This is my project that organize an article a week about what I learned & thought.
・Shangri-La
The term “Shangri-La” has long been renowned in various cultures today.
Viewed as a paramount sanctuary which is tantamount to Utopia, from music lyrics to the name of a remarkable hospitality group, Shangri-La is quite familiar to people around the world.
However, what is the origin of Shangri-La?
In fact, the debut of Shangri-La was in the 1933 novel, Lost Horizon, by English author James Hilton.
As a fictional place in Tibet, Shangri-La was portrayed as a mysterious and harmonious valley, surrounded by mountains, and located on the west side of the Kunlun Mountains (崑崙山).
Furthermore, in the novel, Shangri-La was governed by a lamasery. This fact has elicited the belief by readers and analysts that the notion of Shangri-La might have been inspired by “Shambhala,” a superlative paradise from Tibetan mythology.
Near Shambhala, there is a peculiar creature called Yeti.
According to the legend, Yeti was ape-like, covered with brown fur, and over 200 centimeters tall. If and only if someone could capture Yeti, then it could point out the lucid path to Shambhala for people.
That is, Yeti could lead people to the sacrosanct and help them pursue authentic felicity.
Recently, since Shangri-La went viral, a bunch of cities in China attempted to claim that they were the true reflection of Shangri-La.
As a hilarious result, a county named Zhongdian (中甸) in Yunnan province (雲南省) achieved their victory.
In 2001, Zhongdian was officially approved by the Chinese government and renamed to “Shangri-La”, in Chinese called “香格里拉”.
Whether Shangri-La exist in the real world or not, it may definitely keep being an iconic symbol which imply the imagination of the happiness and relief by humanity.
・Impostor syndrome
Impostor syndrome, also known as fraud syndrome, is a psychological experience associate with self-doubt and particularly observed in eminent individuals.
It is a subjective feeling that people cast pervasive doubts onto their talents, accomplishments, or capabilities. Despite evidence might suggest that their successes are not fraudulent,, the impostor syndrome may mire them in an implacable phobia.
People with impostor syndrome would immerse into a daunting compunction and fear that someday their perceived deceit may be exposed.
Moreover, according to a research in early 1980’s, approximate 2 out of 5 people with great achivement sufffer from impostor syndrome, and the stats further augment to an amost 82% prevalence rates today.
Although impostor syndrome seems to be inscrutable, psychology professors who deal with it have suggest various recommendations for people in similar situations.
The suggestions include:
・Embrace your fears and keep moving forward.
・Consider your accomplishments in the past as solid proof.
・Build a rapport with a counselor who can offer you mental assistance.
・Actively help others reject imposter beliefs by reflecting back to them their values, abilities, and talents.
Success is a great pleasure that is truly worth ecstatic joy.
Next time you realize that you might be an impostor to the status you own today, just throw away those doubts!
・KoKo
”KoKo“ is a mellifluous piano song that was released in 2008 by the Japanese artist Ryuichi Sakamoto (1952–2023).
As one of the iconic compositions by Sakamoto, it manifests a colossal expression of affection, which also aligns with Sakamoto‘s renowned aesthetic style.
The title ”KoKo“ traces its delicate roots to ”kokoro“ (こころ), the Japanese term for “heart”, echoing the cultural reverence for the core of human emotion.
Yet, to capture such emotion in its entirety somehow too intimate and embarrassing; thus, Sakamoto elegantly brought ’kokoro‘ to ”KoKo,“ crafting a subtle but evocative title.
Adoration as portrayed in KoKo sometimes is tranquil but profound. The rhythm in the song thoroughly acts as a gorgeous stream; albeit simple, it embraces a great opulence of authentic love and is viewed as a masterpiece from Sakamoto.
If someday you serendipitously come across this melody, perhaps on an urban street, in a cozy coffee shop, or anywhere else, please summon the image of your beloved, and cherish the fleeting, yet invaluable moment.