1. The
three virtues that I chose for the Character Experiment were dauntlessness,
relaxation/calmness, and confidence. I have worked hard to improve these
virtues, and although I have not completely achieved them, I am still proud of
the progress I made. I took many steps and measures to make a deliberate effort
at exercising my chosen virtues. For dauntlessness, I was focused on raising my
hand when given the chance to me, or just being a bit more open to others. In
addition to that, I also tried to steady my voice because at times I knew I
would speak a bit fast when presenting and/or answering a question.
Furthermore, relaxation was probably one of the most hardest to be completely
honest. My main step was to loosen myself up at situations that I am not
normally used to. I also tried to take as much weight off my shoulders to at
least lower my stress level and pressure. In order to boost my confidence up, I
tried to answer the questions that I was sure I knew, or I concentrated on my
gut feeling. Likewise, I studied very hard to get good grades on exams in order
to raise my self-esteem.
2. Throughout
these first nine weeks, I had many circumstances that would give me the benefit
to practice all three of my virtues. For my first virtue, dauntlessness, some
opportunities given to me during school were class discussions that we had to
participate in. Also, group work/assignments were very beneficial because when
we had to present, I felt more secure with familiar faces next to me, and not
as nervous. For relaxation, having Study Hall took a slight amount of stress
out of me, so I could unwind myself a bit at home with less work to do. Other
situations for this virtue were when the teachers gave us extensive due dates
for homework assignments so we can elaborate more, and we could perfect our
work. For confidence, some occasions that gave me the ability to exercise this
virtue were actually some exam or essay grades. This might seem a bit strange,
but sometimes good grades on exams or complex assignments helped me feel
confident in myself, and my own abilities. This gave me a sensation of success
because I knew that my own instincts were right, and I did not have any reason
to doubt them because I studied hard for it.
3. Although
I had many opportunities to improve on my virtues, I also experienced moments
and obstacles that got in the way of my attempt to succeed. For instance, some
situations that challenged my dauntlessness virtue were when I had to present
my art pieces on my own, with everyone just analyzing me, making me feel very
shy and insecure. It was hard for me to not speak quickly because I wanted to
get it over it, and I knew I made many errors throughout. As for relaxation,
many challenges came across me during these first nine weeks such as overloads
of homework that were due in a short amount of days. Also, not fully
understanding a topic in mainly Physics gave me so much stress because I knew
that it would be hard for me to complete the homework given. My third virtue,
confidence, also had a couple of interferences that affected my progress for
this virtue. For example, when I received a lower grade than I expected, and
especially one that I was confident with, that would cause a decrease in my
morale. Likewise, my confidence would go down because my instincts were either
wrong, or I doubted my own response.
4. After nine weeks, I do think that I was
relatively successful in practicing my chosen virtues. I can continue to make
progress for dauntlessness by answering to more questions given to me during
class discussions. I may also want to consider practicing this virtue not only
in school, but at other locations (restaurants, stores, etc.). I can ask for
assistance, order food, or even just simply greet and say hello to someone. For
relaxation, although I did practice this virtue, it was the hardest to work on.
I can proceed to make improvements on this by spending more time with my family
and friends, instead staying home and stressing about everything at all times. In
addition, I want to finish homework earlier so I can have more time to rest,
and I would not feel drowsy in the morning. For my final virtue, confidence, I
may want to devote myself to go more by my instincts, and not feel manipulated
or pressured into doing something that I am not sure about or not comfortable
with. Also, I would like to study in a spread out time, instead of the day
before the exams, so I will feel more confident in my responses, and I would not
have doubt in myself.
5. Based on my experience, I think that so
far for the first quarter it demonstrates that it is very difficult to become a
more virtuous person over all. There were many ups and downs along the way
throughout these first nine weeks, and I have learned through these
circumstances over some time. Sometimes I felt as if I was doing very well one
week, but then at the following week, my improvement turns around, and that
makes me feel as if I was becoming a less virtuous being. It does not make me
feel good about myself, and how others will view and see me in the near future.
To some people, this may be a simple task to accomplish, but for others like me
it is like the finish line is still so very far to reach, practically almost
invisible. I have improved a lot, but it is not enough to make me a very good,
and ethical individual because I have not completely gained strength in all of
my virtues. These sixteen weeks might not be enough to fully achieve my goal to
be a more virtuous person, but I am rooting to continue making progress even
after this experiment.
6. I defined a good person as someone who
is virtuous, meaning that they show high moral standards, and they go the extra
mile. Good people would complete a full task without a doubt and have an
ongoing personality. Over the next two months, some situations that may help me
in order to become a good individual can relate to debates in my Ethics class.
This can give me a better chance to cooperate with others without having to
worry about my shyness. Instead I will be focusing on our team, and forming
good arguments to support what I am claiming. Furthermore, I will be expecting
that throughout the following two months, I would get used to the handful of
homework, and I will be capable of managing my time better. This may help me to
remove my mental stress, and allow me to feel a bit at ease. Moreover, I would
hope to encounter volunteer opportunities. This would first off reflect a good
impression of myself on others so they can see what a true good and helpful
being I am. Also, this may help me increase my confidence because I would be
able to communicate with people I do not speak to, and I would have a higher
self-esteem, knowing that I am being very beneficent.
7. On the other hand, over the upcoming
two months, I may approach many challenges that can affect my development of
becoming a good person. For example, I may not comprehend something we may be
discussing about, and I could be asked to answer a question relating to that
topic. My own confidence level may decrease because I have no clue how to
respond to the question given, and this may ruin my chances of becoming a good
citizen. Another obstacle may be if there is a major exam that can define our
final grade for the quarter, my stress level will rise to the roof. I would not
have any time to hang out with neither my friends nor my family, and all I would
be doing is studying all night. This can also be a consequence because with
lack of sleep it would be hard for me to concentrate, and this causes me to
feel in a burden. Finally, another challenge may be if we have to present more
projects by ourselves in front of the entire class, and this may cause me to
become anxious, or I may forget what I will be saying during my presentation.
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