Option 3 - Using the quotation below as a starting point, reflect on the role that culture plays in your life.
"Culture is what presents us with the kinds of valuable things that can fill a life. And insofar as we can recognize the value in those things and make them part of our lives, our lives are meaningful."
"You're wrong, I'm right" was a common sentiment and response I used to my friends, family, and even random strangers when the ever controversial topic of politics came up in conversation. Much like our elected officials on Capitol Hill, I was the kind of individual who placed an emphasis on one's political opinions before their actual personalities and character. When I entered a conversation with practically anyone, I would force the issue of politics to come up and if their opinion differed from my liberal ideals, I would immediately make a stubborn move to judge them based solely on their beliefs.
My passion for politics was, like many other young people, out of 2008 Presidential Election. I had heard of Barack Obama considering he was from my home state, but I had no idea what him being a Democrat actually meant. Instead, I knew that my parents supported him and that was good enough for me. Over the course of that election and the following years as I entered high school and joined Youth and Government, I began to learn what each party meant and what their beliefs were. After comparing both parties, I recognized more similar beliefs in the Democratic Party, and therefore made them the base for what I believed in.
As I slowly gained a political identity, I started to become more opinionated and stubborn in what I believed in. If a friend disagreed with what I held to be true, I did my best to switch them to my side and see my opinions. However, one day I was involved in a rather heated debate with one of my best friends when he called me a "free-loader" for being a Democrat, and I responded by calling him a "Silver-spooned idiot". Before the insult even left my mouth, I realized how terrible my actions were.
My parents had always taught me that what mattered most was integrity and respect, and I had suddenly turned my back on that because I placed politics before friendship and amicability. I felt that my intelligence and understanding of politics made me a mature and capable person, but through insulting one of my closest friends just because we couldn't agree showed I wasn't as advanced as I thought I was. I had lost sight of what actually mattered in my life and what defined me: It's not believing in higher taxes, but believing in compromise, respect, and humility.
Over the last year, I have made a concerted effort to change my actions in relations to politics. I still love it more than ever, but instead of talking and getting angry, I have learned to listen, stay calm, and be positive. For example, at the beginning of this school year as I campaigned for a local candidate, I knocked on the door of a man who I truly had no common ground with. The old, immature me would have approached the situation by arguing and knocking down the man's points, but at this time I put my new attitude to the test by calming advocating my candidate's beliefs and qualifications without mentioning her opponent. I knew that I was in no position to judge this man based solely on what he thought was right, and that is how my approach to politics has changed the most. While I still have some of the tenacity that I used to, which I believe is necessary for any passionate person, I have that I should not allow my political beliefs to define me or others, but rather how I react, respond, and listen to others.
"Culture is what presents us with the kinds of valuable things that can fill a life. And insofar as we can recognize the value in those things and make them part of our lives, our lives are meaningful."
"You're wrong, I'm right" was a common sentiment and response I used to my friends, family, and even random strangers when the ever controversial topic of politics came up in conversation. Much like our elected officials on Capitol Hill, I was the kind of individual who placed an emphasis on one's political opinions before their actual personalities and character. When I entered a conversation with practically anyone, I would force the issue of politics to come up and if their opinion differed from my liberal ideals, I would immediately make a stubborn move to judge them based solely on their beliefs.
My passion for politics was, like many other young people, out of 2008 Presidential Election. I had heard of Barack Obama considering he was from my home state, but I had no idea what him being a Democrat actually meant. Instead, I knew that my parents supported him and that was good enough for me. Over the course of that election and the following years as I entered high school and joined Youth and Government, I began to learn what each party meant and what their beliefs were. After comparing both parties, I recognized more similar beliefs in the Democratic Party, and therefore made them the base for what I believed in.
As I slowly gained a political identity, I started to become more opinionated and stubborn in what I believed in. If a friend disagreed with what I held to be true, I did my best to switch them to my side and see my opinions. However, one day I was involved in a rather heated debate with one of my best friends when he called me a "free-loader" for being a Democrat, and I responded by calling him a "Silver-spooned idiot". Before the insult even left my mouth, I realized how terrible my actions were.
My parents had always taught me that what mattered most was integrity and respect, and I had suddenly turned my back on that because I placed politics before friendship and amicability. I felt that my intelligence and understanding of politics made me a mature and capable person, but through insulting one of my closest friends just because we couldn't agree showed I wasn't as advanced as I thought I was. I had lost sight of what actually mattered in my life and what defined me: It's not believing in higher taxes, but believing in compromise, respect, and humility.
Over the last year, I have made a concerted effort to change my actions in relations to politics. I still love it more than ever, but instead of talking and getting angry, I have learned to listen, stay calm, and be positive. For example, at the beginning of this school year as I campaigned for a local candidate, I knocked on the door of a man who I truly had no common ground with. The old, immature me would have approached the situation by arguing and knocking down the man's points, but at this time I put my new attitude to the test by calming advocating my candidate's beliefs and qualifications without mentioning her opponent. I knew that I was in no position to judge this man based solely on what he thought was right, and that is how my approach to politics has changed the most. While I still have some of the tenacity that I used to, which I believe is necessary for any passionate person, I have that I should not allow my political beliefs to define me or others, but rather how I react, respond, and listen to others.
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