Q: Why do your best?
A: My favourite quote ever is from the end credits song in the game Portal. The song is by Jonathan Coulton and is called ‘Still alive’. The lyrics say “… we do what we must, because we can, for the good of all of us, except the ones who are dead. …” The words “We do what we must because we can.” have always stuck with me.
Q: Cars vs pedestrians, who has right of way?
A: I’ve noticed more and more that people of all ages and cultures are walking into roads in front of oncoming moving vehicles. The assumption is that the cars will stop, and apparently they do because these people are still alive. At the same time I can’t help but think that these people are playing with their lives for no good reason.
Q: How do you decide who to vote for?
A: Step 1 for me is to look what each party stands for, by reading their websites mostly. Step 2 is to ask to what extent the party’s actions match their positions. Step 3 is to consider the impact of your vote and the difference it will make to the party you give it to.
A small party will appreciate your vote more but might not be able to do anything with it.
Q: What religion do you follow?
A: Every religion on earth has leaders that try to corrupt that religion for their own gain. Sometimes they convince themselves and those around them that they are serving the greater good, but at the same time straying and leading people further from the core faith. It’s better to pick a faith and then find a group that follows that faith to the best of their ability.
Q: Why do you not dress up?
A: Most dress codes (not uniforms - that’s different) were created for the express purpose of discrimination. Upper classes throughout history have worn nicer clothers than the lower classes to differenciate themselves, and to easily tell rich from poor. This is both immoral and inefficient, so if society judges somebody based on what they are wearing the fault is with society.
Q: What title do you want to be addressed by now that you have a doctorate?
Q: Good vs Bad students
A: A good student thanks the teacher for the student’s own successes, a bad student blames the teacher for their own failures. I teach the ones in between.
It’s the average student that has the most to benefit from good teaching practices. They benefit the most from approaching the teacher for help and from the teacher taking an interest in their work. As a lecturer I focus the most on the students who try the hardest, who ask questions, who show up for class, and reflect on what they don’t know so that they know when and where to ask for help.