it’s seems like there’s only one way for me to go, to get into a better school to earn a bright future by getting good grades in school in Chinese society in SH its true. and everybody around me seems to be kinda insular they dont have big dreams and the things they encounter and usually is not what I think I want – and there’s no path on them that I can see along to get what I want – at that time I didnt believe in fate bc if I did I was afraid I would lose the courage to pursue what I think I can have. so I always told myself at least I could try.

Corrected

I’m starting to believe in fate / destiny. When I was born into a kind of a poor family I didnt believe in fate because by believing in fate it meant that I wouldn’t have a bright future – because we didnt have financial resources or a social network , we didnt have money I couldn’t go to the best schools in society, it’s seemed like there was only one way for me to go, to get into a better school to earn a bright future by getting good grades in school in Chinese society in SH its true. and everybody around me seemed to be kinda insular they didn’t have big dreams and the things they encountered weren’t big either and that’s just not what I wanted – and there was no path for me to accomplish my goals / accomplish what I wanted – at that time I didnt believe in fate bc if I did I was afraid I would lose the courage to pursue what I thought I could have so I always told myself at least I can try.

Stories = Past Tense
Can = Could

Original

The belief about fate assure me that one I might hav ea bright future because I look – and I think if can work I can do more than they can. but after so many years I found myself part of me haven’t changed. and im starting to think maybe personality decidedness your fate. when one day I look back maybe I will think this way – ah thats my fate – and it looks familiar – thats only my guess.

Corrected

Believing in fate assures me that one day I might have a bright future because I look – and I think if can work I can do more than they can. but after so many years I found myself part of me haven’t changed. and im starting to think maybe personality decidedness your fate. when one day I look back maybe I will think this way – ah thats my fate – and it looks familiar – thats only my guess.

Original

strong urge to survive – it’s like for ex you have many many rules but if it violates your survival will you do what you cannot do. but some people but when they are not willing to break those rules it could means doom to them. no matter what I do I will let my husband believe I am doing the right thing. he cannot argue with me. They always teach their children to restrain ambition, and restrain your shortcoming to be a better person, I thin kits kind of Chinese philosophy so I think its easier for us than for a westerner.

Corrected

strong urge to survive – it’s like for ex you have many many rules but if it violates your survival will you do what you cannot do. but some people but when they are not willing to break those rules it could means doom to them. no matter what I do I will let my husband believe I am doing the right thing. he cannot argue with me. They always teach their children to restrain ambition, and restrain your shortcoming to be a better person, I thin kits kind of Chinese philosophy so I think its easier for us than for a westerner.

Vocabulary

they gave you a wide range of topic
they gave you a broad range of topics

progressed / progression
e.g. How has your thinking progressed?
e.g. The progression of your thinking has changed.

thinking <> contemplating

connect the dots – to make sense of something
e.g. You can’t connect the dots looking forward, only by looking backward.

deterministic / determinism – we don’t have a say in how things happen

ethos – 社会思潮
e.g. There exists an extreme ethos within Japanese culture.
e.g. The ethos of China can be defined as one of restraint and balance.

restricts <> restrain

relative – relativism – subjective – there exists no “proveable” truth
e.g. A popular idea today is called moral relativism meaning that I cannot say one behavior or value system is definitely provably better than another.

objective – a truth that exists and is true outside of time and space, regardless of preference
e.g. The law of gravity is an objective truth.