How External Influenced My Life

As a little girl, I always found myself pondering who I was, and what made me this way. At the time I didn't give thought to culture or race, I thought more of why my thought process was this certain way and wondered why every person must have their own different voice in their head. As I got older and began to grow through new knowledge and experiences, I then understood that we simply do not have this magical thought process that just suddenly appears. I realized that the way we think, the way we view ourselves and others are all influenced by our upbringing which is heavily based on external influences, which include such things as environment and culture. Today I realize that most of my beliefs and thought process have been heavily influenced by my home environment. However when asked with how I identify myself, I will stubbornly tell most people that I am Sabrina Scalfo, and I am simply me, with my own set of beliefs. Yet I know that these beliefs and the way I view certain aspects of life were all developed through …show more content…
I remember every year on November 11th as I'd go to school my parents would tell me: "don't bow your head for the soldiers, bow your head for all the innocent civilians and children who died in war." They taught me that there are no heroes in war and that there is no such thing as freedom of speech. At first, I didn't understand them, but as I got older I began to realize how absolutely right they were. Today I truly respect their ideology and have taken it myself. As well, social media like the White Poppies for Peace Campaign has further influenced my attitude on war. As a result, I am proud to call myself a pacifist and proud to wear a white peace poppy throughout November. Today I find myself speaking of anti-war, peace efforts, and true freedom of speech with great passion to my parents and those close to