Stereotypes, And Perceptions: My Personal Experiences

I listened to “Something only I can see 2016.” This episode portrayed the struggles of being different. Unfortunately, people’s perceptions can make people feel worthless or inferior. People often judge each other based off of their learning or physical disability. A physical or learning handicap, should not defy an individual. At New England Academy, I feel that my learning disability defines who I am. When teachers and students misunderstand my goals in regards to academics, it decreases my confidence. My passion is limited, consisting of energy bursting with excitement and enthusiasm. When trying to excel, I am subdued to a lower force by negative comments intervening my path for success. It is inconceivable how strenuous it is, to justify and explain my opinion. Ultimately, confidence is the most important factor. Alluding to the episode “Something only I can see,” the difficulty is not the knowing but the explaining and understanding.
Each individual story gives an insight about struggles found when explaining a different perspective.
Within the Prologue, Jefrey Emtman yearns to share with others the struggles he facts. Unfortunately, people cannot read each other’s mind. Since Jefrey is of the only ones that faces this problem, it hard for others to comprehend. In the first act, Journalist David Epstein tells the story in which Jill Viles believes that she has the same muscular disease as the Olympic athlete, Priscilla Lopes- Schliep. People’s narrow-minded thinking does not allow them to think past what the naked eyes sees. Within Act 2, Mom Jokes, producer Nancy Updike interviews Tig Notaro about his mother in law. Eventually going up on a stage, what was something funny to only herself, became a hit. In the final act, Earth Angel, a man named Uri sees and believes things that nobody else does. As he sees an angel or “a liar with wings,” he understands that he can’t count on anyone
understanding.
All of these stories propose a question. In the prologue, Jefrey Emtman’s struggles bring up the question “Are their treatments for people who face specific diseases? Meaning, even if no one else faces the same disease?” Inevitably, many doctors are not able to help out patients who face specific chronic illnesses. Although there are generic solutions and treatments for the general population, it must be hard for a person like Jefrey who faces such a unique type of disease. In the first act, Jill’s problem proposes the following question “How come people judge each other on their looks or physical appearance”. A physical appearance quickly allows the human mind to formulate an opinion. Since the outer appearance is first seen, people often make irrational judgments. The second act “Mom Jokes,” asks “how do people get the courage go up on a stage?” People find courage in themselves with assistance of others. On the flip side, indecisiveness is driven by fear. I find courage in positive feedback from my friends and family. Uri’s conflict in the last act made me ask, “How do people become so invested in something that is not real to the whole world.” Many individuals believe certain things that others think are crazy. In summary: different perceptions people have can become very judgmental. Each of these questions brings up the difficulty or the success in having a different viewpoint.
I learned new information within this essay. In regards to the second act, I really learned that positive feedback could too help me grow to my fullest potential. Recently, I have thought that confidence comes from within; it is a balance. I did know that people would judge people on their physical appearance, but not to a certain extent. Sometimes we are so caught up in what we see that we forget to look at the bigger picture. In reality, we may not need to explain to others our problems for empathy. I am strong enough on my own, but having people by my side is really helpful.