Seriously, why so serious?

Why so serious?

-- Joker, in The Dark Knight

Be serious, not too serious.

-- John Polanyi

Take everything you like seriously, except yourselves.

-- Rudyard Kipling

Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about.

-- Oscar Wilde

Humor is the only test of gravity, and gravity of humor; for a subject which will not bear raillery is suspicious, and a jest which will not bear serious examination is false wit.

-- Aristotle

I like to plan things. And when planning, I need to be serious. But things do not always go according to plans. Actually, things usually go in different directions other than the planned, especially for things involving two persons, such as dating.

Toronto is a fascinating place where people with all sorts of backgrounds meet. And their dating behaviours differ dramatically. I've met a guy who changes his girlfriends every two months; I've seen a girl who calls one-year relationship a long one. But I've also acquainted with people who know what they are looking for, and once they find it, they commit totally to it. Different cultural and social backgrounds put different labels on each behavior, and these labels reflect their values and attitudes towards what is acceptable. Though it might be easy to judge each behavior within one particular community, judgment becomes increasingly difficult in a multicultural society. The clashes of values from different backgrounds make me really wonder what my values are and what I believe.

I had my trials. There has been awkward situations. Being too serious does not seem to be a good option. But insights into myself accumulate each time. So far, one thing has persisted. It's the belief, forcefully expressed by Steve Jobs, that "as with all matters of the heart, you know it when you find it".

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/miserynewt/2760646821/