Month: February 2019

There’s always someone cooler than you

Matthew BoultonLeave a comment

Estimated reading time 16 mins.

The title may be familiar to some as the 2003 Ben Folds song it is. As a new experiment in my English conversation class this upcoming semester, I’m going to have students discuss these lyrics, while of course highlighting the lessons I take from it myself. As in many Ben Folds songs, the lyrics colorfully present a strong message, and I thought it would be a fun way to introduce a theme for discussion I think will prove relevant to them.

While comparing against others is a personal and social problem in Western countries, expressed (in one aspect) in the idiom “Keeping up with the Joneses,” Korea has its own distinct comparison culture. Korea is a hyper-modern economy that moves at warp speed. The uber-competitive education system centers all around scores and rankings based thereupon. And when they’re done with that, most feel enormous pressure at “getting a good job,” which means—if not a “doctor, lawyer, or judge”—at one of the bigger companies (e.g. Samsung, LG, Hyundai, etc.). Anyone can do the math to see that achieving this measure of “success” is not going to be a reality for almost everyone, so the stress is tremendous.

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‘Crave’ the body you ‘want’

Matthew Boulton3 Comments


Please see my article, “Don’t listen to me (or even experts): My blanket disclaimer” for a brief discussion of my goal in sharing ideas on health.

A key excerpt: “We all have different bodies, lifestyles, means, likes/dislikes, goals, and many other factors which make up the context in which we are making health decisions. So my attitude is always intended to be not, “This is the right way to eat/work out” or “You should try this.” But rather: “This is what is working for me in this way. How might it apply to you in achieving your goals?””

The title of this article includes two key concepts which may often be used interchangeably, but in the context in which I will define, are very distinct. I am referring to craving and wanting, and I don’t just mean that the former is a more intense version of the latter.

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Thanks for being scary, Dad

Matthew Boulton1 Comment

Estimated reading time 9 mins.

My father said he would come to pick me up. I had made it from my junior high school to my friend’s house, but it was still kind of a long way home, so I thought it was a big score. It might take him several minutes to arrive, so my friend and I happily went downstairs and played mini hockey to pass the time.

“Beeeep!” (Was there something in that?) “Oh, he’s here!” I ran up the stairs and rushed to get my shoes on and my stuff together as I saw my dad’s car out the window. I had a smile on my face on saying goodbye to my friend, and I was feeling pretty light as I had just had fun and now didn’t have to walk home.

As I approached the car, however, something was changing inside my stomach.

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100 pushups/100 squats/day: Early benefits (and they’re obvious)

Matthew Boulton3 Comments

Estimated reading time 16 mins.


Please see my article, “Don’t listen to me (or even experts): My blanket disclaimer” for a brief discussion of my goal in sharing ideas on health.

A key excerpt: “We all have different bodies, lifestyles, means, likes/dislikes, goals, and many other factors which make up the context in which we are making health decisions. So my attitude is always intended to be not, “This is the right way to eat/work out” or “You should try this.” But rather: “This is what is working for me in this way. How might it apply to you in achieving your goals?””

We’re all busy. Or at least we ought to be. In any case, most of us find ourselves occupied with something enough making it difficult to find time to hit the gym even a couple times a week. Gearing up and getting there and back itself makes “Annhh, not today” a pretty easy, often necessary, call. Given my own schedule and the conditions I’ve set to make the gym or an outdoor run an on-the-whole enjoyable and life-enhancing rather than dutiful and detracting activity, I go comfortably about twice a week, with one (occasionally two) runs a week. When the university semester starts again next month, that will likely become one gym and one run per week. Last semester, it became regularly only one time at the gym per week.

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Don’t listen to me (or even experts): My blanket disclaimer

Matthew Boulton2 Comments

Estimated reading time 5 mins.

Because health is such a crucial value and because I think and act a lot on it, I intend to share occasional posts of what might be useful leads in regard to exercise, lifestyle, and nutrition, mostly in the way of results of various practices I’ve tried and by discussing how I think of them. But I think this can only be useful if I and any readers are mindful of how to take them.

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