The guardians of a new life, my parents, begin to sketch out an imaginary map of the path they believe I should take in order to have a successful life. A "successful life" is defined by how victoriously the map holder completes the journey that is set before him or her. As soon as a child can com...

Learning to be Myself Looking at society through a biased scope can make many see minorities as a lesser form of life. Being born into a minority in today's world has shaped me very differently in comparison to the majority. Ever since I was a child I felt as if I was being pressured int...

Epicurus (341-270 BCE) was among the first of the great hedonists in the time of Ancient Greece. Epicurus argued that pleasure is fundamental in experiencing a "good life", that the best life is one that is as pleasant as can be, and that "each individual ought to maximize his or her own pleasure."...

"I hate life." I casually said to her roommate. "Clarissa, why would you say something like that?" Keryn said. "Life has been so hard for me. All my life, I have been the outcast white chick, my mother clearly hates me, my sister is crazy, and life sucks." I di...