Where I've come and where I want to be

What an interesting and enlightening class this has been. Not only because of the material that was covered (by looking at the topic at hand at several different angles) but also because the environment (perhaps not surprisingly) allowed me to grasp the concepts in my own way. In other words, it allowed me to approach the material the best way I could understand it- I was given a certain amount of freedom. How wonderful that was.

Now that I’ve finished reading the three books by Tomasello, Wenger, and Bracher, it’s now time for me to explore how I can use that information to impact my own life. Specifically, I’d like to be able to use this information to enhance my own identity for the purpose of fostering the enhancement of the identities of the students I hope to impact in the future.

As someone who has always been interested in introspection and self-improvement, I’d like to give you an idea of what I’ve been working on over the past few years to achieve a sense of self that I felt comfortable and proud of.

1.      Adopted a vegetarian diet.

• Let me first just explain to you how hard this was for me. Nope, I’m not one of those vegetarians who hate the taste of meat and vegetarianism is simply an extension of that flavor hate. Actually, I love meat. All kinds, too! Steak? I dig it. Pork? Delicious. Sushi? My all time favourite meal. HOWEVER, I decided to say goodbye to those wonderful, delicious foods because I wanted to match my values and beliefs regarding compassion for all animals (not just humans) to my behaviours relating to them. In a way, this brings me back to what Tomasello spoke about regarding the fact that we are all very similar to other animals, and simply cannot deny that aspect of who we are.

2.      Become more of an active protester.

• The decision to become more engaged in activism is also due to the fact that I’ve wanted to mirror my beliefs and values in how I behaved. For a very long time, I avoided joining protests because it took a great deal of effort and was potentially risky to be involved in them, however, it created a sort of “cognitive dissonance” that I really didn’t enjoy. Matching my values to my behaviours allowed me to fight certain social ideologies that worked to strip us of certain aspects of our identities, which- I would hope- Bracher would agree with. In challenging these ideologies, I strengthened my own identity which in turn facilitated the development of the identities of those around, given the protests had an impact (however, even if they simply enlightened a few people, I’d say it was a success)

3.      Made decisions about what kind of people to surround myself with.

• As much as I’d like to pride myself with being a very strong person who is able to deal with any adversities that come my way, I cannot deny the fact that those around me impact my ability to truly be the person I strive to be. This is another way I’ve been able to facilitate the formation of my own identity. Although this largely relates to the material Bracher brought into play, it also relates to the concept of ‘communities of practice’ that was discussed in Wenger’s book. This is emphasized by the fact that I love to share knowledge and seek to learn from those around me; in a way, then, I created my own personal community of practice, somewhere I could teach and learn.

4.      Explored Buddhism.

• For a while I had been interested in the concept of Buddhism: a religion that wasn't really a religion, and yet provided a sense of moral guidance stemming from one’s own beliefs. “Amazing”, I thought, and yet I disregarded really learning about it and practising its ideals for a very long time. Until recently, anyway. This was another way in which I strengthened my own identity; another concept that Bracher is familiar with. Through first reading about Buddhism (the noble truths, etc) and then practicing compassion, awareness, and ways in which to master the art of being happy, I was able to give attention to aspects of my own identity that had been ignored/disregarded for so long.

Now that everyone’s up to date with what I have been engaging in lately to promote a more whole sense of self, I’d like to share with you the new ways in which I’d like to achieve that goal.

1.      Give back.

• Just how it sounds. I’d like to not only support those who need it in an emotional way, but also in a monetary way. This is a difficult goal to achieve being a struggling University student. However, by pursuing my academic goals (that will be elaborated upon in just a moment), I will hopefully be able to economically afford aiding others. In doing so, I believe I might aid some people in removing a big sense of stress from their lives; stress that created a barrier preventing them from being authentic- that is, developing their true identities. So although this may be a goal I’ll only be able to achieve in the future, it’s on my mind nonetheless.

2.      Be more “Green”

• This goal may seem irrelevant at first (compared to my previously attained goals), the benefits of being more "environmentally friendly" are far-reaching. Firstly, it provides a safe and healthy place for those around me, as well as for those who will be around when I am not anymore. Not only does this allow others to reside in a public community of practice that provides them with a nourishing natural environment, but it also helps secure a future altogether for the human species. As many of you know, the effects of pollution threaten the earth's sustainability, so the more people that are aware of how their actions are affecting our home, the better our chances are of slowing the effects of pollution- or even better, reversing them. Being more aware of how my actions affect the environment around me also develop the part of my identity that deals with empathy and compassion for all beings, both human and non-human.

3.      Stop watching TV

• Ahhhh, yes. Although I embarassingly actively enjoy the Kardashians and other mindless television shows that allow my brain to relax and do virtually nothing at all, I cannot ignore the consequences of making my psyche vulnerable to the media's poor, poor representation of "the way things are". It represents beauty in a horribly narrow way, displays values and beliefs that may be subconsciously accepted by viewers, and does a terrible job at representing what the world is really like. All these things, I'm sure, have negatively affected my identity in an unconscious manner. Although I rarely, rarely talk about negative issues that have occurred in my past, I feel that sharing this one may be enlightening for others and provide support for my decision to stop watching television. When I was 16, I read magazines, watched TV, and idolized many celebrities (as many other 16 year-old girls did). Unbeknownst to me, I had developed a vision of what "beauty" and "value" was as a female stemming from the representations of both those things from the media I exposed my developing, insecure self to. As a result, I began being washed away due to an eating disorder. Not only did I feel increasingly self-conscious (despite the fact that I was "attaining" what I thought "beauty" was), but I was also unable to focus on anything else but food, my weight, and my body image. No longer was I paying attention to those I loved in my life and to developing any interests I had- no- my mind had been hijacked by the values of the media. Thankfully, I came to my senses when I saw a photo in myself that made it clear that I was slowly withering away and replaced the values that the media had offered with my own values that provided me with a much healthier way of life, both physically and emotionally. Phew. Now to delete the effects of this horrid media altogether.

4.      Share my knowledge with others

• As I learned from Tomasello, we are social beings and it is a great benefit to the species when we learn from others. Wenger taught me what type of environments facilitate this learning (communities of practice, in other words), and finally, Bracher taught me some of the specifics when it comes to teaching all sorts of people with identity in mind. Now it's time to use all this information to catalyse one of my ultimate life's goals: to teach (and teach well, at that!). Doing so would not only help me build and strengthen my own identity and the identity of others, but it would also aid me in exploring and thus better understanding all types of people. 

Clearly, being human reaches far beyond simply surviving in a social world. It involves all kinds of learning experiences, and using those experiences to strengthen our own identity, and helping others learn by more fully understanding what factors may interfere with acquiring new knowledge.

So, although this may be my last blog, marking the end of this course, the information I've learned will stay with me and faciliate the growth of my personal identity and goals. More than ever, I'm looking forward to this transformation :)