Siddhartha’s life journey is representative of the worldly human desire to find meaning and success within oneself.…
I simply felt that he lived in a depth of moral isolation too remote for casual access, and I had the sense that his loneliness was not merely the result of his personal plight, tragic as I guessed that to be, but had in it, as Harmon Gow had hinted, the profound…
While it is important for an individual to have a high self-esteem in order to fulfill his or her goal, it is also important to know one’s weaknesses and respect the capabilities of others. Jean Twenge demonstrates this idea in her essay,“An Army of One: Me,” and shows how having high self-esteem without a solid basis for it can lead to children who feel superior to others. In contrast to the egotistical people illustrated in Twenge’s essay, in his essay, “Wisdom,” Robert Thurman discusses how the process of reaching enlightenment is difficult, but once achieved leads to a compassionate life where an individual can feel empathy with others. Subsequently, in her essay, “Selections from Reading Lolita in Tehran,” Azar Nafisi focuses on teaching…
There are approximately seven billion people living on the Earth. Each person is different. The journey of finding one’s self is a path that one must take with little help from others and built from their own experiences, creating an identity that must be established by themselves and can only be taken away by themselves as seen through the texts A Separate Peace by John Knowles, Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, and Night by Elie Wiesel.…
It is generally accepted that our true identity is best discovered when we form connections with others, and that without these relations, a sense of existence is hard to establish. Indian leader and renowned philosopher, Mahatma Gandhi, once claimed that “the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Like most people, Gandhi acknowledges that the need to belong is an innate predisposition in all humans, and firmly believes that this acts as a catalyst for self-discovery. In the novel ‘The Member of The Wedding’ by Carson McCullers, the author explores this concept of identity and belonging,…
There are times in individual’s lives when sudden realisations may alter their perception of themselves and their place in the world. The place, context and setting in significant moments in time throughout individual’s lives cause such realisations occur. This can be seen in both the novels “The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri and “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Remarque, through the experiences of their characters Paul, Gogol and Ashima. Paul is confronted by his experiences on the front line, where his kinship between his fellow comrades have entrenched him from his own family and society. Likewise, those significant moments partaken by Gogol and Ashima, school excursions and getting a job, have both caused social disturbance and an increased recognition of one’s identity.…
“What are we living for?” People throw these profound questions often. As modern time improves its quality of life, people attach great importance to search for meaning. In the process of searching for meaning, there are mainly 3 steps that many people go through; formative period influenced by surroundings, transition period encircled by lures and sins, and the completion along with a mentor. Yet, everyone experiences these steps different and produce diverse consequences like Siddhartha from the novel Siddhartha by Herman Hesse and non-believers in reality showing apparent distinctions.…
6) Paranjpe, A.C. (1998). Self and identity in modern psychology and Indian thought. New York: PlenumPress.…
Our search for who we are is fuelled by our innate desire to achieve a sense of acceptance and belonging. Belonging doesn’t just happen; it involves many factors and experiences in order to feel that you truly belong. Feeling a sense of inclusion can enrich our identity and relationships and can lead to acceptance and understanding. In order to understand who we are we need to belong and this is effectively represented in Raimond Gaita’s memoir ‘Romulus My Father,’ Shaun Tan’s ‘The Lost Thing’ and JD Salinger’s ‘The Catcher in the Rye.’…
In the novel Keeper 'n Me by Richard Wagamese, he shows the importance of family and culture as a healing process in self-knowledge. The development of self-discovery is based on the world around, what is seen, heard, experienced etc. Learning about one’s self is about individual experiences, it is not something that a book teaches. Pursuing life first hand is the only way to learn about self-discovery. Garnet being alone for so long, leaves him unhappy and feeling meaningless, not having anyone to connect to. Every foster home Garnet’s been to never feels like home, he is always shut out or made fun of. He could not discover who he is as an individual being surrounded by negative energy. Being thrown in jail was a turning point in Garnet’s…
In this essay I will briefly outline my understanding of the concepts of the situated and knowing self. I will then reflect on how my background has influenced me as a learner and in doing this I apply the concepts to my discussion.…
In the book, “a complicated kindness”, written by Miriam Toews, the main character, Nomi Nickel, fights through many obstacles in her life and learns what reality is. Her characteristics and identities are built in her by the places she lives. The struggling in living without her mother and older sister has made her doing so much than what she would. The small town and her religion have a huge impact in her, where she hates the place but she learns to love it. Her dream of being free has more inspiration in her which makes her wanting to go to the outside world. After learning so much as she has to, she becomes a responsible, kind and strong young adult.…
Moving into the world is a significant experience in a person’s life which provides opportunities for growth and development. Change in attitude, development of knowledge and change in identity are all aspects of moving into the world however, it is not as simple as it seems and it consists of being faced with barriers which an individual learns to overcome. Moving into the world is explored in two texts which are Billy Elliot, by Stephan Daldry, and Eminem’s song “Lose Yourself”.…
How can one truly know who they are? It takes years of experience to understand yourself; your likes, your dislikes, your abilities, and your passions. Sometimes society will agree with these things, and sometimes it won’t. Self-identity is the result of trial and error in terms of resistance to the cultural norms of one’s society, and the lessons learned through such resistance, as demonstrated in Munro’s An Ounce of Cure and Boyle’s Greasy Lake.…
Obstacles and difficulties in life trigger one’s growth and make them a better person. In “Awakening” by Isaac Babel, Isaac achieves his awakening as he realizes his dream, takes control of his life, and improves his writing skills.…