Category: Personal Beliefs

What are beliefs?

The word belief is tremendously discussed around in so many conversations, books, various inspirational talks and more… But, what are beliefs? Views, opinions, guiding principles, judgments, interpretations, actions, behaviors, decisions or even ideas we hold as true about ourselves and about the world or people around us, eventually form our beliefs system. An eloquent quote by Robert Bolton summarizes the meaning of beliefs, where they come from, and the strong impact they have on our lives. He said: “A belief is not merely an idea the mind possesses; it is an idea that possesses the mind” .

Where do beliefs come from?

We are the reflective image of our beliefs; how we act, behave, self-talk, react or pro-act clearly reveal how we are affected by our own beliefs. Most of our beliefs, whether positive or negative, were formed during the very early years (zero to seven) of our childhood; consequently they are the result of how we were initially raised.

What we used to hear at home or even at school, expressions like “you can do better, you are not good enough, you don’t deserve that, you don’t deserve this, you’re too short, you‘re not creative, you are not good at that etc…”, eventually labeled us since our childhood and we believed them just like we believed our names.

Unless we stimulate this inner will to change those beliefs, recognize every little effort we put and acknowledge the progress, instead of always seeking excellence as an end-result, they will always be carried inside of us, inside of our subconscious mind, and will always make us feel as such. About change, Robin Sharma says: “Every change is hard at the beginning, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end. If it’s not hard it’s not real change” .

Since the day we were born, we were indirectly programmed, but fortunately, we can change that. Today, Coaching is the re-programing tool, and this time maybe forever, allowing the coachee to transform their frame of mind in order to once again, believe in their inner power and their worth. And yes it is doable. It is doable thru awakening this inside-will, this power, this revolution, this wind of change, this breaking free, this unleashing ones’ self from their old self.

It is like putting this huge energy we carry inside towards changing the way we were taught to perceive ourselves. As Rock Thomas once said: “The most powerful force in a human’s psyche is how we describe ourselves to ourselves” . Only then, we become resourceful and capable of doing what we always thought was impossible to achieve. We DO possess inside of us the power to change so we become who we want to be. With a positive and powerful belief system, there will be no limit to what one can achieve in life.

On a side note, and as a mother, I have so much invested in reading books like “Tout se joue avant six ans” by Dr. Fitzhugh Dodson and many other parenting articles, to properly raise my children and as a result, I ended up investing in my self-growth as well.

I filtered my words and chose the right constructive ones while communicating with them. I gave enough time to listen to their ideas and made space for their creative thinking to further develop. I carefully listened to the way they expressed themselves, and to their choice of words when they talk about themselves. Allowing them to fail and making them positively accept failure as another trial, spreading the proper energy, never judging them, and treating them as a whole, a creative and independent creature; all was the strong foundation on which they built positive beliefs about themselves and the world around. A confident and happy child will eventually grow up to become a successful happier adult.

How do they impact us?

Stored since they were formed in the subconscious mind, beliefs control the conscious mind and how it operates. The latter always looks for evidence to prove the former as true. Once we believe something is true, counter examples are no longer valid and the mind then only accepts what supports that same belief.

Our beliefs can either push us to become the best version of ourselves, pave our way to success, or negatively influence our way forward, making us prisoners of our own thoughts and old learnings. They can fill us with the motivation, confidence, and tenacity to take action; or the self-doubt, self-sabotage, and hesitancy to do whatsoever. They can strengthen our capabilities or dissolve them.

Negative beliefs, known as limiting beliefs in the coaching language, enormously affect our behavior, limit our potential and can prevent us from growing and pursuing our dreams. They block us from taking any step closer to where we want to be. They can affect us to an extent that we might no longer recognize ourselves without this particular belief or thought. We refuse to get rid of our old beliefs; we refuse to step out of this comfort zone, because negative/limiting beliefs, even when they don’t serve us, provide us with a certain security.

We say in other terms, beliefs shape our reality and can affect our self–confidence as well. For example, if an employee thinks they’re not worthy of a promotion (negative belief), they will become demotivated. This will alter their behavior and hinder their performance, which will also indirectly affect the way their supervisor perceives them; so no matter how hard they work, they just won’t get promoted. Therefore, we are invited at any period of time during our growth process to question our beliefs; awareness is the key. Sir John Whitmore wrote: “I am able to control only that which I am aware of. That of which I am unaware of controls me. Awareness empowers me. ”

In the world of coaching, we as coaches are invited first and foremost to pay attention to our beliefs and thoughts. Only when we learn to properly identify our own, will we be able to help our clients overcome theirs. The control is in ourselves. According to Kelly McGonigal, in her book “The Willpower Instinct”: “Self –control is like a muscle. It gets tired from use, but regular exercise makes it stronger”.

Through awareness and through improving the quality of our thinking, together with understanding the core principle that has created a certain belief, we learn to replace old limiting beliefs with new empowered ones. We become then able to take control of our old pattern of behavior, and to free ourselves from any negative thoughts and negative life experiences we have been thru.

Mindfulness of our reaction and of our thinking system is another key to overcoming limiting beliefs. One should as well notice the feeling associated with those old beliefs and evaluate them to be able to replace them with new empowered ones. Ask yourself if those beliefs make you feel good or bad, and then condition yourself to keep those that make you feel good about yourself.

We have to come to terms with the fact that if we are able to take what life gives us, and find an empowering meaning, then we can transform our quality of life. Choosing consciously what things mean to us, and our new empowered beliefs together with resulting actions will help us reach our fullest potential. Rock Thomas once ended a speech by saying: “The words that follow I am follow you.”

Conclusion

“We are what we think we are” said Socrates. Consciously or not, our actions result from our beliefs and from our thinking system. It is neither about the external events that control our lives, nor the environment that makes us who we are. It is not what happens to us in our lives that make us who we are, instead, it is how we choose to react to these events or experiences, and it is about the significance and importance we give to them. It is all about our perception and interpretations, that define who we are and who we want to become.

References

1. Robert Bolton – https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/508009-a-belief-is-not-merely-an-idea-the-mind-possesses
2. Robin Sharma – Leadership Expert & Personal Growth Author
3. Rock Thomas – How to change the way you see yourself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IH0digwjds
4. Coaching for Performance – 5th Edition – Sir John Whitmore – Published by Nicholas Brealey – 2017
5. The Willpower Instinct – Kelly McGonigal – Published by the Penguin Group USA – 2013
6. Rock Thomas – How to change the way you see yourself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IH0digwjds
7. https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1359832

It is important that everyone has a role model because having a role model can help you in the future with life problems; because having the role model means they either help you through or they teach you to dodge world problems.

In 8th grade I was a regular guy until basketball season came around and I was the odd one out because of my skill and love for the game. After always practicing before, after and during school to make the team tryouts came along and I tried out. I then made the team because of my hard work and dedication. During practice everyone had to get used to playing with each other so we ran into some ups and downs such as making good plays and the downs such as not having the greatest communication because we are still new to playing with each other in a real game situation. Later on during the season I would be put onto the starting lineup because I have shown coach that I am good enough to be on it and after he put me on the line up we started to get more rebounds and make more plays faster than the other line ups we had on the team. After all of our regular season games the tournament came around and we played it with all our hearts dropping even points around all the players on the team, even with most of our team struggling with injuries we ended the tournament the 3 overall team.

The lesson of the story is that everyone should have a role model to help us succeed in our own future and to always believe in yourself and never put yourself down. “A lot of times our greatest strength is our greatest weakness”, – said Nash. Steve Nash’s experience when no one was cheering for him or when no one believed in him when he first got into the NBA. motivated him to get himself noticed by the fans and other teams, so he worked hard and got what he deserved, Nash also had a bunch of role models already in the NBA so he was looking up to them and how they play to make himself better in as many ways as possible. “I’ll face it with a smile on my face, and ill be a winner one of these days”.

Nash and I are similar because we both revolve around believing in yourself and having a role model in the same area of what we would like to do in the future. Like when Nash thought he wasn’t good enough in practice because one of his teammates was better than him, he decided to work harder and get better, and so did I, when I would run into people who are better than me, I would practice even more on what I’m struggling with the most In basketball.

We are not similar because obviously in the book Steve Nash the main character was going into something big known as the NBA and was going against other famous players and teams and all the fans watching and criticizing him and me personally just made the grade 7-8 basketball team which is not as intense.

This doesn’t change my mind about my topic that everyone should have a role model because if a regular person like me can relate to an NBA player over just having role models in something you like to do, reinforces my topic even more.

My interviewee related to the topic because my topic is a big thing in the world now and everyone needs one to succeed in life. My interviewee was mostly similar to the topic because they also have a role model in there life and that’s why they succeeded in most parts of their life. “I think that everyone should have a role model because it can help mostly everyone succeed in whatever they are doing in the future”. Their experience doesn’t change my mind about my topic because it shows how everyone grew up making choices in there life and having a role model to help them grow up the right way.

My topic relates to the real world because there are people in the world that have a choice to find a role model in there line of work or try to succeed in life without one which people can also do but is a little bit tougher that having a role model to look up to when you need help. Everyone in the world either grew up with a role model in there home or on social media, but either way that person had someone to look up to, to help them succeed in there life. On the other hand, some people in the world like to start their own journey and not have a role model so they can say that they did whatever they did on there own with no help which is also fine like i said previously but is harder. This experience reinforces my topic because if my topic can connect to more than half of the world about the importance of having a role model then that would make me want to talk about the importance even more.

In conclusion, everyone in the world should have a role model or at least someone they can look up to because they can help you personally go through times in you’re life where you would need someone to help you or they can help motivate yourself to reach higher expectations on whatever you’re doing if it is basketball like Steve Nash’s situation or if its something else.

When Are You Stereotyping?

Imagine if you were stereotyped. Picture yourself as a college student on a Friday night. Your music is up loud you just finished all your last touch-ups to your hair, now it’s time to make the big decision. Which outfit? Most will pick the outfit they feel fits them best, brings out their eyes, or cool new accessories. Although, there’s a small percentage that doesn’t have it that easy. Usually part of the female population. Instead of wearing that really cute dress, she felt she looked amazing in it. She wears jeans and a top that isn’t showing much of her curves. She really wants to wear the dress but all that can run through her mind is all the rude and sexual comments she received the first time. A couple of the comments were “She’s a slut” or “I’ll bet she’s doing more than partying tonight” These are just two of many she’s heard in just a night. Who knew by wearing something that made you feel amazing when you put it on could then make you feel the lowest about yourself? Put yourself in the woman’s position. How would you feel about the remarks made? Some may feel embarrassed, some might feel shame in themselves. They feel instigated to change their outfit before walking out of the door the prevent any incidents from happening like this again. Then eventually she decides to stay home because now no matter what they wear, they’ve already been labeled. That’s on their minds for longer than just that night. These comments have impacted women everywhere. People like the individual that encountered the woman that night do not realize the scarring they’ve created on that woman. Our community needs to be more informed on what stereotyping is and what it looks like.

A stereotype is a sweeping statement or standardized image about a person or group with little or no evidence. Research demonstrates that people can draw conclusions about others based on little to no information at all. Washington State University speaks specifically on gender stereotyping in its “Sexual Harassment Among Youth” article. Young women enrolled in high schools and colleges told Washington State University researchers that people routinely make sexual comments, both in-person and online, about them and their bodies. The authors’ found “women who believed in gender stereotypes and endorsed music that degraded women were significantly less likely to engage in healthy sexual consent negotiation.” Therefore, gender stereotyping is extremely effective and uncalled for. The initial impression does not determine anything or define anyone.

Stereotyping can alter a person’s emotions, social life, and how they connect with their surroundings (Fields,2016). Because of this, that person will not be responsive to the concept of making new friends or meeting new people. Also, being stereotyped can have an impact on a person not wanting to go outside anymore because of others’ set of rules. Some people get critiqued about what they wear daily. Others are critiqued about the music they listen to and what they look like, behave, and who they hang out with. The list goes on and on (Fields 2016).

Stereotyping can be so cold when used in these ways. People commit suicide and have no friends because they are tired of being stereotyped. It can be hard for some individuals to simply forget about rasping words and not let them ruin their life. “Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our heart” – Robert Fulghum. Stereotyping has a big effect on how people feel. It can make people feel like they have no purpose in life and therefore they would want to end their life (Fields 2016)

When people don’t fit our preconceived notions, we tend to ignore the contradictions, until they are too dramatic to overlook. For example, older adults are characterized as more forgetful and less able to learn new information. Yet there is also evidence of older adults serving important roles in society. For example, “nearly 40 percent of the nation’s 1,200 working federal judges have reached senior status and could retire. But, these senior judges are crucial to the justice system and, handling reduced caseloads, carry out nearly 20 percent of the federal judiciary’s work” Therefore, when we have a strong, healthy, and positive identity, we feel confident enough to pursue what anybody else would in terms of working towards our life goals, attaining our education and feeling empowered to change our worlds, despite whatever negative messages we hear from others based on our appearances.

“Judge me by the content of my character” Martin Luther King Jr stated in his “I Have A Dream” speech. The way one appears may not be thy. The article speaks on, “Dressing for the Job You Want, Not the Job You Have” Recent research indicates that “people continue to be unsure about Appearance in the workplace. Is it important, or not? What’s appropriate, or inappropriate? What about decoding dress codes? How should aspiring women dress?” There is often confusion about when stereotyping is taking place. For example, at an interview. One might think they didn’t get a job because someone is judging them on their appearance instead of what they have to offer. Which is often true. Is this wrong? Maybe… maybe not. Imagine yourself as a hiring manager for a big company. You give two interviews. One man comes in wearing regular clothing but has plenty to offer. But so, does the man who decided to appear at his interview with dress apparel. Dress shirt, dress shoes, ironed pants. Who would you most like pick to bring in as the face of your company? Sometimes it’s just about who’s the better influencer. One could have all the same qualities as another, and both have great personalities. Even the same ethnicity. Would it still be stereotyping? Or just one making a thoughtful decision?

There is always a more common social issue that triggers stereotyping. Racial judgment happens to be one. Research shows that stereotyping has found our death certificates. A very common name that comes to mind is Trevon Martin. “Trayvon Martin was an unarmed American 17-year-old killed by George Zimmerman on February 26, 2012, sparking a national controversy.” Trevon Martin played a major role in the “#BlackLivesMatter” movement because he was killed simply because he looked like he could be harmful. I wish I could say his killer was just racist but if that were the case. The trial would not have gone if it did. According to the courts “Trevon Martin fit the description” making it self-defense instead of a murder charge. These “descriptions” come about in a few ways. In this case, the color of his skin and his choice of clothing… are what killed him. Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonized judgment directed against other people because they are of a different race or ethnicity is very real and often falls under stereotyping.

Stereotyping is something that’s impacting everyone worldwide. It’s taken people out of their comfort, it’s caused fear, and it’s cost us the opportunity. Most importantly stereotyping has cost us lives. However, this needs to be changed. As a community, we need to enlighten others about how harmful stereotyping is. Educate those who don’t see the big issue in doing so. After all, education has been the key to everything. So, educate yourselves, your friends, and your families. No one wants to live in fear, lose opportunities over things out of their control, or be uncomfortable anywhere they go. No one wants to be victimized by stereotypes… and no one should have to!

In this work, I will analyze what gives value to life. Of course, we can approach the question from different conceptions of life, such as from a personal, social, religious, or even ethical point of view.

We should begin speaking about the value of life itself; this concept is almost always intimately related to the sanctity of life.

According to Dworkin R. 1993 (cited in Belshaw C., p.20-21), the value depends on its utility; when it is something that provides us with skills to achieve something higher, then we say that it has instrumental value.

We can also see issues in life that have intrinsic values; these are not related to the utility or the contribution they can provide us with but are more closely related to the fact that we can appreciate their value, for example, seeing a magnificent building. We see its intrinsic value of it because of the beauty of its architecture.

We might also see value as subjectively based on how much value something has to another person; we know that my brother’s car is precious and subjectively valuable because he loves it.

If we look at Dworkin and the sacred value of human life in the classical ethical conception, it is widely believed. In some cases, it is manifested at the level of intuition that human life has an intrinsic or sacred value, whatever its form, fetus, baby, child, adult, or old person. On the other hand, it should be appreciated that Dworkin distinguishes between the three ways in which value is shaped: instrumental, i.e. the value of the good is based on its utility, which means that it can contribute to people achieving something of interest to them; subjective, which is when the object is valuable simply because someone wants it; or intrinsic, which includes everything that has neither instrumental value nor subjective value, because it is not contingent on what people may want, what they need or what they want. The latter are worthy of defense because they are essential in themselves since they have an intrinsic quality that justifies recognition by others. After arguing that human existence has a sacred value, that is, a genuine intrinsic value, Dworkin goes on to argue that other kinds of life, and even certain goods, also have intrinsic value. While people engage in constructing or obtaining objects that bring us value, either because we need them or because we like them, some achievements are valued not precisely because they fulfill some desire or interest but rather because they are valuable.

According to Dworkin, we can also differentiate between two groups of intrinsically essential objects, namely those that have increasing intrinsic value and those that are considered sacred or untouchable. Concerning the first type of thing, the more you own something, the better it is. According to the second assumption, this value is due to the mere existence of the object, with no connection to the quantity possessed.

For Dworkin, life has no increasing value but is regarded as sacred.

The arguments against abortion, i.e., the biological conception of the human being, start from the idea that the fetus is a being with a life endowed with a sanctity proper to the innocent human being. Therefore, to end certain practices, such as termination of pregnancy or euthanasia, is tantamount to accepting the sacred value of human life. Dworkin considers that denouncing the termination of pregnancy based on the notion of the sacredness of life is an independent argument.

Like Dworkin, the intrinsic value of a work of art, would not life also have an intrinsic value? There is no inconsistency in denying that, under such a circumstance, such works would have some value because the value of a painting we find precisely from a unique and unrepeatable experience but insisting on the purely intrinsic character of that value because it depends on the natural desire of a creature to experience such an experience. Consequently, if no other person could admire a certain artistic creation that had an intrinsic value, that was singular and could not be repeated, it would not be possible to sustain the value of that creation either. On the other hand, in a situation in which there were people with a will but no one wished to submit to the experiment provided by a given work of art endowed with an intrinsic value, that work would retain that value by virtue of this dynamic process of creation that has given rise to it.

Consequently, there is an existing cognitive relationship on the part of the persons in charge of analyzing and appreciating the intrinsically valuable work of art. The work of art would not cease to be valuable by itself if there were no one to love, appreciate or enjoy it, but rather, if there were no one either, who would override the ability to appreciate the creative project from which it came, it could not have that intrinsic value.

Within the evaluation of a given constructive process of a thing, there is a link of an objective character with the participating persons since, in a universe in which persons do not exist, it cannot be affirmed of anything or organism that has value by itself. From Dworkin’s approach, intrinsic value is tantamount to holding that recognizing value is an autonomous element of personal qualifications according to individual interests and preferences, which means that the conception of value itself is not subjectivist. For example, the intrinsic value of a piece of art supposes the knowledge of a particular process, project, or task of value generation, which would not be possible if there were no longer human beings in the world. In other words, it is not the experience that the person voluntarily has that oversees establishing the intrinsic value, but the appreciation of a specific creative or evolutionary procedure that was based on the materialization of human contributions. If there is an objective evaluation based on the verification of natural or human processes of creativity, even if this is independent of what people in general like, desire or need, there is a link between the subject and the product.

The existence of a human being has its own value from the moment of conception, which is the beginning of his biological existence, even if during that period he does not experience feelings, hobbies, actions, or knowledge. From this point of view, the termination of pregnancy is an immoral act since it offends against the intrinsic value of life or, in other words, it offends against the sacredness of the human being through any stage or mode of life. The concept of the sacred, although well known, can consider a generally misunderstood concept since the word sacred is said to have an obligatory theistic meaning to the extent that what we mean to say it’s about human life, what it is sacred, and non-animal for example. (Singer 2002, cited in Belshaw C. 2014, p.18). This interpretation is mistaken, and the term sacred can be understood not only in a religious sense but also in a secular way. Thus, to state that the value of human life has a sacred character is not the same as saying that such a thought is closely related to the concept of divine nature. This idea of the sacredness of the human being may be a consequence of the consideration of the evolution that allowed the birth of the species, which confers and guarantees itself an inviolable character.

Another completely different approach to whether its life has value is this concept by which we should start with procreation itself and see if it has any value or if it is perhaps a starting error or if it could be improved under some interpretations or conditions. To do this, we should look at Benatar’s arguments. Benatar’s thesis is mostly based on identifying natalist and pro-natalist arguments and the concept that it is better never to come into existence (cited in Belshaw C. 2014, p.180). The strategy I will use to contradict Benatar’s position will be mainly among other arguments to identify the ant-natalist and pro-natalist arguments.

Benatar teaches the two reasons that support his ant-natalist position in the sense of considering that being born is always wrong; it is a philanthropic reason, which he deals with in detail. By means of this ant-natalist argument, we can ask ourselves: Is it wrong to reproduce? According to the philosopher, bringing a person to life is always serious harm to that person, and employing this same argument, he argues that it is also always serious harm to the rest of the people. The main objective of this paper will be to defend the thesis of this philosopher, that is, to defend a radical position that a priori seems wrong.

We could start by trying to distinguish the extent of intrinsic rights that a given organism has, as well as how harmful it is to harm it. It is not right to cause intentional harm to anything. However, we can justify cutting down some trees because they allow us to obtain the comfort that we have and the pain that the trees experience we consider worthy. The origin of this legitimization lies in our feelings. Of course, this hypothesis is complex (and it is even more apparent if we talk about animals, for example), but the fact is that roughly speaking, it can be said that the development of humanity explains the way we behave toward other living beings, but how can it be justified?

The value of life is something deeply connected with religions in terms of an inner value within any form of life that needs to be respected. It can be argued that the ability to speak gives us a higher value, but this argument is feeble because marine mammals have a sophisticated way of communicating. It is also very easy to imagine someone who can speak but does not know the true meaning of his words, and so the speaker we have will lose what makes language an essentially great thing. Moreover, speech is not intelligence itself but a faculty of handling the vocal cords linked precisely with intelligence. This brings us to a very complex issue, according to which some monkeys would have to be apt for conversation thanks to their vocal cords and score higher on IQ tests than some members of our species. Yet, they cannot converse, even if certain members learn sign language.

We do not know what it is exactly about consciousness, but we believe that human beings are special beings or that they possess a special form of consciousness. However, if we agree that the capacity for something we do not even understand makes a person better than a dog, for example, we are in a very fragile territory. In this respect, Singer P. cited in Balshaw C., 2014, p- 31) says that when we are giving value to human life over animal life, for example, we are becoming guilty of ‘speciesism’.

We can also focus on the issue from an emotional level as well as the capacity to interpret the fact of experiencing feelings. This aspect is closely linked to the ability to experience feelings of pleasure and pain, although it seems to me to be a more complex character. Moreover, I consider it the most vital element, given the shortcomings of Intelligence and convincing contradictions. It enables us to show compassion to virtually every species on the planet. It also has a sense of transference: While an ostrich does not feel sad because of its death, we do feel sorry for its death and, therefore, we give value to the ostrich’s life. Also, we can tie this argument with the ‘Deprivation view’, in which death is something wrong because it deprives us of something good (cited in Belshaw C. 2014, p.63). However, we are not talking about absolute value but the value we infuse into life because of our morals.

Human beings are currently very committed to their state of health; however, their conception of health is conditioned by the cultural environment. It should be noted that today’s culture is characterized by the concern for technology because of the progress it offers for the salvation of numerous lives, the effectiveness of which makes it possible to bring great benefit to society. On the other hand, the moralism of Christians has questions that force us to reflect, should it be applied to all people equally, or will there be a favored treatment?

The views against natalism or the concerns linked to procreative beneficence. Derek Parfit, in his book ‘Reasons and Persons (1986) (cited in Balshaw C., 2014, p.108), gives us an example of a (14-year-old girl) thinking about having the happiest children possible is a genuine concern about procreative beneficence.

The debate about natalism is often intense in investigating what truly gives value to life. We could expose two types of anti-natalism, one which holds that it is sometimes wrong to have children, and another, more radical, which asserts that it is always wrong to have children. Some conditions are so critical that they hold that it is morally wrong to have offspring. Some conditions are so harmful that it would be morally unacceptable to bring such a life into the world. Now when a couple decides to have children, and if a choice is possible, there is an essential ethical motive when deciding and choosing the one who is expected to have the best guarantees of quality of life, based on the maximum existing information, which is the most adequate, or at least not the worst, concerning other children.

Savulescu (2001) states in his article ‘Procreative beneficence: why we should select the best children’ the following: married couples or parents should choose their offspring based on the data available to them, and among all those possible, according to the principles to achieve the best quality of life or, at least, the best life than the others. The criteria should be used in cases where the parents use the in vitro fertilization technique. As Savulescu (2001) points out, the couple can currently ensure the selection of embryos with the highest genetic potential. For this selection to be carried out properly, independent genes directly related to diseases must also be considered, as they are crucial for an optimal life outcome. According to Savulescu (2001), such an informed choice is an ethical justification.

Benatar’s approach in this regard is a straightforward consequence of the theory of utilitarianism. Since pleasure is considered a good thing while pain represents evil, the only convenient way to eliminate harm is the disappearance of conscious life. Since sentient organisms will constantly be subjected to painful situations, it is impossible to live without feeling pain. One reason is that new human beings should not be brought to life because of the suffering they will experience. There are many motives for this, one of the most important being the pain and suffering inherent in being human, so it is wrong to create new lives. Indeed, there are also good things. However, the concern is whether all the good outweighs the suffering of what is terrible. Often people forget about the bad things in life. There is abundant psychological evidence that people overestimate their quality of life to the maximum and believe that it is better than it is. In addition, another of the most frequent errors is that they think about the future without realizing the enormous pain that they will surely suffer at the end of their life cycle. Now, to affirm that any individual is better off not having been born is a contradiction of logic. For if no being exists before conception, it cannot be affirmed that no one can be ‘better off without being born’ since no one exists before being begotten and obtaining the faculty of being able to perceive.

On the other hand, Dworkin admits that each object, life, or creation has an intrinsic value that needs to be appreciated by others to keep it. So, this could be a good starting point to admit the value of life, which could be sacred for some, and intrinsic for others, but almost everyone recognizes it. The debate is not so much about what gives life value or if life has value itself, it should be more about which kind of value life has depended on the approach we are taking to this question if it is a philosophic, biological, religious, medical or any other kind of approach to the question.

Therefore, it is a logical contradiction to affirm that one is better off not having been born since no person could be good, better, worse, or happy without existing. This reasoning of the philosopher David Benatar gives us with its contradictions the best answer to conclude by arguing that life has value and that, although it may be redundant, the most outstanding value of life is the value of living it. Through life`s experiences, we acquire value more than the intrinsic value that we have since birth and this acquired value get through experiences can be also a very precious value in the life of others, understanding them, persons, animals, or the world itself. Just taking care of others, planting a tree, helping our neighbors, or any other actions, intentions, or lived experiences are providing value to life and making it worth living as a constant source of value for our lives and the lives of others.

Each person has own different philosophy in life. It will depend on the experience we have in life. There are people will have seen life in the same way but no one will be exactly similar philosophy in life. The way we have experience in life has changes, it may think once but it will change again. So, I will share my thoughts and ideas of what my philosophy in life is.

You may ask yourself, is life important? What are the purposes in life? What is the point where you live in life? No one will know about that because the one will known is God. He had chosen it before we born, we don’t have an idea why we’re here. What am I supposed to be done? Back then, I realized why it should be like this. It seems that I should live with the philosophy, a philosophy of freedom.

A philosophy of freedom is like Jean-Paul Satre, a French philosopher. According to him, freedom is absolute ‘by oneself to determine oneself to wish’. Freedom is an act to do things without constraint. It is an act that we human being has a right to choose whether good or bad. A freedom is an opportunity of yours to make happy or pursue your happiness. There’s no limitation of what you will doing. It is about who you are ‘being yourself’’ no one will force.

My philosophy in life is you should think before anything to choose something right like walk to the right destination and go home on time and to do the right thing. A second one is to achieve my goals with schooling right away to make my dreams come true. When this goal succeeds it may help me for being a professional such as lawyer, doctor, engineer to help my parents improve and to travel around the world. Yes, I know that we are having a different happiness and we were the one who stop. There’s a quote that “You are the only one who can limit your greatness. Remember you are enough. Dream. Plan. Execute!”.

My next philosophy in life is to speak less and listen more. Speaking and listening in a balance way are essential our world and it creates understanding each other. In this philosophy, this is important because you should think first before you speak. We often open our mouth without knowing what were going to say. Sometimes we adlib and it may turn it right. But most of the time, we just talk randomly without quality contribution or nonsense. For instance, don’t trust anyone by sharing any secrets like for example friends. Do not share any secrets to your friend when you’re in doubt. Again, we should listen before jumping its conclusion and create a better reality.

Therefore, I conclude that freedom is the way you act without controlling anyone. A freedom is an expression of which the individual human being can express their belief, thoughts, ideas, and emotion with different issues as well. It is human right to hold opinion and receive important information and ideas one another. We are very lucky that we have freedom. Logically, a freedom is not as the right to do as we please but as the opportunity to do what is right.

Philosophy, etymologically, came from the word ‘Philos’ which means love and ‘Sophia’ which means wisdom. Hence, it literally means love of wisdom. There are certain individuals that engage in philosophy called philosophers, that is, a lover of wisdom. These individuals, called philosophers, are the people who question the very being and origin of Man. They are trying to know and uncover the truth of their own existence, why everything existed. They are attempting to find wisdom about their own meaning, purpose, and value. Philosophy is a very interesting research because it can make us view life in a different manner and it can broaden our horizon of what we think we know about life, about our purpose, meaning, and value as a human being.

Knowledge can be a curse and a gift at the same time. A man’s love for knowledge can be very dangerous because curiosity can make a man do everything to clench his thirst for knowledge, even to the point of doing evil things just to acquire the wisdom, specially, if there’s the word ‘Forbidden’ on it. Search for wisdom can either enlighten a man or destroy him. There are a lot of unexplained mysteries and phenomenon that happed in our world’s history that even science can’t explain.

There are a lot of famous philosophers who left their name written on history. Just to name a few of the famous philosophers respectfully, they are Thales, considered as the father of western philosophy and is regarded as one of the seven sages (wise men) of ancient Greece. Pythagoras, he made important contribution to the field of Mathematics, the most famous of which is the Pythagorean Theorem. Heraclitus, he claimed that everything is changing and the only permanent thing in this world is change. Plato, he claimed that man is a soul. He defined the soul as the self-initiating motion or the source of motion. Aristotle, he claimed that man is not solely a soul but a body endowed with life. Rene Descartes, he claimed that everything that we know is made possible because of our senses. Gabriel Marcel, claimed that man’s experience with himself shows that there exist an intimate relation between himself and his body which accepts neither gap nor barrier.

Out of those famous philosophers, Rene Descartes’ philosophy is the philosophy that greatly drawn much of my reflections in reality of my life and my experiences. Rene Descartes claimed that we know something because of our senses. We know something because we’re capable of using our 5 senses. If we can’t feel anything, then, we won’t know anything because if we can’t feel, see, smell, touch, and hear something, then how can we know that ‘that thing’ even existed? There won’t be any proof of its existence if we don’t know it even existed. We humans know we exist because we doubt our existence, we question our origin, where our soul actually came from, and what’s our purpose of existing. “We doubt; therefore we exist” our ability to think is what made us humans. What we really are, are souls. Our bodies are just instruments or mediums we used for us to interact with the world and people physically. There will come a day that we will leave our bodies too. Our body has limits, but not our mind. We can imagine anything, and do anything we want inside our head. Our mind can go free and be curious about everything but our body has limits. We usually want to uncover and know the truth of our existence, what’s beyond the things that we know, what’s on the other side, or what comes after our inevitable death? Is there life ahead? Are we still capable of thinking after we leave our physical body? There are a lot of question left unanswered. We are trying to uncover those unanswered questions and we doubt everything, even our existence. Hence, we know for a fact that we exist because we doubt.

Rene Descartes’ philosophy is an eye opener for me. His philosophy made me think and doubt my existence. I want to view the world as he views it. We know that something existed because of our senses. We know that we exist because we can hear us, smell us, touch us, feel us, and can even taste us. We doubt everything and our doubt will become the starting point of our pursuit for knowledge. “We doubt; therefore we exist”.

The character infers mental and social character that an individual gains by the inherited natural blessing which gives him the premise for the advancement and social development of the climate inside which he springs forward. Character is the result of social association in a bunch of life. In the public eye, each individual has various characteristics like skin, shading, tallness, and weight. They have various sorts of characters since people are not the same. It alludes to the propensities, and mentalities just as actual attributes of an individual which are not the same but rather fluctuate from one gathering to another and society to society, everybody has character, which might be fortunate or unfortunate, amazing or unremarkable. It creates during the interaction of socialization in a culture of a particular gathering or society.

One can’t decide on an individual precisely on the grounds that it shifts from one culture to another and from time to time. For instance, an executioner is viewed as a criminal in harmonious times and a legend in war. The inclination and activities of a person during cooperation form the character. It is the number of complete practices of the individual and covers both unmistakable and secretive practices, interests, mindset, and insight. It is the amount of physical and mental capacities and abilities. The character has been gotten from the Latin word ‘persona’ which signifies the ‘veil’ utilized by the entertainers to change their appearance. It is the mix of individual considerations, qualities, practices, demeanor, thoughts, and propensities.

The term ‘character’ is gotten from the Latin word ‘persona’ which implies a veil. As per K. Youthful, ‘Character is a designed collection of propensities, attributes, mentalities, and thoughts of a person, as these are coordinated remotely into jobs and situations with, as they relate inside to inspiration, objectives, and different parts of selfhood.’ G. W. Allport characterized it as ‘an individual’s example of propensities, mentalities, and characteristics which decide his acclimation to his current circumstance.’ According to Robert E. Park and Earnest W. Burgess, the character is ‘the entirety and association of those attributes which decide the job of the person in the gathering.’ Herbert A. Bloch characterized it as ‘the trademark association of the person’s propensities, mentalities, values, enthusiastic qualities/ which bestows consistency to the conduct of the person.’ According to Arnold W. Green, ‘character is the number of an individual’s qualities (the objects of his endeavoring, like thoughts, glory, force, and sex) in addition to his non-actual characteristics (his routine methods of acting and responding).’ According to Linton, character accepts the complete ‘coordinated total of mental cycles and status relating to the person.’ Personality, as we get it, says MacIver, ‘is all that an individual is and has encountered so exceptionally far as this ‘all’ can be fathomed as solidarity.’

As indicated by Lundberg and others, ‘The term character alludes to the propensities, mentalities, and other social attributes that are normal for a given person’s conduct.’ By character Ogburn signifies ‘the joining of the socio-mental conduct of the individual, addressed by propensities for activity and feeling, perspectives and conclusions.’ Davis respects the character as a mystic marvel which is neither natural nor social however a new blend of the two.’ According to Anderson and Parker, ‘Character is the entirety of propensities, perspectives, and characteristics that outcome from socialization and portrays us in our associations with others.’ According to N.L. Munn, ‘Character might be characterized as the most trademark mix of a person’s construction methods of conduct, interests, perspectives, limits, capacities, and aptitudes.’ According to Morton Prince, ‘Character is the aggregate of the relative multitude of organic inborn attitudes, driving forces propensities and impulses of the individual, and the obtained manner and inclinations procured by experience.’ According to Young, ‘Character is the entirety of conduct of a person with a given inclination framework cooperating with an arrangement of circumstances.’ Lawrence A. Lewin has given a working meaning of character in these words, ‘Character addresses those primary and dynamic properties of an individual or people as they reflect themselves in trademark reactions to circumstances.’

Our first assignment was to produce a piece of writing on the meaning of culture. My initial reaction to the assignment was confusion, because of the limited definition of culture that I had. From my perspective, culture ultimately reflected an individual’s race. Ever so often I get an orchestrated question referring to my ethnicity or nationality. Whether it is where I was born, where I am from, where I feel I belong, or where do I live. Sometimes I feel the urge to explain myself, … Erratically, I would even find myself eliminating parts of my stories in order to create an identity more satisfactory for others. Depending on the individual or the situation, I will have a variety of answers to the dreaded question of what culture do you identify yourself in. There are even certain circumstances where I would tell lies or alternate my story as I go, like many of those who are insecure about their lack of culture. Occasionally, I would go for a simple answer: simply Switzerland and the Philippines.

At subsequent times, I would explain the entire story: that I was born in Hong Kong, moved to the Philippines after a short period of time, then to Switzerland, and finally stayed for more than half my life in Singapore. Or I might elucidate that my mother is from the Philippines and my father is from Switzerland, but that I had a stronger connection to Singapore. “No human being is culture free. We are a product of the many different cultures which surround us.” – Unknown, To be honest, I sometimes feel as if I will never find a place, a community, where I belong one hundred percent. When I am around my Filipino family, I feel a disconnection, because I felt like they treat me like I could not possibly belong to the Filipino culture. Throughout most of my childhood, I have been predominantly exposed to nothing, but western culture. Due to the ‘strange’ mix, I frequently wonder whether my life would be any different growing up in just the Philippines or Switzerland.

I wonder what it would be like to be able to identify yourself in a culture, what it would be like to have lived in a house where there were markings besides a doorframe, representing every single growth spurt in my childhood, to have the best friend who has known me since primary school or middle school. As a young child, I have always had the pleasure to travel and experience different cultures, and attending an international school, like UWCSEA, only added to the mixture of cultural influences. I tend to always feel insecure about the person I am, and I have always been from early on. Perhaps, it’s the fear of being different or being treated differently for what I am. My friends, tend to have their entire life together – they seem to know exactly where they belong, whilst I feel like I’m trapped in mud halfway across a field, and each step I try to take, to better myself, to fit in and feel a sense of belonging is a tremendous effort. But why do I have this lack of cultural identity? Well, ever so often, my family and I visit the Philippines. And it is due to the language barrier that I feel isolated and this disconnection between my Filipino origins. Further ideas: Adjectives cannot begin to describe me and I acknowledge these descriptions for what they are, a condensed translation from my outward self to the world. cultural identity also relates to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, social class, and all that defines the self. people’s values, languages, religions, ideals, artistic expressions, patterns of social and interpersonal relationships, and ways of perceiving, behaving, and thinking.

My philosophy in life could be different to others. Cause our philosopy will be depending on our different experience in life. I’ve experience of sometimes lossing someone, and feeling of doesn’t have anything in life and not all could experience on it. There would be many people that have similar philosophy on life but not all of them would be exactly the same. What is my purpose in life? What is our purpose in life? Why we are here?That’s a question that we always ask ourselves.

There have been always a purpose in our lives and only God knows that. I was born in the simple family, living a simple life that were so happy if we are complete. We eat in the table complete. We have a healthy body. Care each other and so on. My life is sometimes sad and sometimes happy. It’s sad because in this age we grow up of being independent that there is no parents beside us. Happy? It’s because we see our parents healthy in this pandemic, that we still have communication. I stand as a mother in our family as of now. I don’t have any time to go out with friend because rather to those my family and take my responsibility. But sometimes I still go out with friends in a limit, I can still make myself happy in short time, in a simple say, I’m contented of what I have. I’ve wondered how blessed we are in this pandemic for almost 7 months we are still healthy, all of our family. We can still eat 3 times a day. There are some struggles come, but God never leaves us, He always with us. In my everyday life I’ve always asked myself that how we encounter this kind of situation that we grow up without a parent, that if anyone could hurt us no one could save but ourselves. But all of this I know it is just I trial, I know that we could cope up with this situation. So I smiled, everyday prayed every day, and fight every day.

In everyday in our life, it is important to smile and laugh it is the one could relieve every worries we have. Live while you are alive. Love each other and you should give others that same privilege. We shouldn’t judge people for the choices they make, because we all make bad decision, we are not born to be perfect in this world. You should do what you want with your life, as long as it makes you happy and causes no harm to others.

Introduction

In life, we are constantly navigating through a myriad of choices and experiences that shape who we are. Throughout my journey, I have come to embrace a personal credo that centers around the value of authenticity. This narrative essay will delve into the essence of my personal credo and how it has guided me in living a fulfilling and meaningful life.

Body

Authenticity is the cornerstone of my personal credo. It is a commitment to staying true to myself, embracing my uniqueness, and living in alignment with my values. This journey towards authenticity began with a deep reflection on my innermost desires, passions, and beliefs.

I have learned that being authentic means embracing both my strengths and vulnerabilities. It is acknowledging that perfection is not the goal, but rather embracing the beautifully imperfect aspects of who I am. This self-acceptance has allowed me to foster genuine connections with others, as they see and appreciate me for who I truly am.

Authenticity has also taught me the importance of living in alignment with my values. It is about making choices that reflect my beliefs and principles, even when faced with societal expectations or pressures. This requires courage and resilience, as I have had to navigate moments where my authenticity clashed with the status quo. However, I have come to realize that compromising my true self only leads to a sense of dissatisfaction and disconnection.

Embracing authenticity has also been instrumental in my personal growth and self-discovery. It has encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone, explore new opportunities, and challenge myself to become the best version of who I am. By staying true to my passions and pursuing what truly fulfills me, I have been able to unlock hidden potentials and uncover new paths of growth and fulfillment.

Living authentically also means honoring my own voice and intuition. It is about trusting my instincts and making decisions that align with my inner compass, even in the face of uncertainty. This has allowed me to cultivate a sense of self-reliance and resilience, empowering me to navigate life’s challenges with a greater sense of clarity and purpose.

Moreover, authenticity extends beyond the individual realm. It is about fostering authentic connections and relationships with others. By embracing my true self, I have found that I attract genuine connections built on mutual respect, understanding, and support. These relationships have been instrumental in my personal and emotional well-being, providing me with a sense of belonging and a support system during both joyous and challenging times.

Conclusion

In a world that often pressures us to conform and fit into predefined molds, embracing authenticity has been my guiding light. It has empowered me to live a life that is true to who I am, to make choices aligned with my values, and to cultivate meaningful relationships. Through this journey, I have come to understand that authenticity is not a destination but a lifelong commitment to self-discovery and growth.

As I continue to navigate life’s ups and downs, I will hold steadfast to my personal credo of authenticity. It will be the compass that guides me, reminding me to stay true to myself, embrace my uniqueness, and create a life that is truly my own.