Any and all feedback is welcome, I appreciate it!
(Did I go overboard with the quotes?)
Using the following quotation from "The Moral Obligations of Living in a Democratic Society" as a starting point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach the world:
"Empathy is not simply a matter of trying to imagine what others are going through, but having the will to muster enough courage to do something about it. In a way, empathy is predicated upon hope."
- Cornel West, Class of 1943 University Professor in the Center for African American Studies, Princeton University
"Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity." I once stumbled upon this quote while surfing the web, and it has been a constant reminder of how to approach issues of morality. Ethical dilemmas, more often than not, are character-defining moments, and it is in these moments that we can learn about ourselves, and grow from the experience. When I was in middle school, I faced a decisive ethical dilemma. I was in class with one of my best friends, Sawyer, when a classmate came up, made fun of his appearance, and said something along the lines of "go to hell." There was no mistake about it; he was deliberately trying to hurt his feelings, and for no conceivable reason at that. There I was, witnessing an entirely unwarranted assault, and I knew that I had to do something about it. At that moment, something inside of me was telling me to stand up for my friend. I knew that a great injustice had been done to him; I knew that it was wrong, and I knew that he didn't deserve it.
Even so, the worst part of the entire situation, was that I did nothing. Instead of doing what I knew was right, I internalized that feeling and failed to act. Not only did I fail my friend, but I also failed myself. "There is no such thing as a minor lapse in integrity"; looking back, few words have ever shaken me so profoundly. I still feel guilty for not acting-I was the bystander that watches something unjust, and I did nothing about it. It occurred to me that I, his best friend, didn't stand up for him, and it was at that moment that I took a good, hard look at my character. I then resolved to never let something like that happen again; I resolved to never be the bystander that watches and does nothing. When I witness the state of the humanity, I always think to myself, "things can be better. Things should be better." However, change and growth starts at the individual, and it is in experiences like my own that we learn to "Be the change you want to see in the world."
Empathy, means "having the will to muster enough courage to do something." Questions of ethics, honesty, and integrity can be intensely challenging, and it is in these trials that we affirm and develop in our integrity. I matured from my experience, and I have lived with the growth, the memory, and the regret, ever since.
(Did I go overboard with the quotes?)
Using the following quotation from "The Moral Obligations of Living in a Democratic Society" as a starting point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach the world:
"Empathy is not simply a matter of trying to imagine what others are going through, but having the will to muster enough courage to do something about it. In a way, empathy is predicated upon hope."
- Cornel West, Class of 1943 University Professor in the Center for African American Studies, Princeton University
"Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity." I once stumbled upon this quote while surfing the web, and it has been a constant reminder of how to approach issues of morality. Ethical dilemmas, more often than not, are character-defining moments, and it is in these moments that we can learn about ourselves, and grow from the experience. When I was in middle school, I faced a decisive ethical dilemma. I was in class with one of my best friends, Sawyer, when a classmate came up, made fun of his appearance, and said something along the lines of "go to hell." There was no mistake about it; he was deliberately trying to hurt his feelings, and for no conceivable reason at that. There I was, witnessing an entirely unwarranted assault, and I knew that I had to do something about it. At that moment, something inside of me was telling me to stand up for my friend. I knew that a great injustice had been done to him; I knew that it was wrong, and I knew that he didn't deserve it.
Even so, the worst part of the entire situation, was that I did nothing. Instead of doing what I knew was right, I internalized that feeling and failed to act. Not only did I fail my friend, but I also failed myself. "There is no such thing as a minor lapse in integrity"; looking back, few words have ever shaken me so profoundly. I still feel guilty for not acting-I was the bystander that watches something unjust, and I did nothing about it. It occurred to me that I, his best friend, didn't stand up for him, and it was at that moment that I took a good, hard look at my character. I then resolved to never let something like that happen again; I resolved to never be the bystander that watches and does nothing. When I witness the state of the humanity, I always think to myself, "things can be better. Things should be better." However, change and growth starts at the individual, and it is in experiences like my own that we learn to "Be the change you want to see in the world."
Empathy, means "having the will to muster enough courage to do something." Questions of ethics, honesty, and integrity can be intensely challenging, and it is in these trials that we affirm and develop in our integrity. I matured from my experience, and I have lived with the growth, the memory, and the regret, ever since.