Mini Manifesto 1
Think back to your pre-college self. What connections have you made since, between academic disciplines, self, and world, that you couldn't have anticipated?
Before college, I had no life skills whatsoever. I was book smart, but I didn’t know anything about the world, such as how to study for tests, how finances work (checks, credit cards, debit cards, etc.), how to pay for rent, how much of a salary you can live off of, or even how to take care of myself. I always relied on others to take care of me – just because being homeschooled, my mother always did everything for me. And I mean everything. Being at High Point University, I have learned those survival skills. Now, I still don’t know much about how to manage finances, but I’m learning more every day.
Honestly, I couldn’t have anticipated any of college. I wasn’t expecting to meet anyone, and I met my boyfriend less than a month into freshman year. As an individual, I have grown so much during these last four years. I have become an adult that I feel I can be proud of. Coming to college set me free – in more ways than you know. I wasn’t expecting to love independence as much as I do. I truly wasn’t expecting to be okay away from my parents.
Academically, as much as I hate to admit it, I wasn’t expecting college to be as difficult as it was. I know how naïve that sounds, but it’s true. I was not ready for college in the slightest, and coming to college was a huge shock. I wasn’t expecting to have to fight as hard as I had to for my academics. I also was not ready for the harsh realities of the world. I didn’t realize how judgmental people can be; sometimes, you just have to accept that certain things you do will never be good enough for some people. I struggled with that for a long time – I still do. But I have learned so much about myself in the past years, and I never thought I would be a person I could be proud of. I’m happy to say I was wrong.
Mini Manifesto 2
In response to these readings (ETZIONI and GARDNER), which responsibilities to the common good do you especially share, which are a surprise, and which do you openly question?
One common theme throughout the readings was the following – the common good emphasizes community. Common good is achieved through work and service to your community. When I was little, I had this need to help other people. It was so strong that I would often help others at my own expense. As a result, I found myself being taken advantage of a lot because people learned that I would do anything to help others. Now, according to most of the authors mentioned in these articles, I contributed to the common good quite a lot. However, it did not make my life better; it actually made it worse in several ways.
I agree with the communitarian conception of the common good and the Christian beliefs, and I also agree with the common good being through the community. I just think there needs to be a balance – in order for there to be a common good within a community, there needs to be common good within an individual first. I also think that there are different definitions of the common good in different professions, which is something both of these articles discuss. There need to be different definitions depending on the context. Because of this, I think the common good also changes as situations change. For example, my definition of the common good today is not the same as my definition five years ago. And five years from now, my definition will have shifted again.
Because of this belief, none of the definitions or adaptions of the common good surprised me. It’s all about perspective – whether you look at it from a professional perspective, a philosophical perspective, or a Christian perspective. As an individual grows, their perspective will change, and they will need different things to achieve their common good.
Mini Manifesto 3
What does it mean (for you) to live in the way that JENNINGS ET AL. and ARRUPE describe? How
does US culture encourage living this way and how does it create barriers against doing so?
Both of the articles state how we need to do good for others for do good for ourselves. I absolutely agree with this – it’s one of the foundations of who I am as a person. I have always placed a major value on helping others. However, I am not sure if society encourages this as much as we may want to think. One of the issues I have run into is that people only seem to want to help others when they have the same morals and beliefs. I identify as being more conservative with my political views, and I have experienced people who drop me when they discover that fact about me. As long as people do not know my beliefs, they are willing to know me. I have been discounted several times because of a difference in beliefs. Society will voice a desire to end this, but it has gotten worse the older I’ve gotten. This may be because I’m gathering more life experience, or I’m just now noticing it, but it is very difficult to work for the common good when many people only work for it as long as it is convenient. Now, there are people who are not like this. I really don’t care what people believe. If they believe everything I don’t… big deal! We’re all people, and I will try to help others as long as they let me.
Mini Manifesto 4
Scharmer describes the authentic Self as follows: “On the one hand, we are the person that we have become on our journey from the past to the present—the current self, On the other, there is the other, the dormant self, the one that is waiting within us to be born, to be brought into existence, to come into reality through our journey ahead.” When all the non-essential has been stripped away, what mission statement guides your authentic Self?
This question – “When all non-essential has been stripped away, what mission statement guides your authentic Self?” – is strikingly similar to the Mission Statement assignment from the start of the semester. Humans are very complex, with several pieces that forms them and creates them. When we peel away a layer, we find another one. I would say that I am a curious and caring individual at my core. I feel like I’m bragging, and I don’t particularly like that, but I think it’s true. I have mentioned previously my writing fantasy stories, and that is a HUGE part of me. My love for stories gives me comfort in a world that honestly terrifies me, and it gives me an opportunity to create - to add some beauty to the world.
When I say that caring for people is a part of my core, it feels like bragging. But I have been told time and time again that I am very caring, often helping people at the expense of my own wellbeing. Most of what I do in life is driven by how other people will benefit from my actions. There are definitely negatives to being so (I use this word hesitantly) desperate to help people, but any time I have the opportunity to help, I will not hesitate. I have found myself in very bad situations because of that, but it is the very core of me.
The "dormant self," as Scharmer describes, is more difficult to determine because it's dormant. When something is dormant, we may not be aware of it yet. But for the future, I hope to become a reliable professional. I am not sure how that transition will be made yet (college to "real life"), but I look forward to learning more about myself when the time comes and learning about my dormant self!
Mini Manifesto 5
Our authors have argued that deep reflection is essential to a thriving democracy, to removing blinders to new knowledge, and to turning professionals into experts. How and where have you done your best reflection over these past four years? Now, paint a picture of your future where reflection is a regular practice. What would you hope that would look like? Are there any obstacles in the way of you becoming a growingly reflective person?
To be honest, my best reflections occur outdoors at night. Being outdoors in cathartic for me, and when it is nighttime, everything is quiet and serene. I love laying down in the grass alone, looking at the stars while I listen to music. It reminds me how amazing God’s creation is – how he made such a massive world before creating each and everyone one of us in His image. It brings a clarity where just for a moment, everything makes sense. The problem with this approach is that it is temporary – the clarity only lasts for a moment or so. Then, life crashes back into me. Eventually, I must rise from the grass or snap myself back to reality to ensure there is no one around me. I am a female, and I need to make sure I am safe. Or I may have to go do some homework or answer a call. All it takes it a little interruption, and the peace is gone as if it was never there.
If I was able to do this reflection more often, I would be much more at peace. It is so easy to get lost in life and forget the big picture of existence. I tend to be prone to negative emotions, and if I could take more time to lay in the grass and just exist, I may be better with handling negative emotions and situations. Unfortunately, there are many obstacles to regularly doing this. For starters, I am a female, which makes going outside at night alone a little dangerous. Furthermore, if it is raining, snowing, or too cold, it may be more difficult. Finding the time to do this regularly will also be a little difficult due to the complexities of life.
Public Manifesto
The point of college is to find yourself. I know that sounds really cliché, but it’s true. Coming into college, I felt like I knew less than the average clueless freshman. I had been homeschooled for my entire life (with the exception of 2 years, during which I was bullied relentlessly for several reasons, one of which being that I was a “nerd.” I have no idea where they got THAT idea…), so I didn’t know how to study for anything or even how to communicate with peers my age. I had expected to meet a ton of friends, be really homesick, and for school to be easy. None of those turned out to be true. I still have a somewhat pathetic supply of friends (I have my childhood best friend, two friends on campus that I don’t see much, and a steady boyfriend), but that doesn’t bother me much. I find that being picky with who you choose to let in your life leads to more meaningful relationships.
I hope that I can have a good idea of the meaning of my role as a liberal arts graduate. I hope to further my education, and I also hope to remain an open and honest individual. I want to minimize how the harshness of life changes me. I do not want to lose my curiosity in the world. Now, I know life will change me – I have already changed drastically from the person I was when I walked on campus as a freshman. I’ve become stronger, and I’ve learned to fight for myself and what I believe. However, I’ve also become a massive pessimist. I used to believe I could do anything I set my mind to, but my college years have not been kind to me. I now believe that to expect greatness from myself is setting me up for disappointment; I’ve learned to expect nothing from myself because either I will wind up pleasantly surprised or not. I will not wind up getting hurt again. Now, this is a consequence of certain experiences I have had that are not normal within the college experience. This mentality is very bad for an academic to have, and I hope to rid myself of that mentality in the future.
To say that I have a good idea of my role as a professional and citizen would be naïve. I am still developing neurologically and cognitively as an individual. Therefore, to say with certainty that I know my role is not possible. So far, I am liking the person God is making me, and I know my professional life involves helping people through the study of neurology. As a citizen, I hope to lift others up without forgetting about taking care of myself like I have in the past. My main goal is to be happy. Now, I know that is a very low standard, but I have not been happy in my life for a long time. I need to find joy and contentment in my career and home in the future. I have realized that much. I find immense joy in neuropsychology and helping others, and I hope to further my education to continue to grow as a professional.