A reaction on Max Schulman's "Love is a Fallacy"

A fallacy is defined as erroneousness, an invalid reference or the quality of being deceptive.It is a component of an argument that is demonstrably flawed in its logic or form. But is love really a false notion? Max Schulman's “Love is a Fallacy” is one of the best love stories I had already read. At first, I had a hard time understanding the story for it has so many unfamiliar words to me. But just as I read it over and over again, it made me understand it much better and it made me love the story so much. It talks about one reality in life that when you fall in love,you are willing to take those risks and you learn how to fight just for that love. The story is actually about two guys who fell in love with the same girl . I really appreciated the narrator. He must be a nice guy. He looked for a way on how he would spend his time with Polly. That what must all guys should do!*laugh*...But it still ends up that the girl(Polly) choose the main character's friend(Petey) over him,and the worst thing is that Polly choose Petey over him just because he had a raccoon coat! She only liked him just because of that material thing that made him belong to the “Big Men” in school, what a shallow reason,right? (But that's just my opinion! )...I can say that she's one of those material girls who couldn't love truly if there's no exchange . . . I really dislike Petey so much . . . Yes . . . he did try to impress Polly but it wasn't his raccoon coat . . . BOYS WILL REALLY DO EVERYTHING TO MAKE THE GIRLS LIKE THEM . . . For me, love can't be test through any material things. It doesn't matter if he gives you flowers and chocolates or not as long as their love still remains. It really does not matter if he spends a lot on your dates and always treat you for a dinner and an outing. But love? It's how sincere the person is, of how that person is willing to do everything for your love and those things he can give up for you. Most especially? It's not important for me if “my boyfriend” is famous and popular and is known to be one of the coolest guy who got the cutest look and wear those branded, cool jeans and stuff...but what matters most is that i know he is worth to be my boyfriend and I love him not just because of any material thing but the real him without those factors that makes up a “popular, cool guy!” I don't know why the story entitled “Love is a Fallacy”. Maybe when people say, a wrong timing and not in the right time yet. But you never choose the person you fell in love to. Most especially you'll never know when that happens and why that happened. So, when love comes our way, we can never avoid it and especially love can never be a false notion because falling in love is beyond our control...Well..in some points of life, things happen for a reason just as when love knocks your door, let it in for it has a reason!

SUMMER TIME ...

It's already scorching hot, isn't?Often,I want to take a bath to look good and refreshing. DON'T KNOW WHAT MONTH WE ARE NOW? March! What does it mean? It's summer time already!!! The second season of the year, the time for all of us to enjoy.This coming summer,I want to do so many things and attend several summer classes. I;m already so excited ... I'll make sure that I'll be having a lot of fun ... I have so many plans and actually I've already listed all things that I want to do.I think that my sister and I will go to BOHOL where my father's family and relatives were living.That place is so nice.There are many trees of different kinds and the climate there is fine.There are many breathtaking views to see and there are also many tourist spots to visit. We'll gonna visit my aunts and cousins .They treat us so well ... They are so kind and hospitable . Anyway back to my plans,I will tell my older sister to buy me a guitar because I'm gonna practice playing it already.Maybe I can get guitar lessons or I can ask my older brother if he could teach me . . .

I'm also interested in playing lone tennis so I'm gonna try it this summer. I think it's a cool sport. My sister is willing to teach me Chemistry and Physics so that means I'm gonna have advance lessons.

My dictionaries are also ready ... I will read it so that my vocabulary words would be added.My summer will not be complete if my family and I will not go to the beach or in a swimming pool.Last summer, we went to Talisay City to go to a resort.It's so nice out there.Our next destination is Lapu-Lapu City.I heard that there are many beautiful beaches out there.I'm so excited . .. I can't wait for the summer vacation ....

TRUST ... IS LIKE CHOCOLATE ...

Chocolate.Sweet.Tempting. Delicious.Surely you can't resist .Uhm ...

Now ,imagine you're holding a heart-shaped chocolate.Hold it right in the middle of your palm.You're not gonna eat it but you will just hold.Imagine it's melting due to the warn temperature caused by "global warming".The chocolate lost it's shape,right? Now that the chocolate has melted,do you think you could put it back? Back to it's shape? I don't think so ...

It's sort of like trusting,right? Once it's gone, you can never make it back. Once a person you trust so much,the person you tell all your secrets, experiences, embarrassing moments,or even your crushes,betrays you, you feel that you can never trust that person again.Maybe you will be able to learn to trust him o9r her but not the same as before.Trusting someone is pretty hard.For me,it only leads to three results. The first choice is that getting betrayed, then hurt and then,hating that person 'til he/she is dead. The second one is getting betrayed then hurt and then,trust again but not completely. The last and final choice is never getting betrayed at all.

Of course,we can't avoid trusting other people.I mean ... who would want to spend all of his or her life all alone and friendless.That's just how life is, like loving and getting hurt.Right now,I have a lot of friends.They are friends who probably know all my secrets,Friends that
I spend all my time with.I trust them so much ... If anyone of them does decide to become a snake and bite my back ... OUCH .... THAT HURTS ..

Nevertheless,if someone does break your trust,didn't just sit there and cry like a sissy little kid. Stand up and approach the person.Try to talk him/ her and tell him/her how you feel.Don't judge yet.Give that person time to explain.If she doesn't listen to you, it's time for you to slap his/her face and tell him/her, "THE HECK WITH YOU!".

WISH......

Sometimes,I wish of too much things, things that are impossible and things that will never happen. A classmate of mine told me that I'm a strong willed person just like superheroes. I used to wish that one day I would become one. I wanted to become a gorgeous,strong and talented girl like Wonder Woman.I also dreamt of becoming like Spider man, an intelligent but secretive webbed one that has a heart of gold and knows no fear. I even wanted to be like Superman, the most respected and renowned superhero of all .

Now, even If I'm already old,a teenager as they say, I want to wish and I still wish for things.. . . I wanted to turn back the time but I just can't. I really miss my mother so much . Every time I pass by children happy chatting with mothers, I got very jealous and just suddenly flow down my cheeks . I want to see my mom so badly and be with her even if it's just for one day. Until now, the pain was still there and the was not yet healed.I might be happy in the outside but I'm dying in the inside .... I'd wasted so much ,I could have spent all of those with her. I didn't think of losing, thought that death would not knock on our door . I was wrong ... I just took my mom so granted believing that she would not leave us ... I felt so guilty that I never told her how much I love her . .. It was too late to realized ... SHE'S ALREADY GONE ...

I also wished that if ever I would be given a time machine, I would like to bring back the time when "we " were still friends ... when I was in first year . I can still go near him that time. I can talk to him ask about nonsense things and we still laugh together. .. MEMORIES ... But I was the one who started to avoid him ... I just felt something weird and i suddenly got scared. I was hurt once and I don't want to experience being sad and depressed again. At school, we just passed by on another without saying a simple "hello". It's so painful ... It's not his fault and it's not mine either. .. It's my stupid heart's fault. I'm so unfortunate,right? I've already lost two important persons in my life. They would never come back ... and I'm left alone wishing ...

CHEATING . . .

In this feverishly scholastic society,a wily underground action of students unravels how they deceive teachers inside the class with an open secret-----CHEATING.No one is exempted in doing it.OUCH .... YES!!! Almost all have done it. It has that common stigma in every classroom. It's magic is infinite. It's fascinating secrecy becomes a social culture . Do you remember the left-right-front-back turns of the head,the grotesque exchange answers through whispers and hand signals and looking at the small crib sheet of information commonly known as "kodigo". Sounds familiar right? Those are just a few tricks of cheating.Honestly,I did not remember that I cheat but if sharing assignments is one then,maybe I once cheated . . . You see .... I don't want to have failing marks when it comes to my character grade ... I'll never do anything that can stain my clean record in school ... NEVER ...

Well anyway,there's no doubt that many students cheat but not really in UP ... students there have their intelligence ... but maybe in some schools .One may connive with the other in order to deceit.And this starts the alliance of the brain class.No wonder,it became a habit to students ... They have figures that it is okay to cheat since everyone does it anyways.Personally,I did not like the fact that someone obtained good grades because he/ she cheated.It should kill his/her conscience.By then,I realized that outstanding grades do not measure good education , but it's how you learned from every lessons you have.On the contrary,yes,it may consider as an immediate remedy for unexpected predicaments.However,does cheating only stands for the sake of academic survival?Will it develop our learning skills? Very not!!! No matter what the motivation is, it only makes the students dependent to others. Cheating is not just "little frauds" in the society. It became a huge factor for the future ahead. The question is : can we achieve success and prosperity from borrowed knowledge? Obviously,it would be a big "no-no".

We should know that vitality of learning and values has much more significance than getting any excellent average through cheating. So as early as now,we, students must conceive that cheating will never help us . In the years to come, we should be on our own. We should stand for our responsibilities and stop relying on other to get as through . . . DO NOT CHEAT ! IT\S SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE .

sTrOnGeR . .. . ....

In life,we face many circumstances that could either make us strong or break us apart.It's just a matter of how tough a person is and how dedicated he/she is upon reaching his/her goals.In our journey here in this world,we encounter many challenges.Often it's hard to continue but we choose to.What's the use of giving up?For me,showing sign of weakness is considered to be a shameful act.Yet,if there are times that we feel that we can't take it anymore,the only thing that we need to do is ask for help,reach for a hand,and seek guidance.I'm pretty sure that there would always be someone that's willing to make each of us feel better.I know that there are many instances I've fallen down,but still,I never gave up because i still have my family who continuously help and support.I still have my friends and my relatives . . .

I'm here because of them . . .

I have an experience that I would like to share to you guys . . . My mother was Carmelita Varquez.She's the most patient,loving,caring,and the best mom in the universe. . . Yeah . . . She's really the coolest and the best mom I ever had . . . I'm proud to say that among my brothers and sisters . . . I'm their favorite and they treated me so special.However,one day as I woke up,I heard my sister crying and why??? Because my mother died because of heart attack.She had this kidney disease and that made her heart also weak.It was such a miserable experience.It was very painful.as I was standing in front of my mother's coffin,happy and sad memories were flashed back.I started to cry . . . thinking that we'll never see each other again . . . Before,I used reminisce those times and I wished I could go back and correct my mistakes. I even wished for a one last chance to see her and utter the words that I never told her . . . "I LOVE YOU MOM . . . I LOVE YOU SO MUCH . . . ".I used to ask GOD why her . . . why her . . .

I don't have anyone to blame.It was just purely destiny. It was a very big loss for the family. LIFE CAN BE SO CRUEL SOMETIMES.YOU'VE COME TO REALIZED THINGS,THINGS THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT,WHEN IT'S ALREADY TOO LATE,WHEN THEY ARE ALREADY GONE.That experience made me more independent and strong.I face my everyday life with a mere description of what I really want to be when I grow up.I learned to dream and to have an ambition.I study so hard to achieve good grades.I hope this had been an inspiration to all . . . I hope this made you realized the importance of your family.Finally,I hope that this experience of mine would open up your minds that corrected mistakes can make you stronger in facing new problems and obstacles . ..

Summary of Love is a Fallacy

Take, for example, Petey Bellows, my roommate at the university. Emotional type. Not, however, to Petey.

"Raccoon," he mumbled thickly.

"Raccoon?" "I want a raccoon coat," he wailed.

"Why do you want a raccoon coat?"

"Can you mean," I said incredulously, "that people are actually wearing raccoon coats again?"

"All the Big Men on Campus are wearing them. "I've got to have a raccoon coat," he said passionately. "Petey, why? Raccoon coats are unsanitary. "I'd give anything for a raccoon coat. Anything!"

I refer to his girl, Polly Espy.

I had long coveted Polly Espy. I wanted Polly for a shrewdly calculated, entirely cerebral reason.

With one omission, Polly fitted these specifications perfectly.

It is, after all, easier to make a beautiful dumb girl smart than to make an ugly smart girl beautiful.

"Petey," I said, "are you in love with Polly Espy?"

"I think she's a keen kid," he replied, "but I don't know if you'd call it love. Why?"

Is that right?"

"Where are you going?" asked Petey.

"Home for the weekend." "Holy Toledo!" he repeated fifteen or twenty times.

"Your girl," I said, mincing no words.

"Polly?" he asked in a horrified whisper. "You want Polly?"

"That's right."

He flung the coat from him. Back and forth his head swiveled, desire waxing, resolution waning. "What's Polly to me, or me to Polly?"

"Try on the coat," said I.

I asked, extending my hand.

I had my first date with Polly the following evening. This girl's lack of information was terrifying. "Oo, terrif," she replied. "Logic."

"Wow-dow!" she cried, clapping her hands delightedly.

"First let us examine the fallacy called Dicto Simpliciter."

"Dicto Simpliciter means an argument based on an unqualified generalization. "I agree," said Polly earnestly. "I mean exercise is wonderful. "Polly," I said gently, "the argument is a fallacy. Exercise is good is an unqualified generalization. For instance, if you have heart disease, exercise is bad, not good. "Next we take up a fallacy called Hasty Generalization. Listen carefully: You can't speak French. Petey Bellows can't speak French. "Really?" said Polly, amazed. "Nobody?"

"Polly, it's a fallacy. "A girl back home—Eula Becker, her name is. It never fails. "Polly," I said sharply, "it's a fallacy. You are guilty of Post Hoc if you blame Eula Becker."

"No, Polly, I'm not mad."

"All right. Let's try Contradictory Premises."

"Yes, let's," she chirped, blinking her eyes happily.

If there is an irresitible force, there can be no immovable object. If there is an immovable object, there can be no irresistible force. Petey lay snoring in his bed, the raccoon coat huddled like a great hairy beast at his feet. The girl simply had a logic-proof head.

"A man applies for a job. A tear rolled down each of Polly's pink cheeks. The man never answered the boss's question about his qualifications. "Polly," I said testily, "the argument is all wrong. "Sounds yummy," was Polly's reaction.

"True, true," said Polly, nodding her head. "The next fallacy is called Poisoning the Well."

"Two men are having a debate. Now, Polly, think. What chance has the second man got if the first man calls him a liar before he even begins talking?"

"Right!" I cried exultantly. "One hundred percent right. Polly, I'm proud of you."

"Polly," I said when we next sat beneath our oak, "tonight we will not discuss fallacies."

"Hasty Generalization," said Polly brightly.

"Hasty Generalization," she repeated. The dear child had learned her lessons well. "False Analogy," said Polly promptly. I'm a girl."

The dear child had learned her lesson perhaps too well. "Polly, I love you. "Ad Misericordiam," said Polly.

"Well, Polly," I said, forcing a smile, "you certainly have learned your fallacies."

If I hadn't come along you would never have learned about fallacies."

"You can't go with him, Polly. "Poisoning the Well," said Polly, "and stop shouting. "All right," I said. How could you choose Petey Bellows over me? Can you give me one logical reason why you should go steady with Petey Bellows?"

"I certainly can," declared Polly.

"He's got a racoon coat."