Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts

Things that Make a Relationship Work

Hey guys,

Looking back on my 3 year plus relationship hasn't made me by any means a GURU in love, but reading this article, I kinda felt the need to come up with my very own list. This list is borne out of my own personal experience, and by no means prescriptive to all reading this. I think it's really dependent on the type of partner you're with.

For my list, it's the most applicable to the Alpha Male, Type A, MCP kind. This description is NOT derogatory in any form, its just a label I've put on my partner. (which he prolly agrees to as well)



Things that Make a Relationship Work

1. If the hard approach doesn't work, try the soft one.

I used to get really upset with my boyfriend when he sometimes get insensitive with his words in front of his friends (when I'm around). I.e he might say "You're just not smart enough to handle that" or "Your friend so and so is dumb", or sometimes brush of something I say when I'm with his friends.

I would feel disrespected and upset at that situation. However, I've learnt that, as much as you want respect, it's disrespectful to show contempt there and then at him, or sulk the night away in front of his friends, purposefully showing that you're upset at him.

As much as we women have egos, so do men, and my gosh, more often than not they have bigger egos too (unless ur dating a pussy whipped guy). I used to get very peeved off when we were back home and used to be really mean back to him. Time and time again, this has backfired, and it has turned even into a bigger argument in the end. 1 approach that has continually worked is using the "soft" approach. I'll sit him down and talk to him very nicely, telling him that I think his attitude isn't right and end of by not demanding or not being angry at him, but being ultra nice to him. "Pouring burning coal on your enemy's head" does work here and many a times, for me, this method has seemed to work and he softens once I softens. Try it!


2. Hold Hands



If you look at your parents, after 30 years of marriage, how many of them still hold hands when they go out? yea we might cringe at the thought of our parents holding hands, but indeed, that is a basic form of affection. Sometimes, more effective than words, a small squeeze of your partner's hands in worth more than a thousand words.


3. 1 kiss in the morning, and 1 (or more kisses) at night

Don't get me wrong, I'm not the kind for the full out make out sessions, etc. The kind of kiss I'm talking about is the peck on the cheeks, or quick peck on the lips kind. I think it can be the most wonderful sign that 2 people love each other. People say never go to bed angry, but I'm more for "Never go to bed without a kiss".


4. Nick Names/Baby Talking


Some people cringe at hearing couples baby talk or call each other insanely embarrassing nick names. I for 1 cringe at over expressive PDA or baby talking in public. (GET A ROOM!)

But I think nick names are made just in a very endearing way, and as long as used in the comfort of both your personal space, be free to talk in whatever goo goo gaa gaa language you want or call each other whatever name pleases you.

I have a friend who calls his friend "Chou Pi Pi" in public and that translated from chinese means "Smelly fart". I think it's cute, but if the gf obviously doesn't like it then its time to retire it to something she likes more. Remember, nick names are not for shaming a person, its to show affection in an endearing way.

My bf calls me "POO", as in poo for shit. I know, kill me already. But I guess I've never been one to get offended by such things, to me it doesnt matter because he says it in such a cute way, i can't even get angry. (Although I must admit that it is upsetting when his friends start calling me Poo too!!!! WTH!). In return, I call him "Poo" back, so if he doesnt like it, he'll somehow have to stop calling me that. But so far, we have been calling each other "Poo" for the longest time.

I've learnt that if you don't like a nickname you partner gives you and if he's the kind of guy Im dating, if you tell him you dont like it, he will not change immediately. In fact, he will, on the contrary call it more often, for the sake of irritating you. Just dont bother about it, and in sometime, with his short attention span to something, he'll change it (to something else possibly worse! haha, good luck).


5. Laugh

Never be afraid of being silly. That's all I can say. Sometimes, you need to let it all go and be a child, only then will you release the inner child in your partner.


6. Forgive

I think this is something hard to do, especially for heinous "crimes", but forgiveness is key to a strong relationship. When someone is forgiven, he/she will sense the faith you have in that person, and if this person truly wants to be with you, will make amends to mend the relationship. Girls get bitter quite easily, or remember bad things at a snap of a finger (although they never score well in history classes). If you find that you cannot forgive your partner for something he/she has done, its time to move on.


7. Adapt to their LOVE LANGUAGES


I've read Gary Chapman's "5 love languages" once but it has taught me many important lessons about love languages. We all have different love languages and just because your partner doesnt love you in the love language you want, doesnt mean he doesnt love you at all. And by loving him with you love language, it doesnt mean he's feeling loved at all! Irony right, but oh so true.

Take for example, my love language is time spent and acts of service. But my bf's love language is words of affirmation and gifts. By loving him by cooking for him every dinner (acts of service) might not be as effective to him as if you were to say to him at the end of the day "Your such a wonderful bf to come make an effort to come home early every night although I know you're so busy at work. I love you so much". Get it?

Anyway these are my thoughts on love languages. Its best to know what love language your partner finds important so you can show him you love him, the best way he knows how to interpret it. If his love language is (expensive) gifts, then good luck to you. Better head to Singapore's casino more often!!!


8. Cry

Don't be afraid to be vulnerable, you don't have to put up a front all the time. Cry when you're sad. (applies to males too). When you truly open up to a person, that person can understand you for truly who you are (and love you too).


9. Be Supportive

I think this is one of the most critical factors -- being supportive. Everyone out in the dog eat dog world is already out to criticize the hell out of you, so why would you need one more person to? Support fully even though you might not understand, defend your partner when the need arises, and just be there (without nagging).


10. Generosity

With love, gifts, time, with yourself. Splurge now and then, because money is the bank can't buy you love.


Lastly, to all the ladies.... never loose composure... breathe slow...

When LOVE is gone...


What do you do when love is gone?
What do you do when the passion has died?
What do you do when you dread each day?
Is it time to move on?

Singapore succeeds at EVERYTHING - except DATING

Yes, it's sad but true. Singaporeans succeed at everything - except dating. Well, not that I had to mention it, but last week, the International Herald Tribune reported this on their Asian highlight. True or not? Well, read on for their argument...

Students at Singapore Polytechnic during a class intended by the government to help set off romance among young people. (Pic taken from The International Herald Tribune)

Well, apparently, as reported, students from Singapore Poly had a sort of "college mixer", to help the males and females interact to boost chances of them dating. They had assembled for the first class of "Love Relations for Life: A Journey of Romance, Love and Sexuality."

The course, which is in its second year at two polytechnic institutes, is the latest of many, mostly futile, campaigns by the government to get its citizens to mate and multiply. Its popularity last year has led to talk of expansion through the higher education system.


"We want to tell students: Don't wait until you have built up your career, SOMETIMES IT'S TOO LATE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE GIRLS"


Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, minister of state for community development, youth and sports, said at a news conference last month.


The courses are an extension of government matchmaking programs that try to address the twin challenges embodied in a falling birthrate: Too few people are having babies and too few of those who are belong to what Singapore considers the genetically desirable educated elite.

For 25 years, the mating rituals organized by the government - tea dances, wine tasting, cooking classes, cruises, screenings of romantic movies - have been among the country's least-successful social engineering programs.


Last year Singapore's fertility rate fell to a record

low of 1.24 children per woman!


"Some people say if you're a smart guy you should marry a smart woman who can help you with your finances and career," said Chan, whose agency is called Club2040 and who has worked under contract for the Social Development Unit.


eStee Thinks: Definitely, couples should complement each other, but having similar interests may not be the be all and end all of a successful relationship. It takes more work than that. I've seen people who complement each other break up down the road and also have seen couples who seem as different as 2 end of the spectrum last a long time as well. It's not cookie cutter!


Three 20-year-old graduates from last year's inaugural course at Singapore Polytechnic still seemed imbued more with "kiasu" than romance.


Despite everything their teachers had told them about multitasking work and love, none was in a relationship. And nothing they had heard in class seemed to have dented their stereotypes about the opposite sex.


"I'm not open to relationships in school. Boys in school are not my cup of tea. They are male chauvinist pigs. They're annoying and childish. And they won't give in to you. They're just not mature." said Wei Shan Koh, a former student who works as a teacher's aide.


eStee Thinks: Well Weishan, I honestly think you're childish too. I know we all talk about equality and all that but if you aren't able to respect a man or give a man the respect he deserves, then you won't go anywhere. As much as women claim to be equals, we have to accept that men can be better than us in certain areas and likewise. If you want to talk so much about chauvinism, then why don't you go enlist yourself into 2 years into the army then come back and act macho...


"I think girls' ideas are a bit childish, or you might say girlie. It's a matter of pride. Guys are more outspoken. We don't like a girl to be more outspoken." said Tian, who hopes to become an engineer.


eStee Thinks: Darling Tian, if you want a girl who talks less than u, then go marry a Barbie Doll k?


Kamal Prakash, who hopes to be a lecturer in mathematics, gave voice to what appears to be the common theme here, both among young people and their elders.


"I am not interested now in love relations because I want to continue my studies. If I concentrate on love relations, I won't be able to concentrate on my studies."


eStee thinks: Every stage of your life, you'll be busy with something. After this, it'll be work. Are you going to say then that you'll wait until you retire before you start scouting? Hun, multi tasking is good practice now for the future...


Singapore's childbearing age, is one of the lowest in the world and the 28th year in a row it has stayed below the rate of 2.5 children needed to maintain the population. But even a replacement-level rate would not be enough for today's planners. The government recently announced that it was aiming to increase the population by 40 percent over the next half century, to 6.5 million from the current 4.5 million.


"Teaching our youth in school how to fall in love" is a good solution, wrote Andy Ho, a senior writer at The Straits Times, a government-friendly newspaper that does its best to help out in Singapore's many campaigns.


In 1991, for example, when the government began


1) offering cash bonuses to couples with more than two children


2) Newspaper printed tips for having sex in the back seat of a car


3) Directions to some of the "darkest, most secluded and most romantic spots" for parking. It suggested covering the windows with newspapers for privacy.


Singapore is known for its campaigns to get residents to be polite, to smile, to be tidy, to speak proper English and not to chew gum. In 1984, the country's master planner, then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, declared that too few of the country's most eligible women - the ones with college degrees - were marrying and having children.



But in Singapore it is impossible to get very far from thoughts of money and the workplace. These guys may have other things on their minds besides romance and babies. :( Thanks to International Tribune for article..


Any bright ideas to help Singaporeans MATE?

WHY some guys BOHJEE : 9eek 9oddess' Theory

For my readers who have already read this post, Ian wrote a rebuttal to this post.

Click HERE to read. If you haven't yet read this post of mine, please read it...


I recently wrote an entry about the sad breakdown of my 1st relationship... which really changed my way of seeing the world. One of my readers commented on it and I would like to give my theory of...

WHY GUYS NEED TO ACT MACHO

So we hear of guys up and leaving their long time gfs for some short whirlwind relationship with some TRAMP.... and we wonder how someone can give up something they took so long to establish. Perhaps they were bored? I don't know, and I can never know. But that's a story for another day.

An anonymous reader commented in my previous post and I quote:

"Hello estee, I am an occasional follower of your thread, and I couldn't help but share some thoughts with you. You know something? A few days ago, I was catching up with some guy pals, and they said the most insensitive things in my presence, perhaps they thought that a girl who's just 'one of the guys' wouldn't mind. One of the guys commented that his female friend just broke up. This other MCP started the ball rolling by saying that

"You don't know meh? Alot of guys just to have a f**k buddy, you think they really want to stick with their girlfriends faithfully forever meh? Don't be silly lah, s'pore guys won't settle down with the last fling until they reach 35. And never get those clingy GFs, they will commit suicide if you dump them, just get one that you can f**k and dump, who cares about commitment?"

estee, you tell me...very painful to hear right? I suspect alot of guys are like this, well, at least those who look 'passable'. the other option would be the CMI geeks. Tell me, what is a girl to do in sg? How to find a good guy who doesn't have the intention to f**k and dump?...sigh...

I was extremely flabbergasted by the above sentence, which i put in BOLD...

I believe that the kind of guy who say this can be simply categorized into 2 groups. I will follow to dispense my own theory... which might offend many guys, or you might think it to be myopic, but if you want to argue with it, go write another blog post of your own -- I didn't force you to read mine.

Of course there is another group who will not have the audacity to say such a thing aloud, but still are not willing to commit. These guys are OK in my books, because, you have to give it to them, they have the choice of waiting for the one or looking hard until they are sure. Absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Back to the above mentioned statement, the 2 groups of guys are...


1. The ones that really mean it


A guy who has said the following comment could really sincerely mean it. Now let's not call him a hypocrite and give him the benefit of the doubt.

What crosses the line for me is the fact that he outrightly says this, in front of his friends.

These dudes truly do not believe in commitment. Because they think they are at the upperhand (which I might admit in most relationship, a girl looses out more), they see themselves as invincible and have the genetically endowed right to play (read: chop off his dick pls!).

These punks, can be further subgrouped into being

a) Very young and immature


I believe that a truly mature guy will not even say or think this. Why, you ask? Because a relationship is based on trust and is mutual. It is not about one person taking advantage of another or fighting to get the upperhand, or seeing who loves who more.

Please give me a break.


If you think you want to dwindle your youth away being a player until you are finally "forced" to commit to one person because your time is up, then I'm sorry hunnybuns, all the best fishes will be taken up and u will be left with not much selection. Then you can start envying your other guys friends who managed to snag their chicks from young and build up a REAL relationship.

Either that, you will find that girls aren't stupid. We actually learn. If we know a guy has had a string of relationship and all of them have ended with him being unfaithful, why the hoot will we want to trust you and start anything with you? Despite that glib of a gap you have, we have much more of a brain than the puny size of your dick.

Conclusion: The guy ends up old and lonely, or if he finally commits when he reaches a ripe old age, it'll be the story of Anna Nicole Smith and J. Howard Marshall. If you aren't rich when you are old, you can forget about getting some boobs. Yea, you get my drift yea?


b) Jaded

I don't exactly blame a jaded guy for saying this. In fact I want to take him in my bosom, hold him and hug him, while telling him everything will be alright. PUI, PUI, PUI!

But really, these boys (yes I use the word boys, argh perhaps I'm too harsh) probably have been dumped before by some gorgeous girl, whom they thought was the one (and obviously never deserved at all) and left broken to bleed on the shards of glass on his bed of broken love..

Yeap, these guys are in denial, and they "fool" themselves into believing that playing around will prevent them from getting their oh so sorry hearts broken.

Please give me a break.

Conclusion: The guy ends up old and lonely, or if he finally commits when he reaches a ripe old age, it'll be the story of Anna Nicole Smith and J. Howard Marshall. If you aren't rich when you are old, you can forget about getting some boobs. Yea, you get my drift yea?


c) Never loved before

This is the 3rd subgroup. But I don't really blame them because they have never known what real love is before. They possibly might have been together with a girl before, but never really experienced what being in a REAL relationship is like. Because of their lack of experience in this arena, they "cover" up this insecurity and excuse the fact, or convince themselves, for that matter that single is good, because they can play.

This group is an exception, because I really feel that once they have experience love with someone else, their mindset will change. They only feel this way temporarily and it is born out of pure inexperience.

Conclusion: You never know love until you actually fall in it. Yeap, you fall, you can't control it. You don't walk into love, you fall, and you can't help yourself.


2. Would never cheat on girlfriend


Now I come to the 2nd group of guys. The 2nd group who actually dares to say something like the quoted statement from my reader can only be described with one word.

BOH JEE

Yup, you heard me right. He ain't got no balls. The thing is that he already has a gf but is so freaking whipped and henpecked, that in front of her, he has no choice but to act submissive. Well, disclaimer here is that being submissive and being compromising and understanding are VERY different. One cannot be mistaken for the other please. (this will entail another blogpost... BAH)

This dude will have to pretend to be macho in front of his guy pals to "reclaim" his position in his friend's eyes. Perhaps they have long seen him as whipped and to bolster his own self esteem, he has to act out to convince those around him that he still has a shred of di(ck)nity left.

But seriously, he would never dare to cheat on his girlfriend.

Conclusion: BOHJEE guys' friends see through his act. They just ignore him because if they give him problem and his gf finds out, his gf will give this bohjee guy problem. Then his friends will have to find someway of bailing him out (again). Since they are friend enough, they "one ear in, one ear out"...


I don't know how accurate this theory is, but I thought it up on the fly on the way back from my exam hall yesterday. See, I waste all my brain cells to think this up instead of studying.... >_<


2 more papers to go!

Heartbroken... Torn Up... Tired of Tears

When ever I check my facebook, I get a whole list of updates...

Recently a friend, not close at all, broke up with her boyfriend. And it got me thinking about what happened to me years ago, with my first bf. I know I shouldn't always harp on it, I've blogged a trillion times about him, but somehow, when I think of heartbreak, his face appears on in my mind.

I remember thinking he was my first and ONLY love, how silly huh? But then my dreams got shattered when somehow he decided to make a unilateral decision to get out of my life. I was left lost... he left without a tear, and I was broken, because I had all my hopes pinned on him.

He wasn't perfect, but he was perfect for me -- or so I thought.

I never thought I'd get over him... the nights I thought I would just disappear into nothingness because of the void he left. The nights I was haunted by his face, the hours I spent next to my phone, waiting for the phone to ring, and when it did, it was never his voice...

I remember being haunted by the thoughts of how I was EVER going to find someone again...

And when I see that this friend of mine is going through all this pain... considering the relationship lasted for I'm guessing about 4 plus years, I can't help but feel tears well in my eyes. I've been there, haven't I?

I can seriously never understand how someone can just throw years of time spent together just like that, as if nothing ever happened, throw away and burn years of memories.... how could anyone be human if they did that???? Unless, they never really loved you to begin with???

I know, most of my posts are filled with pink pretty pictures or happiness, but this doesn't warren for one, my emotions run too deep.


Trying to get someone to get over another person truly is easier said than done. I remember it being almost impossible. And when I met the girl whom my ex left me for, I distinctly remember thinking to myself, that she was so different from me. I didn't hate her, I wasn't envious. In fact I was curious.... What made him leave? Was I not good enough... I remember this girl to be pretty and quite a charmer, party animal and all... and I never fitted that mould. Perhaps I was too boring and cookie cutter?

The thing about girls is that we go on and on, blaming ourselves sometimes for the disintegration of a relationship... was it me? what did I do wrong? Why wasn't I better? And you know what? You just have to tell yourself to SHUT THE FUCK UP.

Especially when the other person left because he just didn't know what he had then and there. Perhaps, he wanted wings to fly.... perhaps he just wanted more fun.


I don't know how to comfort a heartbroken person so much, but I can surely say that I've had my fair share of heartbreaks.


But now years later, when I look back, I can swear that I say this with no tinge of sour grape-ness, I'm glad it's over. We are now so different, we've chosen completely different paths, different goals and different visions. And I'm just so glad he walked away because through the pain I learnt what I really wanted (or didn't want) in a guy..

On hindsight, I'm really glad I walked the path I did because if not for that, I would never have been as happy as I am today and I wouldn't be able to meet someone new. Someone who knows how to love me the way I want to be loved. Most importantly, someone I can trust.

For all those heartbroken souls, things happen for a purpose, and years later when you look back, you're going to smile on your hurt.

Keep your head high!

5 Reasons Why Couples FIGHT... and BREAK UP


No, I'm no LOVE guru, hardly am close to one, but over the last week or so, I've encountered friends of mine, either having HUGEASS arguments with their partners leading to MAKE UPs or, unfortunately BREAK UPs.



And I've spent a huge portion of my time, lamenting at the outcome of their fights, and wondering why people just can't seem to solve their differences. - if they claim their love for each other is as deep as the valleys.

Like I said, I'm no guru, but from my (little, almost) experience, I hope to shed a bit of light.



1) Misaligned expectations
I remember distinctly with my first boyfriend, we used to fight because I felt I spent too little time with him. He used to like hanging out with his guy friends over me (or so I thought, but hey I was right OK). As a result, I felt neglected and hated playing 2nd fiddle to his friends. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I hated hanging out with his friends or anything, but it's just he very neatly dichotomized "me" time and "guy friends" time. There was no intersection, whatsoever. Thus since I always expected to spend #XX days with this fella a week, I would end up spending only #XX-Y time with him, which fueled my frustrations and when I vented it out, he would get upset and distance himself. He reasoned that I should not demand for that much of his time.... Thus the slow decomposition of our relationship -- he really broke my (very fragile) heart. But alas, first love is always the most memorable right?

Lesson Learnt: Set expectations right concerning things which matter
If you're unhappy about spending insufficient time with someone, set things straight. For example, I find setting a schedule formal but very effective. Say for example, make things clear like "Will it be OK if we spend every SAT and FRI evening together and the rest of the time, we can plan on the fly?" This ensures that your expectations are in sync and if one needs to back out before hand, it is common courtesy to give advance warning (instead of pulling out last minute)...

2) Different LOVE languages
I commonly hear girls saying, "He NEVER buys me anything... he's so cheapskate. I don't think he loves me anymore". Now dear dear, I pretty much laugh at that! What she doesn't see is the fact he drives her around and picks her up from work and always hugs her and kiss her!

Lesson Learnt: Understand your partner's LOVE language
Chapman's 5 love languages include: quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, physical touch. Different people show love and expect love to be showed in different ways. And because of point #1, misaligned expectations, we expect our partners to show love the way we THINK love should be shown. Very often, we are different, so understanding someone else's love language can go along way...

E.g., My father is not a gift person but he is an acts of service person to my mom, and my mom is a gifts person - they've been married for almost 30 yrs!



3) Unwillingness to Compromise
Admittedly, this is a huge issue for me. People tell em I'm stubborn and hell yeah I am. I like to say what I like and I like what I say (tongue twister hey?) Many of my fights have started and brewed because of an unwillingness for either party to back down and admit their fault. (many times both of them are wrong).

Lesson Learnt: Don't force your opinions down someone else's throat
There is such a thing as "ageeing to disagree". I know, I know, it sounds so oxymoronic, but that's what it exactly means. Differences in opinions may never converge but perhaps, convergence is not the main aim. Maybe what would be a more plausible solution is to respect what the other person is saying and think of a second what the other person means. Then try to integrate some parts of it into your own viewpoint. You don't have to swallow everything, that's not compromise! Oh yes, saying sorry often helps.

Sometimes I often apologize for having the fight escalating to a certain level, so I apologize for the fight ensueing but give no apology for the reasont he fight started. So far that has never worked before though, haha someone help?



4) Lack of communication (Assumptions)
"I thought you would understand my actions", "I thought you knew me better than that", "I though you would know that I was feeling that way" FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. The men do not get it. They do not know or understand -- stop assuming they do.

Lesson Learnt: TALK, TALK, TALK (speak up, dammit)
They just don't. Men, unlike women, need things spelt out for them. Don't expect them to be extra sweet because you think they know you had a bad day at work. Men DO NOT have ANTENNA of any sort. In fact, if you want something, ask for it. If you expect anything, tell him. Please, don't be such a goondo and get your heart broken due to assumptions. Men's brains aren't hardwired to predict the future a.k.a more often then not they are insensitive... (there I said it, no reproach pls!)

Sometimes females just need to S-P-E-L-L T-H-I-N-G-S O-U-T!!!


5) Lack of LAUGHS
Do you know that the hormone "oxytocin" gets produced everytime we hahahaahahehehahaha? Yes that's right. It's the hormone implicated for the bonding between a child and a mother during breastfeeding. Oxytocin helps to create a bond and increase love between 2 people. Indeed, yes it is also the hormone that causes an orgasm in females. So throw that vibrator away and start watching comedies -- I swear by "Kids says the darndest things", "Just for laughs", and the very old school "Friends" and "Seinfield".

Lesson Learnt: Learn to laugh at the simplest things
A laugh a day keeps the doctor away. Yeap, you don't need an apple anymore if you begin to laugh at yourself, and the both of you. You'll never realise how silly things can get once you start thinking about things.

Happy HAHA-ING! Here's wishing you couples success in whatever you endeavour! CHEERS!

What MEN REALLY Want & What WOMEN REALLY NEED


Im sure I'm going to be slammed a great deal for this. Otherwise, I will be thanked profusely for dispensing this information. What do men really want in a woman, and what do woman really need. (Many lie about what they need so to seem less "materialistic" or "shallow")

I've had many arguments with fellow friends about this touchy issue. The bottomline I get told time and time again is that WOMEN WANT MONEY/POWER, which translates into rich and powerful men. On the other hand, men want beautiful, and attractive women.

ARE WOMEN THAT MATERIALISTIC AND ARE MEN REALLY THAT SHALLOW?

I still continually debate this issue but recently, I was sent this email directing me to this link, which I was so engrossed in reading I actually missed a class. Thanks to Tim for sending Ming this link! And for Ming for sending it to me! Because of this, I have been debating with my friends over this issue for the last couple of days!

Welcome to your introductory class on the LADDER THEORY. I shall now attempt to summarize it for you people.

Sally: We are just going to be friends, OK?
Harry: Great, friends. It's the best thing...You realize, of course, that we can never be friends.
Sally: Why not?
Harry: What I'm saying is - and this is not a come-on in any way, shape, or form - is that men and women can't be friends, because the sex part always gets in the way.
Sally: That's not true. I have a number of men friends and there is no sex involved.
Harry: No, you don't.
Sally: Yes, I do.
Harry: No, you don't.
Sally: Yes, I do.
Harry: You only think you do.
Sally: You're saying I'm having sex with these men without my knowledge?
Harry: No, what I'm saying is they all want to have sex with you.
Sally: They do not.
Harry: Do too.
Sally: They do not.
Harry: Do too.
Sally: How do you know?
Harry: Because no man can be friends with a woman that he finds attractive. He always wants to have sex with her.
Sally: So you're saying that a man can be friends with a woman he finds unattractive.
Harry: No, you pretty much want to nail them, too.
Sally: What if they don't want to have sex with you?
Harry: Doesn't matter, because the sex thing is already out there, so the friendship is ultimately doomed, and that is the end of the story.

Point One: Every time you meet someone you give them a quick mental rating. This rating is dependent of whether you are female or male.

This is the WOMEN'S Rating system

This is the MEN's


Now the ladder theory description goes like this:
  1. Bob Meets Jane
  2. Bob sizes her up based on the above criterion
  3. Bob puts her on the ladder
  4. Bob meets Connie
  5. Bob sizes her up based on the above criterion
  6. Bob puts her on the ladder above Jane

You can recognize this has gone on because Bob says " I'd like to fuck Jane, but not as much as I want to fuck Connie"


Need me to elaborate? Well, the WOMEN'S rating can actually be broken down more specifically. The author says: Most guys know that women dig guys with money. Would Donald Trump be fucking models if he wasn't rich? That question is rhetorical. Now I don't even believe this is wrong, I think it is just nature. But I also think women who are this way (and it is almost all of you) should be honest and admit that they are basically whores, and stop saying bad things about the so-called "actual whores" who are just trying to earn an honest living.

Most women read this and say something like, "Well I'm not the average woman because.. blah... blah... not true... blah blah... my boyfriend/lover/husband/masseuse was poor... blah... blah."


If you thought something like this you are very likely the average woman. If you read it and went "Hmmm..." and then you went back to doing physics, then you have a case.


Looks are not to be discounted. I see many girls revert to about a seventh grade emotional level when they see some guy at the club, or some guy from a crappy movie. I think everyone has seen this phenomena, and it seems to have become an alarming trend in women of increasing age.

The attraction category is broken down further in the next section. This is a change from previous versions of the ladder theory that included looks here instead of attraction. I feel this is a more accurate depiction, as evidenced by experiment and peer review.


The last 10% was my effort to give women the benefit of the doubt. A common question men ask of women is "Tell me what you want in a man?", which is like asking how many guys she's slept with, an invitation to be lied to. Because she'll almost invariably answer with some combination of

  • sense of humor
  • intelligence
  • sensitivity
  • emotional stability

As far as I can tell this is mostly rubbish. But in an effort to be fair I have included this, since there seem to be a few rare cases of this. Just none that I have ever seen.

Another thing to watch out for is the code words women use. Here is a translation guide for dealing with women.


Says:
I want a man who is motivated and has goals.
Means: I want a rich man

Says: I want a man who knows how to treat a woman.
Means: I want a rich man

Says: He's from a really good family.
Means: He's from a really rich family.


I'm sure you get the point. Let's move on.


Physical Attraction/Looks
- This is still a big factor in attraction. This is self-explanatory.

Competition - I almost titled this section disinterest. The two are closely related. We can only pursue what runs away from us. A man who is devoted to something else besides the woman is autmatically more attractive. Any intellectual whore who has ever listened to a girl complain about how her boyfriend-ran-off-with-a-slut or how her boyfriend-is-really-not-dumb-he's-just-streetsmart-and-he- has-to-sell-weed-to-support-his-baby's-mama or he's-really-nice-even-though-he-ignores-me-and-hits-me-sometimes-but-you-don't- know-what-he's-like-when-we're-alone or he's-not-emotionally-available-that's-why-I-like-talk-to-you-until-it's-time-to-go-fuck-him while he himself is sitting right there and would like nothing better than to be with her but of course is sitting solidly on the friends ladder knows this intuitively. Ultimately, almost all guys learn this truth for themselves: The best way to never score with a woman is to show too much interest in her.


Women seem to especially like it if you are more devoted to your bad music, biker gang, forearm tattoo or marijuana. These all seem to work wonders. There are some interests you can show in a woman that will help you to fuck her: a healthy interest in destroying her self-esteem and in fucking her friends more than her seem to work wonders. Note that the following topics of disinterest have been field tested and shown conclusively not to work: Unix, literature, poetry, international politics, and sodomy.


Novelty
- Let's face it, if you're like every other guy who works a normal job and tries to live a good life, you're probably like just about every other guy. Chicks don't dig this, and why would they? Who wants someone who is just like everyone else? Something different is more attractive. Like someone who does not have to work during the day like most people because they have lots of money from business or selling drugs. Or like someone who has stabbed a man and went to prison for it. Different and a veritable ticket to getting laid.

Deconstructing money/power

"Power is a great aphrodesiac" - Notorious Asshole and War Criminal Henry Kissinger

"A woman's test is material. A man's test is a woman...if a man could fuck in a cardboard box, he wouldn't buy a house."
- Rabbi Dave Chappelle


It was previously assumed that money was a fundamental unit of attraction to a woman. Further investigation has revealed a better understanding of this very important piece of the woman's rating system. The piece which was formerly labelled money has been replaced by a money/power paradigm. The two are almost always intertwined in a way that makes them hard to distinguish, so I don't think it productive to make a chart of how they breakdown exactly. One almost always follows the other in any case.


What is important to know about the money/power piece is that previously it was thought of as static. Now we know that the money/power piece of attraction displays time-variance. That is, the amount of money needed to get maximal "points" in the money category varies according to the age of the woman. When a woman is younger her perspective is different as to what makes a lot of money. As she gets older the amount of money neccessary for full points increases.


For a girl of 16 full points for money might be obtained by having access to a car and beer money. When she is in her early college years, a nicer car and enough money to join a fraternity is probably sufficient. As she advances into her twenties what we consider to be the normal money chart will begin to manifest itself -- that is, she'll want the richest man she can get.


At no point that we can discern does money ever not become a factor. Take any guy. Take a woman that has that guy. In no circumstance that is known would she not rather have a guy just like that, but with more money. Actually, maybe in one circumstance -- when the guy has enough money to buy her basically everything she wants. This is self-evident, I should think.


Dreams of a Final Theory

I think is very very close to a final analysis of how a woman's rating system works. If you are very attractive, rich, and novel and show no interest in her she is almost guaranteed to want to fuck you. Indeed, isn't this the very definition of Alpha Male? In this way we have derived from our theoretical framework an idea that agrees with observation and experiment to many degrees of accuracy. It also provides a frameowrk for the Logic. Strive to be attractive, novel and aloof and you will go far.

Construction of the Ladder

Now for the core of the theory. Since everyone you meet has a rating, it is only natural to stack them up on a ladder. Let's look at the ladder of some example man.




So it should be self-evident, if you are following this at all, that the people you want to have sex with the most will be at the top of the ladder. Descending down to the bottom of the ladder we pass the following people:

  1. The people we really want, who may even be out of our league, are on top
  2. Then come the people we like
  3. Moving further down we pass the people who we would fuck if we were intoxicated and would admit to doing it later.
  4. At the bottom are the people we would fuck drunk, and would lie about doing it later.

Clinging to the bottom are the girls that are wolf ugly. These are women so ugly you would chew your own arm off to get away rather than fuck them. Usually fake teeth, or the loss of several hundred pounds can move a woman up from wolf ugly.

Now let's take a look at what the typical woman's ladder looks like:


The first thing to notice here is that a woman has not one ,but two ladders. This is becasue in addition the normal ladder, a woman also has a friends ladder. The friends ladder is where a woman puts guys that she considers "just friends". More to the point where she puts guys who don't get to have sex with her.


The problem arises because a woman never lets a guy know which ladder he is on. Obviously there is a huge difference, or gap between these two ladders. It is in this gap that kisses of death are delivered and intellectual whores are made. All a man can do is "go for it" and make a move on a girl; ask her out, try to kiss her, write her a love note or whatever. If he's on the good ladder fine. If he is on the friends ladder this is a case of ladder jumping. The man is trying to jump the gap from the friends ladder to the real ladder. The girl has two choices at this point: she can let him on the ladder and all is well, or, more likely, she can kick him in the head, and off the ladder. If you look you'll see that below the ladder is the Abyss(what was it Nietzsche said about a man being on a rope stretched over an Abyss?....well it's worse than he thought; there is no rope.) So the man falls into the Abyss. The Abyss isn't really as bad as it sounds. Mostly it's a period of self-loathing, embarrassment, and of course utter awkwardness with the girl in question if they are talking at all.


To fully illustrate the point I'll now examine some common scenarios and their ladder theory explanations. For purposes of these examples Tom will be our boy and Jane will be out girl.


Scenario 1: Tom meets Jane. She's pretty and seems interesting to talk to. Tom and Jane start haging out and talking more and more. Tom develops an attraction to Jane, and one day tries to kiss her. Jane tell Tom she doesn't think of him that way and she wants to remain friends. The next few weeks contact between the two falls off. Jane starts fucking an outlaw biker.

Ladder Theory Explanation: Tom met Jane. Tom was immediately placed on the friends ladder. Tom didn't know this. Tom tried to jump ladders. Jane kicked Tom in the head rather than let him on and sent him hurtling to the Abyss below. The oulaw biker was not on her friends ladder (they never are) but rather on her good ladder.


Scenario 2: Tom meets Jane. She's cute and seems smart. After an appropriate amount of time he asks her out on a date. She acccepts and they have what seems to be a perfectly nice date. Tom thinks he has a chance with Jane. He asks her out again. She says no, either explicitly or by never returning his phone call. Tom has no idea what the Hell just happened. Jane starts fucking an unemployed alcoholic.

Ladder Theory Explanation: Jane misrepresented which ladder Tom was on. He thought he was on the good ladder because of her acceptance of the date. Mistake. This led to an unintentional ladder jump. He was kicked into the Abyss. In this situation, Jane often wants to stay friends becasue you are so interesting and funny or some shit like that. If this happens you are most likely an Intellectual Whore. I'm sorry. This is most likely to be a ninja-bitch.


Scenario 3: A girl says any of the following to you:

  • "You're like a brother to me"
  • "You're like a big teddy bear"
  • "I feel like I can talk to you about anything"
  • "You're so nice"
  • "Can you help me with my homework"


Ladder Theory Explanation:
You are on the friends ladder. So Sorry.


You can see that a lot of problems can be avoided(though sadly not problem two) by declaring as soon as possible to a girl that you will not be friends under any circumstances. You can explain that she is too attractive or you can be blunt and say you don't want to bend your "friends" over a table and fuck them, but would rather play poker and go to the races with them, thus disqualifying her from friendship. As long as you are clear. This may scare a girl away. But if it does what would you want with such a skittish little twit anyway?

Next we'll explore some of the consequences of the ladder and applications in every day life.

Hidden Variables in the Ladder

The Ladder Theory is assumed to be correct for all classical phenomena. There do seem to be some "hidden" variables that modify the Ladder to some extent. These variables do not affect the rating system, nor do they affect the fundamental theorems of the Ladder. They do, however, modify how we act with regard to the Ladder.

These are the hidden variables that have been identified.

Religiosity:

While most people, even people who believe in God, will have sex before they are married and thus fall under the rules of the ladder, some people are so religious they will not have sex until they are married. This is of course a silly and anachronistic practice, but it does occur. In this case, the Ladder should me modified as follows: change instances of 'would have sex with' to be 'would like to have sex with.' This works because while religious people have the same impulses, they choose to deny them as opposed to embracing them.


Drunkenness:

Of course when drunk we do things we wouldn't do otherwise. Usually when sobriety sets in, there is a return to the tenets of the ladder theory. In most cases, it should be noted, repressed Americans use being drunk as an excuse to do what they wanted to do anyway, so one should be very careful in applying this variable. For example, I'm drunk as I type this, but I would have typed it anyway, even though I might fall back on that excuse if there are a lot of typos in there or it doens't stand up to peer review. Do not let me get away with this.


Loyalty:

A lot of people have asked about the significant others of friends and if they are special cases of the Ladder. They are not. These are not your friends. These are virtual friends. For example, a friend of mine is fucking a girl. I like her, she's great, we get along, etc... But when they break up she is dead to me. Or if the friend leaves the picture the normal rules of the Ladder apply. So are we really friends? Of course not. We are conditional friends. This does not affect where she goes on the Ladder. Think of it like this: the Ladder is a rating system, and I'll rate her along with everyone else based on how much I would like to fuck them. A note for guys: if your friends girl offers you a piece you should hit that shit, because he shouldn't be laying up with no ho. Ideally you should tape it also, because most guys will believe the person they're fucking.


Desperation:

What desperation does is shift downward the line of quality that one would consider for fucking. There is a line on the ladder that is the quality of the last person you were fucking. Since one of the purposes of life, if not the purpose, is to move up the ladder, you want someone above this line. Sometimes you can't find someone above this line. This leads to a virtual shift in the line downward as one gets more and more in need of a fuck. But in terms of what a person wants, nothing changes -- you'd leave your desperation fuck for someone else with the requisite ladder attributes.


Hidden Variables and Sanity

Note that all known hidden variables are indicative of an altered consciousness of some kind. At the 'limit of sanity' the Classical ladder's rating system still applies. So I don't feel that these change the core theory, but explain times when the theory is not able to be applied because your perception is wrong.


Back to the Beginning: Yes, They All Want to Bang You.


You'll note that a man has one ladder while a female has two. The man is lacking a "friends ladder." The man's ladder reflects the conventional wisdom that a man generally only wants one thing. That's because the conventional wisdom is correct. This leads us back to the conclusion that many women I have explained this to find so distasteful:


IF A MAN FINDS YOU ATTRACTIVE YOU CANNOT BE FRIENDS


Many women want to argue this point and say things like " I have lots of guy friends." Maybe. There are exactly 3 cases Intellectual Whores has identified whereby a guy and a girl can be friends:

  1. The guy is gay
  2. The guy does not find you attractive.
  3. The guy already has a woman much higher than you on the ladder

Even Nietzsche knew this. Most guys know this intuitively. Most girls doubt. I have a challenge for all of you girls who still doubt. Pick a guy who does not meet any of the criterion on the above list that you think is your friend. Then ask yourself this question: If you were both alone at his place one night, and you excused yourself to the bathroom and came out naked and asked him to have sex with you would he:

  1. Tell you he doesn't want to risk the beautiful friendship you have created with messy physical entanglements.
  2. Comply

Consequences of the Ladder

Toward a Meaning of Life


Convieniently, the ladder theory answers the oft asked question, "What is the purpose of life?" The purpose of life is to move up the ladder. The person you are with now should be better (higher on your ladder) than the person you were last with. Okay it's not perfect but if you have no direction in life, trying to fuck hotter and hotter chicks or richer and richer guys is as good a place as any to start. In addition to giving a good base toward a meaning of life there are a few other things that ladder theory explains.


Topping out the Ladder:

Have you ever seen a guy that was not particularly attractive, rich or muscled yet was with a lovely woman? For most guys the most common reaction is envy, something like "Hey I'm not all that muscled, attractive or rich either. Why can't I be fucking a girl like that?" We at intellectual whores used to feel this way about "stump factor" as well. But then ladder theory was discovered and we realized that it was more rational to pity this man.

Ladder theory tells us that the purpose of life is to move up the ladder. When their relationship ends, he will probably never be able to get another woman as good as the one he is with right now -- the rest of his life he'll likely be striving in vain. In effect, he's doomed the whole rest of his life to meaninglessness unless he marries this girl. This of course is just trading one type of doom for another.


Ladder Disparity

The ladder is obviously a two-way process. When Bob meets Jane he puts her on his ladder and she puts him on her ladder. It often happens that one person is a lot higher on your ladder than you are on theirs, or vice versa. The leads to a situation that looks like this:

Notice that Bob has Jane very low while Bob is very high on Jane's ladder. He is most likely rich and she is most likely ugly. Anyhow this is a classic case of disparity. If we connect the two points we can make a right triangle. The resulting hypotenuse "c" is the magnitude of the disparity.


Common shorthand among ladder thoerists is "Well, she caught him fucking a stewardess and didn't leave him but what do you expect for a level 5 disparity." The position of being high on someone else's ladder while having them low on yours is referred to as being in the "upper" or "power" position. This is good and leads to different things depending on who is in the power position.


If the man is in the upper position the disparity is a measure of how long the woman will put up with him cheating, using her physically without committing, or paying his rent and all his bills.


If the woman is in the power position then it is a measure of how much the man will spend money on her, fetch her things at midnight, and listen to stories about other guys she is fucking.



Basically I literally copied everything said on this website because although in the beginning I wanted to paraphrase, I felt anything I added would decrease the quality of content on such a well written theory. There are more sub-theories to this Ladder Theory, so click here to find out!

10 Ways to Know It's LOVE



1. You feel it's no LONGER about you.
Whilst it used to be about "What's for dinner for me tonight?"... it's now changed to "What are we having for dinner tonight". As important as it is to maintain individuality in a relationship -- it's also very much about caring for some other. No longer are u a singular entity. It's "WE" -- your decisions (especially the big ones) affect 2 people.

2. When that person cries, you cry; When he laughs you feel happy

When 2 people are connected so deep;y, it's almost as if your heart is beating as 1.

3. When you have nothing to do, you say a prayer for him.
It's almost as if, you're his guardian angel.

4. When everyone doubts him, you stick by him
For the good, and the bad... and everything in between. Because even if there's no value that anyone sees, you see your knight in shining armour.

5. You can wake up in the morning unglam, but you know he loves u the way u are
It's ok looking all tired and with that bed head look. Afterall, he still gives u a good morning kiss


6. You know he's only a phone call away
He's the "top 3 people you want to call" list when u get good news, or bad. Or even just to talk about nothing at all!

7. You can trust him. You don't have to worry if he'll still be there for u tomorrow, or next month. You just KNOW it.

8. You can give up all your other exes or flings -- in a heartbeat.

Cuz no one else comes close..

9. When you look at him, you look into the future and want to hold his hands.
It doesn't matter how close you are to him, you just want to hold him hands. And squeeze it.

10. He tells you he loves you, without you asking for it.
Your friends know it, and his friends know it too.

PT: Love's your gravest sin

I chose it, he chose it
I bite my lip, he spills the drink
All over the floor,
The diet coke flows like
Blood from a dead carcass,
Mercury on ice

I chose it, he chose it
2 separate roads never converging
All over his fields
The blood stains splatter
He has never been loved
Spurned from the very start

I chose it, he chose it
I know how warmth breath feels
Fingertips stroking the skin
But she took her life
Because she rather be dead

I chose it, he chose it
2 very different people
One with strawberry glasses
One with sordid heart
I chose the former

I chose it, he chose it
2 very different outcomes
Both hungry for love
One dumped and ditched
Because I seal my lips

I chose it, he chose it
I super glue the crevices
They leak and threaten to burst at the hinges
It rumbles and rolls, it takes a toll
On the ones we love

I chose it, he chose it
PT is the flavor of the game
Spurned twice, no thrice
The number grows,
When will u understand

I chose it he chose it
It's truly silly how
We use words and the number game
And I'm sorry, sorry for saying
That PT is the name of the game

I chose it, he chose it
He is determined
I see through the weakness
The cracks on the wall
From all his past hurts

I chose it, he chose it
The blood boils over
It bubbles and burns
But she's with him
Love's your gravest sin

Forgiveness

Jesus said to turn the other cheek

He also said to forgive 7 times 70

Easy for Him to say

He was God

Or at least the son of God


How do I get to the place

Where I forgive those

Who disrespect me and malign me

Those who could care less about my feelings

Yet I still care about theirs


Why is forgiveness so hard

Why does it take so much out of you

Why is it easier to hold on to a grudge

Rather than to let it go

Am I doing something wrong


If it is true that we are to love others

As we love ourselves

And we stay mad at ourselves

For our misdeeds and misdoing

Is it realistic to easily forgive someone


If you extend the olive branch

Of friendship and kindness and forgiveness

And it is not returned

Should you really keep trying

Even if you feel it is a lost cause


Or will persistence win the day

With the honesty and sincerity of words

Be recognized and acknowledged

Followed by a reasonable attempt

To let bygones be bygones


Is this one of the famous battles

Between head and heart

With both having opposing views

But the same hold on your psyche

Neither winning, neither losing


Sometimes I wonder

If our lack of ability to forgive

Is truly more rooted in our

Bruised ego and hurt feelings

Perhaps the pain we feel is comforting


If I were to release my anger and my pain

Only to be knocked again

Who becomes the bigger fool

Me for trying

Or them for doing


I wish that such matters were as easy

As a game of tic-tac-toe

Or perhaps it is

Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose

Neither happens if you don’t take a chance


So I resolve to forgive

To be the bigger and better person

Give of myself as I would want others

To give to me

And perhaps this time everyone will win.



Chuck Smoot

September 1, 2002

9eek 9oddess: Thx to Endoh for teaching me a few of life's lessons

There are few lessons we learn in life. Many of these lessons are those that our parents have imparted to us. Yes, we brush them aside, thinking they are old wives tales, we cluck our tongues as if they don't know any better. We think we are the "Y generation" and yes we indeed are but at times like this, I remember the words of my parents...

Just yesterday I went for an interview for a to-be job (I hope). Gruelled by 3 interviewers for 2 hours, I left the place feeling not so much satisfied and pleased with myself for the way the interview went.. ( it went well so my final round will be on Friday and this is a job I really want), but instead, I left with the feeling of a deep sense of loss and revelation.

Why has all these got to do with what has been happening the last few days in the blogosphere? Let me tell you...

I was asked a question which stumped me. I managed to handle all the questions very well, but was particularly stumped by one.

The interviewer had asked me, "If you want to have a meal with anyone in this world, which 3 people would you chose?" -- This has nothing to do with the job at hand, but it got me thinking about what was close to my heart and what deeply concerned me. It was a question to basically put my core values in a crucible and distill what mattered to me.

My response?

1) MM Lee Kwan Yew - reason? Because although he has made many tough decisions which many people might not agree with, I respect him for building our nation, for the sacrifices he has made and for the dreams he had for our country. This is one man I truly respect.

2) Jesus - reason? Many of us lack compassion already. We are thrown around by the winds of life and on the way, we forget our direction, we forget what we want and what we hold close. Although I'm not that religious, as a child, I was told stories about this Man called Jesus who walked the walk and talked the talk. He was compassionate to those who hurled stones at him and forgave those who transgressed him. He healed the sick and he loved the hurt. The world lacks compassion, truly. We trudge about our daily lives thinking ME ME ME...

I would want to have a meal with Jesus and listen to His stories, just me and him ... (and for once I would be quiet -- those of you who know me know that i can never stop talking, super kaypo and zi zha :) )

** I thought long and hard about who I would "spend" this last meal on..... and then it came to me**

3) My parents -- reason? How many people sit down with their parents and have a meal together nowadays? We are busy with workk, with our own lives that we treat things of old as if they don't exist. My parents are growing old, whether or not I admit. I've blogged about this before, but how many of us actually make it a point to sit down and have a good meal together? If you do, good on you! If you don't, it's never too late!

*** I don't know if I had answered the question properly, but as I spoke to him, tears welled in my eyes, and I apologized and awkwardly, as I wiped the tears away, and he skipped on to the next question on his list, pretending he did not notice.... (thankfully, as I was red with embarrassment) ***

Why am I blogging about something like that and how does it relate to things that have been happening in the blogosphere? Well, I feel as if by a weird twist of fate, there are many connections and its as if God is trying to tell me something.... that this is a lesson I have to learn.. be it the hard way...

1) MM Lee Kwan Yew can be paralleled (almost blasphemously) to DK, Cobalt Paladin, Claudia, Paddy and Endoh. They have fiercely given their views on the Nuffnang issue and have made their stand on how NN handled the issue, the people involved, the bloggers as well as competitors. These blogger named above, I held in high esteem, and still do, because I know that their years of experience superceed mine in the real world, in the entrepreneurial world, in the social PR scene and in the blogosphere. They have made their stands and published posts which have been tough on me and painful for me to swallow (similar to some of the laws of governence made by MM LEE), but I respect their take on the issue although maybe I might disagree. Disagreeing, I must emphasize, doesn't negate the depth of respect I have for them..

Yes, they have made statements that have hurt me, hurt Nuffnang, but why? They have done it for the "betterment" of this community at large. They have done it so that people around will know how to handle bloggers and the media better in the future. For that, I thank them. Yes I am hurt by some of their remarks, especially when some seemed personal.

I was not upset at a particular blogger's contempt at my reaction on Techcrunch but I was immensely hurt by this particular blogger trying to pull TDM into the picture.

TDM means a lot to me. I have poured out a lot of time into our projects. I have done it without pay, yes everything voluntarily. Only because I believe in TDM's cause and I know that the projects and the meetings and events we hold will educate and improve this community of entrepreneurs and friends. I love TDM and I hold it very close to me. All I ask for is mercy -- mercy that you will be able to not pull TDM into this picture because there are friends I have in TDM that I can call real friends and I hope that you will understand that my statements represent me only and not TDM. TDM is a separate entity and TDM's reputation should not be marred by my statements. And yes, this is a plea to you, that you will care for the other members of TDM and the pride that surrounds this brand.

2) Jesus - He was a compassionate man, and yes why do I hold Jesus close to me? Doesn't matter in this case if it's Jesus or any other God or Deity. Basically they are compassionate people who look past the mistakes of others. They are appreciative and are never critical of anyone, they look beyond the flaws of a person and give themselves selflessly. Even when they correct, they do so in love and not with an intent to hurt..

Because they know how to above all, LOVE...

I was particularly hurt by Endoh's statement about me. It felt like a personal attack.. I assume that maybe it is not, but from an emotional point of view when reading his post and multiple comments, it felt as if he wasn't a friend to me. I have known Endoh way before this NN incident and have chatted with him online many a times even. But his statements made me sad -- sad at the fact that a friend (yes I still think of him fondly as one) would write something like that without even asking me on my take on the issue. Not once did he talk to me about how I felt about this whole issue). I felt as if he had written without considering my feelings in mind. I would expect that from a friend, or maybe I am expecting too much. Endoh, is there anything I have done to you in the past that has hurt you? If so, I sincerely apologize...




At first part of me wanted to lash out, be angry and write a post telling the world how much he had hurt me, to expose all the things we had talked about previously, but an eye for an eye would make the whole world blind... and thankfully, Nicholas Aaron Khoo talked me out of it and told me that I should keep level headed and write back only after some thought. Nicholas had sent me Endoh's respond comment on his blog saying...

"Perhaps being a member of TDM, you guys should educate her (Estee) on proper response techniques pertaining to corporate complaints. My next post is actually intended to discuss on Estee's response in TechCrunch actually."

A true friend loves at all times, covers for their friend's mistakes and does not expose them. I felt Endoh was trying to highlight my rashness to the world, and wanted to blog all about my apparent emotional outcry on Techcrunch. (yes I admit, it was an error on my part, what more can I do after apologizing?) He also did highlight my personal relationship with Ming, which made me biased to NN.

I have 2 questions to ask everyone here. And you should answer honestly...

1) If you truly cared for someone, would you not stand up for a person, even if it meant your personal reputation at stake? Would you not defend the people you care for? Even if it was beyond logic? Would you not support the person you cared for during time of tribulation? Would you up and leave and be the first to make a beeline for the exit?

Would you have done much differently from me, would you? ---- This issue concerns my personal value that I hold close to myself and even if this whole incident were to replay itself, I would not have made a different choice in voicing my unequivocal support. I would still support Nuffnang and Ming. Only because I care for these 2 entities, and however people insult them or mudsling at them, my decision doesn't change. No amount of insult to me or things I care for will change that.

2) Yes I was rash with my comments on Techcrunch, but I still think that that post lacked the research needed. Yes, when I read it, I thought it was unreasonable and lashed out immediately. I apologize for that, but I do not appreciate someone highlighting it and blogging about it and further causing more pain. All of us, I'm sure have had times where we get emotional and not think straight... my question is then,

Have you ever made the mistake of lashing out then regretting?

Let He Who is Without Sin Cast the First Stone

But I digress.... back to point 3

3) My parents -- this reminds me fondly of the people I love and care about, the ping community and TDM... I have been with the Ping.sg community since Nexus 07 held in March.

I have grown with the community, hung out with them and chatted with them on the shoutbox.. They have become a part of me and I speak very fondly of them. The TDM community also comes into mind because I have sweat with them, cried with them and laughed with them. (Those insanely 24 hour long meetings!!! argh *smile*) My parents can thus be paralled with these people who I think of fondly...


I truly care of these 2 communities and am upset when there is a rift. I'm not saying that the ping.sg community has been torn apart due to this trivial issue, but what I'm saying is that let's not divide into 2 factions -- supporters of NN or not -- this issue is separate from ping.sg. The community should be one whether or not this NN issue arises. (maybe this is a test of our mettle and love?)

I don't wish to defend myself anymore, I don't see a need to. What I want to do however, is to express my heartfelt feelings, to come clean and be honest, as honest as possible.

Those from the ping. sg community know me and I believe those who understand my personality and character will still be a friend to me no matter where this issue leads to.

Because a friend loves at all time
-- that's what my parents said.

And time will tell...