Being

Why is there something instead of nothing? This is one of the chief questions that, for millennia, has fueled the existential musings of philosophers who have pondered the concept of “being.” Used interchangeably with the word “existence,” the term “being” conceptualizes subjective and objective aspects of reality. One’s state of being is also a focus of psychology. According to psychiatrist Carl Jung, “the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of” what? Discuss

sleeping

cubicle – Originally a small room for sleeping—from Latin cumb, “lie down”—that was separated from a larger room. More…

breakfast – Literally means “breaking the fast”—of the night, as it is the first meal after sleeping. More…

dormition – A peaceful and painless death, as well as the act of sleeping or falling asleep. More…

incubate, incubation – Latin incubare, the source of incubate, literally meant “lie down on”; incubation once had the sense of sleeping in a sacred place or temple for oracular purposes. More…

Atonality

Musical compositions that do not use an established musical key are said to be atonal. Atonality is a radical alternative to the diatonic system—the natural major or minor scales that form the basis of the key system in Western music. After World War I, an atonal system of composing emerged using 12 tones. By World War II, however, “atonality” had become a pejorative term to condemn music perceived as lacking structure and coherence. In Nazi Germany, atonal music was also criticized as what? Discuss

inherent

imminent, immanent – Imminent is “about to happen” and immanent is “inherent” or “pervading the material world.” More…

intrinsic – Latin intrinsecus, “on the inside,” came to be the English intrinsic, “inner, internal” and “inherent.” More…

proper – First meant “inherent, intrinsic.” More…

innate, inherent – The word innate means “inborn” and should apply to living things; inherent is “essential, intrinsic” and applies best to nonliving things like ideas. More…

Día de los Muertos

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a national holiday in Mexico and is observed in Hispanic communities throughout the U.S. Long before sunrise, people stream into the cemeteries laden with candles, flowers, and food that is often shaped and decorated to resemble the symbols of death. Children eat tiny chocolate hearses, sugar funeral wreaths, and candy skulls and coffins. But the atmosphere is festive. In many homes, people set up ofrendas, or altars, to the departed. These are decked with candles, special foods, and whatever the dead enjoyed when they were alive. Discuss