Rooted in humanity’s deep, instinctual need to belong, our monster personifies the desire to fit in. More specifically, our monster represents what happens when our desire to fit in reaches an extreme level– a level at which it undermines humanity’s potential. At its best, our desire to connect with others allows us to forge meaningful relationships that define our lives. In humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Maslow lists “belongingness” as one of the major needs that motivate human behavior. Our need for human connection is what drives us to seek out communities to belong to– academic circles, religious groups, sports teams, etc. At its worst, humanity’s tendency to “fit in” can result in the loss of individuality. Oftentimes, “fitting in” necessitates an individual to change their behaviors in order to be perceived in a more positive light by the rest of society. To conform to the expectations of others, an individual essentially has to “shut down” elements of their personality that make them unique. But variance is what gives life texture, and it is what enables humanity to evolve. When we focus solely on “fitting in,” we are unable to reach our true potential as human beings because we are too busy trying to appease others. This is the “monster” of society because it rots away at our foundation for life and art– authenticity.

For this classwork activity, I worked with my team (The Teen Titans) to explore different stories in the Bible. We decided to choose the parable of the Good Samaritan to present and analyze because we were able to come up with a lot of great real-life connections, including connections to "Good Samaritan laws," the golden-rule, and compassion in today's divided world.

I'm proud of my team for how we presented confidently and clearly even though we only had a day of preparation!