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Selfish Kindness
I have often been described as a “kind person.” While that may sound like a positive evaluation, kindness itself comes with a heavy price. It creates the impression that you are always willing to lend a hand—even if it means stepping far out of your comfort zone. This is all too easily mistaken for weakness:…
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Frankenstein…but not by Mary Shelley
“Mingled with this horror, I felt the bitterness of disappointment; dreams that had been my food and pleasant rest for so long a space were now become a hell to me; and the change was so rapid, the overthrow so complete!” (Shelley, 2021, p. 47) I am not entirely inclined to call this article a…
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JLPT and Impostor Syndrome
For those who know me, talking about certified exams for language proficiency was almost blasphemous, because I never believed that they guarantee actual proficiency simply because someone holds a certificate – I have seen many such examples. I have always thought that if someone needs to know my level of proficiency, I can prove it…