A Word on Introspection and Independence “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I am sure that the majority of us ran into this question dozens of times during our childhood. When I was younger the answer would come to me as easy as saying my name. A veterinarian or a ranch owner or a writer, I had many phases. Conversely, if you asked me that question now that I am seventeen years old, the only answer I’d give you would be a shrug of shoulders. How come now, that I am only a few months away from becoming a legal adult, I have no idea what I want to do with my life? One of the main purposes of school is to help us understand the “real world”, and how to live in it. For instance; how to file taxes, how to compose a proper resume for
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But we are all obliged to start somewhere and usually it is with house chores. Let’s say that I already “graduated” from that level of responsibility. I am still compelled to do all the things mentioned before, but at the present moment I have more responsibilities with varying degrees of importance. To illustrate this, now I make my own doctor’s appointments and drive to them, I pay for the dog’s food with my own money, I take care of another kid without any problems –and yet I’m still not an adult. Of course, responsibilities of all kinds effect every individual’s personality in different ways. Usually they take us one step closer to becoming an adult, which I suppose is the purpose of childhood. Going back to the definition of “adult” –someone who has reached maturity— makes me ponder about a way of life or thinking. The word “adult” does not make me imagine the number that tells me how long my life has been. The type of maturity and independence I’m trying to describe is the one that my mom fought all her life to teach me: be your own person but manifest the necessary …show more content…
This is where introspection comes in. I have the virtue of being independent in the sense that I don’t physically or emotionally depend on another person to keep on living. But there is also another type of independence: someone not influenced or controlled in matters of opinion. Are my opinions actually independent? I would want to believe so, but the truth is I don’t know. There are two contrasting opinions that come to mind on the occasions when I talk regarding this type of independence. Firstly; that, to tell the truth, there aren’t any new ideas on earth (in regards to certain topics). People have existed for so long that if you envisage something, someone else has probably already thought about it. The second way of thinking is that “every head is a different world”. We may harbor similar ideas, but maybe these ideals are different in some small details. Do these small details make our beliefs and opinions independent? For the purpose of the sake of my own sanity, I’d like to think so. In the event that I adhere to this second notion about independence, then I could say that I am truly independent. But would that make my way of thinking unique? How important is it to be unique? And how important is it to be independent, especially in thought? In my opinion, independence is important. Let’s suppose that we stop and reflect: how happy can you be if all your ideas and ways of living come from someone or something else? I wouldn’t
But we are all obliged to start somewhere and usually it is with house chores. Let’s say that I already “graduated” from that level of responsibility. I am still compelled to do all the things mentioned before, but at the present moment I have more responsibilities with varying degrees of importance. To illustrate this, now I make my own doctor’s appointments and drive to them, I pay for the dog’s food with my own money, I take care of another kid without any problems –and yet I’m still not an adult. Of course, responsibilities of all kinds effect every individual’s personality in different ways. Usually they take us one step closer to becoming an adult, which I suppose is the purpose of childhood. Going back to the definition of “adult” –someone who has reached maturity— makes me ponder about a way of life or thinking. The word “adult” does not make me imagine the number that tells me how long my life has been. The type of maturity and independence I’m trying to describe is the one that my mom fought all her life to teach me: be your own person but manifest the necessary …show more content…
This is where introspection comes in. I have the virtue of being independent in the sense that I don’t physically or emotionally depend on another person to keep on living. But there is also another type of independence: someone not influenced or controlled in matters of opinion. Are my opinions actually independent? I would want to believe so, but the truth is I don’t know. There are two contrasting opinions that come to mind on the occasions when I talk regarding this type of independence. Firstly; that, to tell the truth, there aren’t any new ideas on earth (in regards to certain topics). People have existed for so long that if you envisage something, someone else has probably already thought about it. The second way of thinking is that “every head is a different world”. We may harbor similar ideas, but maybe these ideals are different in some small details. Do these small details make our beliefs and opinions independent? For the purpose of the sake of my own sanity, I’d like to think so. In the event that I adhere to this second notion about independence, then I could say that I am truly independent. But would that make my way of thinking unique? How important is it to be unique? And how important is it to be independent, especially in thought? In my opinion, independence is important. Let’s suppose that we stop and reflect: how happy can you be if all your ideas and ways of living come from someone or something else? I wouldn’t