Jimmy's Story

Fourth Lesson

2007-02-20T01:32:00.000-08:00

This time Jimmy had not been able to finish homework by deadline. His teacher said, "Jimmy, everyone has twenty-four hours a day and two days to do the work. You should be able to hand in like others do."

Jimmy answered, "It is true that everyone has twenty-four hours a day, because this is a common measurement of time. This equals saying there're ten millimeters in a centimeter, but doesn't 'everyone has ten millimeters in a centimeter' sound strange? It is the same for the two days of work. It's the time limit set for everyone. Sure the two factors will be the same for every person, but this would not be the reason for being able to finish the work. On the other hand, however, the variables, be it one's ability, family issues or other matters that we have to attend to, will be reasons for being, or not being able to finish it. Or, I guess in saying so, you imply that provided each of us has the same time given, we should be able to arrange the variables so that the job is accomplished. Yet all of us are not given the same amount of time. For this project yes, but we don't have the same for life. We don't know how long we're going to live, but it's different for everyone. That means our way of arranging matters during our lives would be and should be different. Yet it seems that we all have to agree to the same rules and regulations...I just don't understand..."

Third Lesson

2007-02-19T23:25:00.000-08:00

originally posted at howcanipick 2004

Jimmy always says things like this. One day, the teacher told him, "You have to do the right thing at the right time, Jimmy."

Jimmy then said, "Sure it's good to 'do the right thing at the right time'...but can we do the right thing at the wrong time anyway? If we do the 'right' thing at the wrong time, it won't be right! It's the same for doing the 'wrong' thing at the 'right' time...so we either do right things or wrong things...no other options, right?...yet..."

Second Lesson

2007-02-19T23:17:00.001-08:00

originally posted at howcanipick 2004

Jimmy has grown, and he's been thinking about more and more unnecessarily complicated matters.

One day, the teacher gave him the report card. Red. Red. Red. The teacher asked if he had tried his best. Jimmy was going to answer, but he stopped, pondering.

The teacher asked again, "Have you tried your best, Jimmy?"

Jimmy then said, "I was going to say 'no, I haven't', because I don't think the results really represent my wisdom. Yet I don't think I haven't tried my best, for I think 'the best' one can give at a time is the best one can give at that time. If I have 10 minutes and only use 1 minute to study and the rest 9 to play, I still have given my best, because 1 minute is the most I could give to study. Even if I use 0 minute to study, 0 is the best I could give! In this case, 0 or 1 minute to study is my limit already. If it's my limit already, it should be my best already, or 'worst' if you call it. If you say, I could have tried using more minutes to study, then my best could be more than 0 or 1. But, 'trying', like being able to study or not, is a kind of ability. If I don't have much 'ability to try', or if I don't have any ability of trying, how can I be more able to try and give more time for studies? Therefore, I should say, I have tried my best already. But it seems that when you asked the question, you've neglected the 'try' factor, stressing only on the level of intelligence that I possess, and in this case, I think you believe that I have a higher intelligence than what the marks represent. But I haven't ever had any higher marks, how do you know that my intelligence can get higher marks? Maybe this is my best that my intelligence can give already. Yet you still seem to be adamant that I could do better...I just don't understand..."

First Lesson

2007-02-19T23:15:00.000-08:00

originally posted at howcanipick 2004

The teacher talked and talked but the students seemed not listening. She then asked them, "Do you hear?". All of them said "yeeeaaasss..." except one, sitting there, pondering.

The teacher asked again, "Do you hear, Jimmy?"

Jimmy then said, "I'm just wondering...if we could hear this question, sure we could hear...the answer would definitely be 'yes'. If we couldn't hear this question, we wouldn't be able to answer anyway, we can't even answer 'no', and we don't have to answer. If we could answer 'no', that means we could hear the question, and we simply shouldn't answer 'no'. Now I hear the question, but I'm afraid if I tell you 'yes', you'd misunderstand that I've been listening to you, cos I wasn't. And if I wasn't listening to you, should I say 'yes' or should I say 'no'? But what puzzles me is...all the students seem to understand what it means and all of them said 'yes'. So then it seems that it is a question with a model answer, and the answer is 'yes'. It is a correct answer but I guess you asked to see whether they have been listening, and not whether they hear this sentence...then most of them should be wrong in answering...but the whole thing is just so...problematic..."

Introduction

2007-02-19T22:48:00.000-08:00

originally posted at howcanipick 2004

Jimmy's Story is just a story, something that I use to have fun with. Yes, it could be a mockery at the general idea and language that people are having and using, but I'm not criticizing or disapproving, for people understand what this kind of language or idea implies - forcing you to agree with them, whether they're successful or not.

updated in August 2007

To be fair, I would like to amend the previous introduction. At the very beginning, Jimmy's Story may really be a refutation of linguistic flaws. Yet as the story develops, it is more on thinking about the way we speak and the mentalities behind. These involve using words intentionally (or unintentionally) for certain purposes, but not necessarily, as the previous introduction suggested, "forcing".