Desperation. A single word that has thousands of relations, but the one that sticks out the most to me is the chase of a girl. There are certain points where it is fun and enjoyable, but once you pass that limit, it is downhill from there. During this time, delusion and desperation start to grip its claws into you. This period of time leads you to rely on either your own personal judgment or of someone else’s. Which one will benefit you the most? Will that person lead you to the right answer or lead you astray? How will you know what to do?

This situation is similar to the one that Cassio felt towards losing his lieutenant-ship in the play, Othello written by William Shakespeare. During a time of despair, he was easily swayed by Iago’s twisted words. Iago suggested that Cassio should “confess himself freely to her” in order to persuade Othello to return the lieutenant spot to Cassio. Unknown to Cassio, Iago planned this all out to undermine Othello for not giving him the lieutenant position in the first place. It was because Cassio was in a time of desperation, he did not see any problems that could arise by asking Desdemona, Othello’s wife, to convince Othello to give the lieutenant-ship to him again. Again, this relates back to the chase of a girl, which I am experiencing. I have been basing my judgment off of what others think and it has been decent so far. Although the chase hasn’t been the best, I believe going through this will make me a better person and know for sure she could be the one. This story reminds me that I have to make sure the choices I am making will not come back to haunt me later. Do the things that you best believe will benefit you using the advice from others. 

On the topic of needing advice from other people, this relates to the Dunning Kruger Effect. From the blog post created by Mr. Theriault, I learned about the benefits of having blindspot detectors. These people are the close friends that are willing to inform you about things that you feel uncomfortable about and give the advice that is needed to adjust it. Similar towards the situation where Mr. Theriault failed preparing his students for the AP test, every single one of us needed an “Ann” to give us facts straight up. According to Mr. Theriault’s blog post, “The unknown unknowns are the ultimate blind spot and they are the reason why it is mandatory that we solicit and listen to the opinions of those who will be affected by our own decisions.” This is how we can deal with the desperation of “the chase” by getting others to give us input and let us know when it is time to give up or stop. Never get in too deep where you cannot get back out without ruining what you already had with that special person. 

“The unknown unknowns are the ultimate blind spot and they are the reason why it is mandatory that we solicit and listen to the opinions of those who will be affected by our own decisions.”

Mr. Theriault

While having blindspot detectors is a beneficial thing, people can also take advantage of that. Not everyone is going to be rooting for you want to sabotage you. Those people deserve a spot in The Circles of Hell. According to Dante’s Inferno, there are different levels in Hell for people that have sinned during their time on Earth. For example, the people that betray/sabotage you will belong to the last level of Hell, which is the same as Iago from Othello. There are also certain types of punishments that these people will be facing. This is a reminder to be wary of who you trust with this information and know that there will be consequences for those who aren’t the best for you. Trust only the friends that will help with “the chase” and don’t fall into desperation and listen to those who lie to you. 

“The chase” has 3 different paths that can occur. The first one is where you are able to achieve your goal and get your girl. The second one is where you give up because your friends give you the correct advice. Lastly, the third one is you fall too deep into desperation and get stuck. I believe that I am slowly leaning towards that third option because I am spiraling down a rabbit hole. Writing this blog post allowed me to see that I have to get the right group of people to either encourage me or tell me the things that I need to hear rather than want to hear. “The chase” may be rough at times, but everything happens for the greater good. Knowledge is acquired and improvements will happen once “the chase” starts again.