It's Okay to be a Hypocrite

I've gotten to like this blog thing. It's like a journal for the things you want to say out loud. But I usually don't say these things out loud, because I'm not a very impressive figure and people don't often care about my ideas and/or opinions. A room can get very uncomfortable very fast when you are talking about things that other people clearly don't care about, but then you can't stop talking because you feel if you can explain it better, they'll be interested. And sometimes you feel like there are certain things that must be said.
For example, it's okay to be a hypocrite, as long as you realize you're doing it. And just because someone is a hypocrite doesn't mean you should immediately discount what they say. Scientific American Mind, a magazine by the same people who brought you Scientific American, ran an article in their December 2008 issue called "The Truth About Hypocrisy" by Scott F. Aikin and Robert B. Talisse. One of the points of the article is that hypocrisy is irrelavant, because someone's actions don't necessarily affect the truth value of their statements. And this is good news for all of us. It means we can forgive ourselves for not practicing what we preach. It's unreasonable to expect someone to be an ideal human being, but it's good for a person to have ideals, even if they can't live up to them personally. It's better to be a hypocrite than to have no expectations.
Catharsis. It's late, and I should probably be sleeping.

Going to Chicago this week for an open house hosted by the SAIC writing program's graduate department. I am nervous. I don't know what to wear, either. Something tells me to dress nice, but not too nice. Are jeans too laid back? What about slacks and basketball shoes? Suppressing the urge to try on potential outfits, as this will only cause me more anxiety, but it's a losing battle. Haven't been so nervous since I can't remember when.