learntoquestion ltq discussions

It was an absolute pleasure getting the opportunity to view every identity vessel that everybody created. It really showed how different everybody’s interests and hobbies were, but it also proved just how similar some of us are. Many used the same box for their vessel, included the same hobbies or styled theirs similarly with others. This project proved just how vulnerable and changing our minds are, as every person we interact with, animal we see, or object we interact with affects our minds and how we perceive the world and others. This can completely change our mindset or perspective of things overnight. It can also allow us to get a small insight into someone else's life and how they live it.

In Beverly Daniel Tatum’s 2000 article titled, The Complexity of Identity:“Who Am I?”, She discusses how other people and their opinions on us act like a mirror, reflecting back on us and making us potentially change ourselves, “other people are the mirror in which we see ourselves. This "looking glass self" is not a flat one-dimensional reflection, but multidimensional. How one's racial identity is experienced will be mediated by other dimensions of one-self…”. This quotes shows how whenever we receive someone's opinion on us, good or bad, it can shape how we act in the future. Even nonverbal gestures or looks can leave a scar on someone, making them feel insecure of themselves and how others view them. By creating these vessels, we have allowed ourselves to find commonalities with our classmates and to learn and respect the many differences that we also may have.

I learned many great and interesting things about my classmates from the identity vessels like their hobbies, friends, and family, but Ryan McHugh's vessel stood out to me the most. This is especially because of the toothbrush that he included within the box. At first I was confused, but after reading his statement I realised what power the toothbrush held to him. It was a great example of how much our minds can change, and how much we can grow as friends, leaders, and students.

How we view ourselves is influenced by a number of different factors, including things such as the people we surround ourselves with, the feedback and commentary we receive, our past experiences, and much more. This vision can then have a significant impact on our actions, how others see us, and how we view them.

One of the most important factors in our self-image is the people we surround ourselves with. While not true in all cases, many people share common interests with their friends, as it helps to form connections, make one feel as if they belong somewhere, and it generally makes for much more stimulating conversations. Therefore, many people will adapt or expand their interests in order to connect more with those around them. This can also tie back to the idea of the sense of self, and how those with a lower self-esteem will change their behaviors in order to fit in and develop a sense of belonging.

The feedback and commentary that we receive all throughout our lives also influences our self image. For most people, if they are described in a certain way by multiple people, even just one in some cases, they will immediately shift their self image to include this comment. For example, if someone is told in a moment of anger by someone they are close with that they are, for example, a coward, the person may describe themselves as a coward for years after.

Our past experiences and perceptions of ourselves can also play a role in our current self image. A person may have held a certain trait, behavior, or hobby for years, and then grew out of it with time. However, this was such a central part of their identity at the time that they might find it difficult to even consider the idea that this description might not be applicable to them anymore. Therefore, that person may describe themselves in that manner simply because they can’t get past the idea that they have changed. This can also play a role in how others view you, as they too could be holding onto the you of the past. This has begun to be exacerbated by social media and its growing presence in our lives. This is touched on in the article, “How Social Media Shapes Our Identity” when it was stated: “We’re not the only ones posting; our friends and family chronicle our lives, usually without our consent. Growing up online, Eichhorn worries, might impede our ability to edit memories, cull what needs to be culled, and move on.”

By walking around the classroom and taking a look at my classmates' identity vessels I really got to learn a lot about them. This was especially interesting as I got to get an insight into my peers' lives who I don’t really know at all and already have made up my own perception of them just by seeing them in the classroom or what they post online. In Nausicaa Renner’s How Social Media Shapes Our Identity she touches on how people portray themselves on the internet. She says, “new technology—especially the smartphone—allows us to produce a narrative of our lives, to choose what to remember and what to contribute to our own mythos.” I think social media is a way people present themselves in a positive way. Usually people post the good things that are happening in their lives. The identity vessels were a way I really got to see what was important in people's lives and not just what they post. I was excited to see what my classmates like to do in their free time to keep busy because usually I only see them doing schoolwork. The most important things in people's lives which I kept seeing on people's vessels were culture, family, and nationality. I think family and one's upbringing is a big part of one's identity because what you do and how you grow up is a big part of how your identity is formed. Doing sports, crafting, learning, vacationing, etc are all ways in which people find things they like that shape their identity. I think our identities are malleable, but it’s harder now in society because of social media. Whether people want to change their identity because they think they are a bad person or because they don’t want to be seen in such a way that they think others view them, it’s always possible to go back on social media and see how someone once portrayed themselves. This can make it hard for one to get a certain perspective of this specific person out of their head. Overall, these identity vessels made me want to try and stop making a perception of people and actually try and get an understanding of them and what shapes their identity.

I enjoyed the identity vessel project. This project made us think about ourselves. We stopped the rush of non-stop teacher and parental instruction to think about ourselves, both how we see ourselves and how others see us, which is important. I believe our influences shape how we see ourselves. Every influence in our life creates our own perception of what is right and wrong, and from there is how we find ourselves in who we want to be. Our interactions and lack of interactions are what create judgment and our views of others. When you only see one clip of someone on social media, naturally, it makes that clip your entire perspective. Our own identities, which we have formed in our 17 years on planet earth, create the platform for our decisions and our beliefs. Social and personal identities may have some overlap, but they are very different. Yes, my friends know me well, but they do not know quite as much as I know about myself, who spends more time with myself than I do. Friends and family usually only see how you react to problems in a group setting, while so much is done to shape yourself behind the scenes. In the poem Identity by Julio Noboa Pollanco, we see the overall theme of being yourself. The poem states, “If I could stand alone, strong and free, I'd rather be a tall, ugly weed.” This sentence talks about the strength of being yourself, no matter the perception that other people have of you. The strength and freedom of being yourself is much greater than the prison of fitting in. Ryan McHugh's Identity Vessel stood out to me. Ryan left a toothbrush in his Identity Vessel because he had braces for a long time, but I met Ryan after he had braces, so this really made me think about how all of my closet friends I met at BLS, and I really have only known them for around one quarter of my life. Overall, this project made me take a closer look at all of my peers' identities, learning a lot of things about a lot of people's backgrounds.

I believe what shapes how we see ourselves is based a lot upon two different things. The first being our own morals and choices that we decide to make based off of them. I think that this is important to how we see ourselves as people because it helps you to understand if your making choices based off what you truly believe in and stand for and not just conforming to a said group or others. When someone makes a decision based off what they truly do believe in although others may not feel the same way it should mean that you are confident in yourself and your true voice. The second thing that I believe truly influences how we see ourselves is how others feel about us. Although it may not be the right thing to do I feel as High School students others opinions influence how we judge ourselves, and see ourselves in both positive and negative ways. This may also impact how we see others. Connecting to the article Who Am I? Multiple Identities The author states” All kinds of trait descriptions are used-friendly, shy, assertive, intelligent, honest, and so on”. The author states how people may judge others silently or to there face. All of these things that are said to others creates an impact on them. If your saying something nice to a friend or hurtful to someone you may not know.

What I learned from my peers identity vessels is that there is a lot more to people then meets the eye. While visiting friends and kids I have never really talked to it helped me to get a better grasp of there personal identity, and what they enjoy outside of school. I was surprised to see how many cool things my classmates were into, and how I imagined them to be different. The time, and thought that was put into the vessels really showed how much students cared about these activities. I got to see sports fellow classmates were into, to music, social media, and how they like to spend time with friends. But I believed that the most crucial part of the project was not the box with the images and objects on it but the short piece explaining why they chose them. What I found the funniest was that although some people chose some odd objects I would never imagine i would see there was always an amazing story to explain why they chose it.