by Matthew Hood 16 days ago
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Identify at least one core idea or goal of your own personal ideology. Why is this a motivating force or factor for you?
I would say one core idea or goal that I have is to travel and to learn from other cultures. I think that being away from college is somewhat traveling, I go to a new place, I do have some interest in studying abroad while I am in college. College is really the ideal environment because I get any classes and do what I want in a new setting.
Describe an example of how you try to put this ideology into practice in your everyday life.
Describe the ideal type of environment that would allow you to pursue this lifestyle.
Describe how Chris' personal ideology was based around the idea of asceticism. What is asceticism?
Asceticism is a belief in avoiding all kinds of self indulgence. Chris didn't believed that materialized things were all important, he was trying to live with as few possessions as possible. He burned his money, he didn't want to take anything that he was offered, and while he did take some of it, it was mainly just tools for survival. His parents did not understand any of his way of life and his desire to disappear and some people thought that he was crazy from walking away from a nice lifestyle. Returning to nature allowed Chris to pursue this ascetic lifestyle by knowing what really were the necessities for survival, he really didn't need anymore than that.
Provide an example of how Chris tried to practice an ascetic lifestyle AND what other people thought about this practice.
Describe how returning to nature allowed Chris to pursue this ascetic lifestyle
Describe how your family background has influenced your own search for meaning
My family background has influenced my own search for meaning by getting numerous amounts of support and the values that I grew up with. I hope that college becomes what I want it to be and helps me discover my purpose. Whenever I felt down or that I had given up on something, my family were there to support and help me get through it. It shows how much they want to help me and I can't imagine doing this without them, especially since Chris chose to do this journey all on his own.
Provide an example of how family members contributed to your personal growth and development
Elaborate on HOW this example shows the impact of family on your own search for purpose/meaning
Describe how Chris' relationship with family members influenced his search for meaning (parents/sister)
From the beginning of the book, he seemed to love his parents, however, very quickly in the book, we learned that there was some kind of misunderstanding between Chris and his parents and very soon would leave them to go on his long journey where he unfortunately never see them again. In contrast, Chris's relationship with his sister was still very close. He used to confide with her and send her letter and even talk about his real feelings with her where he wouldn't say that in front of his parents. An example of this would be when his sister would say that she is both worried and happy for him, she is worried because she doesn't know what he is doing or where he is, but she understood that it was important for him for him to do what he wants to do. She also understood that he couldn't contact her because that would give away his location.
Example from book to help show this (can use quote if you want-be sure to cite!)
Elaborate on HOW this example shows the influence of family on his search for meaning (can be positive and/or negative)
Describe some current social pressures or challenges we face in the year 2024. How do you think Chris would feel today?
One big challenge that I would say was pressuring or challenging in 2024 is social media. Many people post false narratives or trying to be perfect by photoshopping their own pictures to make it look like their life is perfect. Other people see those own images and imagines that their lives must be perfect, but in reality, it is just a photoshopped image. Chris would feel disappointed, he would feel that social media is less important than human interaction. He would more likely hate social media. I agree with Chris that social pressure distracts people from finding their individual purpose or meaning. I agree with him because people want to have perfect lives, but nobody knows whats going on behind the scenes and the idea of trying to live up to someone else can distract people from whats important to them in their lives. I do think that college acts as a backdrop and in a good way because I am learning new things, meeting new people, and figuring out who I am.
Do you agree with Chris that sometimes these social pressures can distract people from finding their individual purpose or meaning? Why/why not?
How does society act as a backdrop for YOU in finding your own purpose? (can be positive and/or negative)
Describe Chris' overall view towards fitting in society (in the 1990s): What did it demand of him and what was his response?
Chris's overall view when it comes to fitting in to society was that he wanted to explore life in a different perspective. He did not want to take the path that was expected of him. He wanted to create his own path. An example of this would be when Chris rejected an offer from his dad in which his father would give him a brand new car and Chris rejected it entirely because he had an old car that he thought was good enough. Chris was not someone who placed a lot of materials on things. He was more concerned with spiritual development and finding his purpose in life.
Example from book to help show this (can use quote here if you want--be sure to cite!)
Elaborate on HOW this example shows Chris' attitude towards society in general
