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Seemon

Seemon

Illustratorseemon@aajtak.com

Seemon likes to tell visual stories about pop culture, art, psychology, gender and politics. She is an Illustrator at DailyO.

By Seemon

Here are some of our favourite friendship duos that make our life a little more fun.
1. Mind-readers
2. Goofball and Shy
3. Brains and Brawl
4. Roast and Banter
5. Imaginary Friend
6. Emo and AI
7. Borderline Romantic
8. Parent and Child
9. Celebrity and Low-profile
Here are the biggest highlights from Oscars 2023 summed up in a visual story.
Cocaine Bear showed up... and with better hosting skills than Jimmy Kimmel.
Naatu Naatu got the audience  grooving.
Jenny the donkey from The Banshees of Inisherin also made an appearance.
All Quiet On The Western Front swept the technical categories.
Brendan Fraser won Best Actor, completing the "Brennaisance"!
Everything Everywhere All At Once's  Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan won  the acting awards and delivered some  emotional speeches, inspiring Asians  all over the world.
I have used some dating apps over the past year, only to uninstall each one of them in a matter of days. I know these apps do work for people, which is what makes it so frustrating. I totally blame the hopeless romantic in me for not getting into the whole online dating thing.
How?
No thanks, fam.
I'm not nice.
I've had a plethora.
Gonna end up with cats :)
This is romantic for me, lol.
And we'll build a commune.
The phrase "Bura na mano, Holi hai" has led to a lot of misconceptions about what kind of behaviour is acceptable while celebrating the festival. In general, we should remember to keep our civility intact and to not make Holi an excuse to inconvenience anyone.
1. Please make sure you don't waste water while playing Holi. Be more responsible. 
2. Make sure you respect consent while playing Holi. Play only with those who want to okay with you and never intrude upon anyone's personal space.
3. Please leave animals alone on Holi. There is no need for you to put colours on cows, dogs or any other animal on the streets.
4. Don't attack cars or unsuspecting people with water balloons, colours, eggs or random items.
5. Don't use eggs, grease, ink or other random items to play Holi with. Holi is no excuse to inconvenience anyone.
6. Don't misbehave with anyone under the effect of bhaang or alcohol. Also make sure you don't drive in anintoxicated state.
As all of us weebs are aware of the fact that our favourite animes rely on a number of tropes and cliches to convey their theme to us. While we love the novelty of unconventional animes, we also can't get enough of the familiarity of the silly anime tropes that take us into nostalgia. Read on to pick your favourite trope.
1. A Main Trio
2. Announcing Attacks
3. Tsundere heart-throb
4. Pervert Comedic Element
5. Kids Going On Adventures Without Parents
6. Overpowered Main Character
7. Female Character Obsessed With Romance
8. Tragic Backstories
Having roommates comes with a lot of pros. Your rent gets divided, you always have company at home, your responsibilities are shared. But then, we all know how roommates can cost us our mental peace sometimes; for example, when they are a slob, a neat freak or a kleptomaniac. Take a look at the different types of roommates we have all come across at some point or other. (Psst: Which one do you identify with?)
#1. The Hermit
#2. The Neat Freak
#3. The Slob
#4. The One With A Significant Other
#5. The One Who Is Never Home
#6. The Passive-Aggressive One
#7. The Bestie
#8. The Party Freak
#9. The Thief
Valentine's Week starts today, February 7, with Rose Day, and ends with The Day on February 14. It is a week of celebration of romantic love when lovers express their affection for each other with greetings and gifts. Who you celebrate the festival with is totally up to you: it can be with a significant other, with friends, family or your pet. Here's wishing you a Happy Valentine's Week and hope you find love and joy in the little things.
February 7: Rose Day
February 8: Propose Day
February 9: Chocolate Day
February 10: Teddy Day
February 11: Promise Day
February 12: Hug Day
February 13: Kiss Day
February 14: Valentine's Day
Beauty pageants are designed to serve the male gaze. Women are pit against one another only to be scrutinized by toxic standards set by patriarchy. They have been found to lower self-esteem and self-perception among the participants. They are outdated and offensive in this day and age of feminism and inclusivity.
Why do I find this so offensive?
Beauty in uniqueness.
Male gaze.
Narrow definition of femininity.
Are they empowering to ANYONE?
Not really empowering anyone!
Republic Day marks and celebrates the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect, January 26, 1950. The Constitution lays down its ideals in the Preamble in the very beginning. The Preamble declares India as a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic. It states our main objectives to be to secure justice, liberty, equality, and to promote fraternity. But somewhere, we hardly remember all of them. Take a look back at the main words in the Preamble and what they mean.
1. SOVEREIGN  This term implies that India is neither dependent nor a dominion of any other nation but an independent state. There is no authority above it, and it is free to conduct its own affairs. Being a sovereign state, India can acquire a foreign territory or cede a part of its territory in favour of a foreign state.
2. SOCIALISM  Indian socialism is 'democratic socialism' which holds faith in a 'mixed economy', where both public and private sectors co-exist. Democratic socialism aims to end poverty, ignorance, disease and inequality of opportunities.
3. SECULAR  The Indian Constitution embodies the concept of secularism i.e., all religions in our country have the same status and support from the state, irrespective of their strength.
4. DEMOCRATIC  Democracy means possession of supreme power by the people. The Indian Constitution provides for representative parliamentary democracy under which the executive is responsible to the legislature for all its policies and actions. Universal adult franchise, periodic elections, rule of law, independence of judiciary and no discrimination are characteristics of democracy.
5. REPUBLIC  The term 'republic' in our preamble indicates that the head of the state is always elected directly or indirectly for a fixed period. India's elected head is the president, who is elected indirectly for a fixed period of five years.
6. JUSTICE  The term 'justice' in the preamble embraces three distinct forms - social, economic and political; secured through various provisions of Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles. Social justice denotes the equal treatment of all citizens without any social distinction based on caste, colour, race, sex, religion.
7. LIBERTY  The term 'liberty' means the absence of restraints on the activities of individuals, and at the same time providing opportunities for the development of individual personalities. The preamble secures to citizens of India liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship through fundamental rights.
8. EQUALITY  The term 'equality' means the absence of special privileges to any section of the society, and the vision of adequate opportunities for all individuals without any discrimination. The preamble secures civic, political and economic equality of status and opportunity to all citizens.
9. FRATERNITY  Fraternity means a sense of brotherhood. It is the fundamental duty of every citizen to promote harmony and a spirit of brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic, regional and sectional diversities. The constitution promotes the feeling of fraternity by the system of single citizenship.
Cats are considered quiet, independent and (apparently) low-maintenance pets, but if you are planning to get one, make sure you are prepared for some of their annoying cat-behaviours. They are moody and unpredictable. They think you are the one living in their house rent-free, so make sure you obey their command.
Know your place, hooman.
But what if...
You mean MY couch!
Or else who is going to put food in my bowl!
Sorry, my moods are just unpredictable.
Here is your reward for being quite average, hooman.
I'm sure I'll be better off out in the wild, even though I've never hunted a prey in my life.
You secretly like it, right?
Every year, Gen-Z invents new words and phrases to convey the emotions and trends relevant to their generation. Here is an update on your lingo for 2023 to help you keep up with all 'em Gen-Zers.
#1. RIZZ  Rizz means one's ability to seduce a potential (usually female) love interest.
#2. ZAZA  Zaza is a blanket term for rare, high-grade strains of weed.
#3. CAMP  Something that is ironically trendy. One might consider Crocs to be of the camp aesthetic.
#4. SNATCHED  If someone is looking snatched, they look really good, particularly their outfit.
#5. TAKE SEVERAL SEATS  If someone is really getting on your nerves, you might tell them to take several seats.
#6. CATCH THESE HANDS  To start a fight. This term is usually used in a confrontational manner.
#7. CLAPBACK A response or comeback after you've been  "called out" for something.
This is similar to emo or goth culture but they use the internet to express themselves.
#9. BOUJEE  This term can be used if you are describing someone or something that is extravagant or fancy.
Reading body language is an important and natural part of communication. We come across so many articles teaching us to read another person like a book, to catch them while they are lying, or to figure out whether they secretly like us. I don't know how helpful these signals really are, other than in enabling our overthinking brains. 
1. Avoiding eye contact
2. Fidgeting
3. Continuity errors
Catch them red-handed.
But you read them wrong.
Turns out you are not quite an expert at reading body language.
Now your friendship is broken.
It seems that whether we like it or not, capitalism is the only viable political and economic system and it is impossible to imagine a coherent alternative to it. Capitalism has been an overwhelming success, given how human nature is inherently greedy and competitive. All countries today, with a handful of exceptions, currently have a capitalist system of one flavour or another. It has helped build our technology and infrastructure. Here is a visual story about how you cannot escape capitalism.
We cannot end capitalism.
Content in our illusion of choice.
Companies: Give us your money, we'll give some of it to the poor.
Technology <3
Enjoying anything for free is embarrassing.
I'll pretend that it doesn't bother me.
No way out.
Without it, we wouldn't have so much.
Small-talk is excruciatingly painful for most of us, but we still engage in it since it is more tolerable than an awkward silence (or is it, really?). We end up weighing in on the weather because it would be rather weird to ask someone a deep profound question while taking the elevator together. And of course, those yearly happy-birthday texts that go nowhere. Here are a few embarrassing small-talk instances to bring out a chuckle or two in you.
Never too old to fail at small-talk.
???
*Repeats every day*
Epic fail.
*Repeats till one person dies*
I'd rather have an awkwardly silent session.
*Dies of embarrassment*
Kinda sus.
Our lives may be mundane and boring but our awkward self constantly overthinks and imagines all the ways in which we could get into trouble. Here is a list of things that somehow makes us feel like a criminal even though they are perfectly legal.
#1. Leaving a store without buying anything
#2. Asking someone to return your money
#3. Buying condoms
#4. Walking past someone in a wheelchair
#5. Picking your own lock because you can't find the keys
#6. Signing declarations in forms
#7. Stepping on your pet's foot by mistake
#8. Going through airport security check
#9. Calling in sick to work when you are actually sick
Remember, 6 years ago when you used this really cool pick-up line on a girl and she laughed straight in your face? You still lie awake at 2 in the night thinking about it, right? We have all had humiliating and cringe-inducing flirting fails, which we would rather not remember but hey, kudos for putting yourself out there. Hope you learned something. Here is a list of 9 flirting fails as shared by Redditors for you to laugh at.
Not at all awkward.
At least he got it a week later.
Cringe.
Ouch!
Wish she was more direct.
Very interesting!
I guess I'll just drown in my shame.
But does any of us know how to respond to that?
Major loss.
A huge part of how we reminisce our childhood is through the irrational fears we had and the foolish things we did. These memories never fail to make us chuckle and wish to return to the good old days. Dive into nostalgia with this visual story about the lies we were told as kids.
1. Jholi baba will kidnap you.
2. Hand over the money, I will keep it safe for you.
3. A tree will grow inside your stomach if you eat the seeds.
4. Your toys are sleeping, you should too.
5. Oh no! Powercut! No more television.
6. Eat your food or ___ will eat it.
7. Juice, for when you are sick.
8. You will remain short if someone crosses over you while you are lying down.
9. Chewing gum will stick to your intestines if swallowed.
A 17-year-old is not old enough to drive in our country, but most of us had to take a rather life-defining decision at this age - yes, a decision on our career. We are expected to follow a linear path in life. It is usually not easy to take career detours once you're done with that decision at 17. As such, it is inevitable that we will wonder whether we made the right choice. Now that I have lost my rose-coloured glasses, I know that money does matter and that I cannot live multiple lives in one, but I'm still not sure if this is what I was supposed to be doing. Tell us in the comments if you too have had doubts about your choice of career.
Decided.
After joining my Fine Arts degree.
The few challenges I faced.
Getting into Psychology.
Philosophy <3
Huh!
I guess it's a win.
It's not so bad to doubt and wonder, after all.
I have always felt like a broken piece of some jigsaw puzzle. I have always been on the lookout for a place or a person, where or with whom I can belong. I cannot be the only one who feels like a misfit. And for anyone who feels this way, I share a few comforting realisations.
Do these things really make me odd?
The embarrassing (or not so embarassing) past.
Realising my double standards.
Did I succeed though?
Did I fit in there for a while?
I'll try not to forget again.
The realisation.
Now that most of the workplaces are back to work-from-office mode after two years of the Covid pandemic, we get to see the quirks and antics of our office colleagues. No matter how unique their personality is to our current office, we have met their archetype in our previous offices as well. Here is a list for you to share with your work besties, of these 9 types of people found in every office.
1. The one with the best excuses
2. The fashionista
3. The flirt
4. The overworked
5. The gossip monger
6. The one with too many ideas
7. The coffee addict
8. The office clown
9. The lunch thief
Throughout their lives, women  hear far too many unsolicited opinions about their beauty and appearance. Society makes women spend their time and energies in looking their very best, but do they hold the same standards for men? Why do all women have to look beautiful in the first place?
Dark is also beautiful.
Contrary to what some men would like to believe, women do not exist to cater to their tastes.
The scrutiny never ends, does it?
haha not funny!
Never heard about anyone being "Handsome with Brains".
Wait, let me check for where I asked for your opinion.
Your fragile masculinity has nothing got to do with me.
Hypocrites be like...
Our existential angst seems to be the curse of our intelligence. The theories of existentialism, nihilism and absurdism explore the problem of human existence; and converge on the idea that life has no inherent meaning. All three philosophies approach the problem differently.
The three theories questioning the meaning of life.
Nietzsche's Nihilism
Sartre's Existentialism
Camus' Absurdism
In conclusion
North Korea released some impressive and scenic photos (that can be passed off as an album cover) of Kim Jong-un overseeing a missile launch and guiding nuclear tactical units this week. The isolated nation uses such propaganda to portray its leaders as God-like figures. In the past also North Korea has taken immense liberties in showing their leaders as superhumans. Here is a list of a few such outlandish claims about their leaders:
1. Kim Jong-il claimed he invented the hamburger, calling it "double bread with meat."
2. Kim Jong-il is claimed to have been born on Korea's most sacred mountain, Mt. Baekdu, under a double rainbow. And apparently at the moment of his birth, a new star formed and illuminated the sky.
3. Kim Jong-il pushed sawdust as the meal of choice for his citizens. He claimed sawdust was full of nutrients and encouraged his citizens to chow down on wood shavings during regular times of famine.
4. It is a part of North Korean school curriculum that Kim Jong-un excelled in arts as a child. He was particularly good at painting. And when he wasn't painting, he was busy composing musical scores.
5. North Korea claims that leaders Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung didn't use the bathroom. According to Ranker, these North Korean leaders didn't defecate.
6. According to biographies, Kim Jong-un could drive at the age of three. He was something of a child prodigy, winning yachting races at the age of nine.
7. North Korea's official news claimed that Kim Jong-il has set a worldwide fashion trend. Apparently, the leader's modest grey suits leave a deep impression on people's minds.
8. According to North Korean media, Kim Jong-il was a genius academic and composer. Apparently, he has written 1500 books and has penned six operas.
What if we told you your IQ represented only a part of your intelligence? According to a theory by Harvard psychologist  Howard Gardner, our schools were unfair to us for putting certain types of intelligence on a pedestal while ignoring the rest.  Gardner's theory explains that people do not have a fixed intellectual capacity; but rather, many kinds of intelligence. For example, a person can be musically intelligent while being bad at math. Gardner describes these 9 kinds of intelligence that a person  can have. Here's a visual representation of all of them.
1. Visual-Spatial Intelligence Visual-spatial intelligence refers to people's ability to view  or visualise the world in its three dimensions. It involves  capabilities like mental imagery, spatial reasoning, image  manipulation, artistic skills.
2. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence Logical-mathematical intelligence refers to someone's  ability to solve mathematical problems, spot trends and  patterns, and understand relationships. Order and  sequencing form a huge part of their thinking process  and they can think conceptually and abstractly.
3. Linguistic Intelligence Linguistic intelligence gauges someone's ability to use  words effectively and express what they mean to achieve  objectives such as persuasion. Someone with linguistic  intelligence will enjoy reading and writing or speaking, and  will have an easy grasp on other languages.
4. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is the ability to manipulate  objects and use a variety of physical skills. This also  involves a sense of timing and the perfection of skills  through mind-body union.
5. Naturalistic Intelligence Naturalistic intelligence designates the human ability to  differentiate among living beings as well as sensitivity to  other features of the natural world, like clouds, rock  configurations.
6. Interpersonal Intelligence Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to understand and  interact effectively with others. It involves effective verbal  and non-verbal communication, sensitivity to the moods  and temperaments of others, and the ability to entertain  multiple perspectives.
7. Musical Intelligence Musical intelligence is the ability to discern pitch, rhythm,  timbre and tone. This intelligence enables one to recognise,  create, reproduce and reflect on music.
8. Intra-personal Intelligence Intra-personal intelligence is the capacity to understand  oneself and one's thoughts and feelings, and to use such  knowledge in planning and directioning one's life. This  intelligence makes you self-motivated and very aware of  your own feelings.
9. Existential Intelligence Existential intelligence is the sensitivity and capacity to  tackle deep questions about the human existence, such as  the meaning of life, why we die, and how did we get here.
It is normal to experience occasional anxiety in our everyday lives as a response to stressful situations. However, people with anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. These feelings of anxiety and panic interfere with daily activities, are difficult to control and are out of proportion to the actual danger. You may find yourself avoiding places or situations to prevent these feelings. If you suffer from anxiety, you can find help in various available treatments.
Feeling nervous, restless or tense.
Feeling a sense of impending danger, doom or panic.
Increased heart rate.
Breathing rapidly.
Feeling weak or tired.
Sweating and trembling.
Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry.
Trouble sleeping and gastrointestinal problems.
Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety.
Existential crisis occurs when you wonder whether life has any inherent meaning or purpose. No matter how big our ambitions and contributions are, our role in the world seems inconspicuous in the grand scheme of events. This alone makes it hard for us to believe that we were born with a purpose. Our only sense of relief is that we are all in the same boat. Perhaps life really has no meaning other than the one we create.
* sob sob*
Pretty smart...
We think we are the smartest of species but we are the only ones that pay to live on this planet.
*sigh*
Liberating and depressing at the same time.
It's the same question every year.
Bottom line is - nothing matters.
Or we are a butterfly dreaming as a human.
At least we're in this together.
Modern Love is complex. It is complicated, and it is strange. And definitely something that the older generations don't get (confession: we don't get it either). Modern Love has got an entire vocabulary to itself. Some of these dating terms are easy to understand; some will need you looking them up in the Urban Dictionary. Here's a list to make it a little easy for you. So, the next time someone accuses you of benching them, or eclipsing them, you won't be left scratching your head.
1. LOVE BOMBING Love Bombing is characterised by excessive attention,  admiration and affection in the beginning of a  relationship, often with the goal to make the recipient  dependent and obligated to that person.
2. CUFFING Cuffing and Cuffing Season refers to the period in the  year when people tend to partner up for the winters  for some kind of dating hibernation. FYI: Cuffing  Season is coming.
3. ORBITING It's when a person follows you, likes your posts,  maybe even engages in a little cyber-flirting, but never  actually takes their suggestive behaviour out of the  realm of social media.
4. ZOMBIE-ING Zombie-ing is when a 'ghoster' sometimes rises back  from the dead and tries to come back into your life.
5. BREADCRUMBING Breadcrumbing is when someone sends out flirtatious  but non-committal social signals (i.e. "breadcrumbs")  to lure a romantic partner in without expending much  effort.
6. ECLIPSING When someone overhauls their own interests and  even personality traits to adopt those of their  crush's.
7. POCKETING Pocketing occurs most frequently at the beginning of  a relationship, when someone keeps their partner  separated from the rest of their lives - they are yet  to introduce their partner to their friends and family.
8. BENCHING When someone doesn't want to date someone but  enjoys having them around when other suitors don't  work out. They give you just enough attention and  communication to keep you as an option in their life.
9. GROUNDHOGGING Groundhogging refers to the idea that people tend to  go for the same type of person over and over again,  while expecting different results.
Many of us are bad at math but a few of us are downright hopeless at it. If you struggle with everyday aspects of life involving mathematical concepts like telling time, counting money and performing easy mental calculations, it might be time to consider if you have dyscalculia. Dyscalculia is a math learning disability that impairs an individual's ability to learn number-related concepts, perform accurate math calculations, reason and problem-solve and perform other basic math skills. Dyscalculia is sometimes called 'number dyslexia' or 'math dyslexia'. If you do come to the realisation that you have the said condition, we don't want you to feel too bleak about it. Read on to see the beauty in our everyday tussle with math.
Being horrible at mental math is your biggest sign of Dyscalculia.
Differentiation between left and right may not come naturally to you, if you have dyscalculia.
If you are finger counting as an adult, you know there is something not right about it.
It might take you a tad bit longer to read the time if you have dyscalculia.
If graphs and charts don't make your life easier, it could be a sign of dyscalculia.
Math anxiety is common for people with dyscalculia.
Unfortunately, dyscalculia can also make you terrible at board games.
Have you been feeling overwhelmed with work lately? Is your exhaustion beyond physical tiredness and it's making you more cynical day by day? If yes, you may be going through a burnout. Burnout is a form of exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged emotional, physical and mental stress. It happens when you are swamped with work over a long period - you end up feeling overwhelmed, emotionally drained and unable to keep up with life. Read on to find out how many of these symptoms are true in your case. 
1. You're exhausted - both emotionally and physically.
2. You're irritable or impatient with co-workers, customers or clients; and people in general.
3. You are lacking energy to be productive.
4. You are finding it hard to concentrate on even easy things.
5. You are using food, alcohol or drugs to feel better.
6. Your sleeping habits have changed.
7. You are turning cynical.
8. You are having headaches, stomach and digestive problems.
9. You have blurred vision and feel overly thirsty, which is a sign you may have diabetes.
Trauma dumping is a 'toxic' form of venting, where a person dumps traumatic thoughts, feelings or energy on to another person without their permission, at an inappropriate place or time, when they may not have the capacity to process it. Many people engage in trauma dumping without realising it - as a way to cope with their sadness and frustrations. In any healthy relationship, it is important to ask someone if they are ready to listen to our problems and also to make sure that we return the favour sometimes. Trauma dumping is different from venting, in the sense that it is one-sided and done in an unsolicited, unprepared way without considering another person's feelings.
Setting boundaries doesn't make you a bad person.
Offloading your trauma on social media can trigger some unsuspecting users.
No matter who the person is, there is always an inappropriate time and place to discuss your trauma.
You never know who it is on the other side of the internet. It can be someone who would not be able to handle the information that you are sharing.
There is really a very fine line between venting and trauma dumping.
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