Integration One - Believing in Deeper Connections When I started thinking about what I truly believe in, it ultimately came down to just a few root beliefs that I truly and strongly believe in. I have thought about these beliefs for a long time, even before I got to Notre Dame and was challenged to think more deeply about my beliefs both in Moreau and my philosophy class. These beliefs stood up to the philosophical arguments in my philosophy class, and related very well to the content we discussed in this class. I believe that it is necessary for a good life to have deep and meaningful connections. As Brené Brown stated, “Connection is why we’re here. It’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One). When I first listened to this talk, I was happy to hear this quote because it aligned very closely with my own belief. I think I developed this belief first through my family. I believe we develop most of our beliefs through our experiences and how we are raised. As we discussed in week six, where we are from has a huge impact on who we are (“Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon - Moreau FYE Week Six). I have four older siblings, and I am very close with my family. I think that these kinds of close connections help give meaning to our lives. Having people that care for you, and rely on you for some sort of moral support, help give us a reason to be here. This Moreau class helped me learn how vulnerability can help with developing these connections, which is something that I have been working on since we first learned about it in week one. Part of the reason I chose Notre Dame is because I heard about the close community that is developed through residential life. Personally, I have found this to be completely true. I am in O’Neill Family Hall, and I have really found a family there. When I arrived on campus the upperclassmen immediately welcomed me into the community, and I also connected with the other freshmen in my section. We do many events together, such as “fives” which is where we all https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html go eat dinner together as a section at five o’clock. This has been very helpful for me, because family dinners are something that I love and miss from home. I am a mechanical engineering major, and the upperclassmen engineering majors in my section have been there for me to offer advice and guidance. I already feel as though I am making these deep connections here at Notre Dame that I believe are absolutely necessary for a good life. “The best kind of friendships are the ones that you leave with a smile on your face” (“5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Friendship” by Olivia T. Taylor - Moreau FYE Week Four). These are the kind of relationships that I am forming here which makes me feel very fortunate. The importance I place on forming connections drives many of my actions and behavior. Many times when I am trying to decide on what to do in a certain situation, I think about what will result in the most meaningful connection. If given the option between doing something with a group of friends or studying for a test, most of the time I choose the activity with friends. While grades are important, I believe that nurturing relationships is more important in the long run. This belief that meaningful relationships are important is also a big reason why I go to church. I was raised to go to church every week, and my parents always encourage me to go. However, now that I am living independent of them, I still go to church because of the sense of community I feel there. Every week, the dorm mass is packed with people, and afterward we all gather in the lounge for “family time.” Another reason I decided to come to Notre Dame is the relatively small size of the school and the emphasis on classes outside of your major such as philosophy and theology. As Father Grove said, “The best of what you and I were created to be is made manifest when every capacity of our intellects and calls of our hearts are both augmented by faith and reason” (“Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education” by Father Kevin Grove - Moreau FYE Week Five). https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/relationships/signs-of-toxic-friendships/ https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 This statement sums up what I think Notre Dame is trying to cultivate, which I think is important. I believe that it is very important to develop a well-rounded character. These classes will help me become a more complete thinker and give me more tools in my future. Some of my favorite classes right now are my philosophy class “God and the Good Life” and my USEM “Migration in Literature.” I enjoy these classes not only because of the interesting content but because of the small class sizes that make it easy to make friends and form connections. As David Brooks emphasized in his TED talk from week two (“Should you live for your Resume or your Eulogy” by David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week Two), I believe that it is much more important to live for the eulogy than the resume. In my philosophy class, we spent a lot of time discussing what happiness means. We discussed “hedonism” which is the belief that happiness is just achieved by pursuing pleasure as much as possible. We also learned about “eudaimonia” which is Aristotle’s view of happiness. He believed that you achieved eudaimonia through fulfilling your function. He said that our function is to act rationally, however I disagree on this part of his philosophy. I believe that our function is achieved through helping others. As Fr. Pete said “None of us get to escape the complexities that life has in store. In the face of such a reality, what are we going to do?” (“The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Fr. Pete McCormick - Moreau FYE Week Three). Life often throws bad situations and hard times on us, and I think that it is necessary for us to help each other through these times. Faith is one way to keep hope through these hard times, but I also believe we can find hope and comfort in those around us. If you can make life a little better for each person you encounter, then your life has purpose and meaning. Everyone we see may be going through a hard time, and we can never assume anything about people. As we talked about in week seven, assuming things about people based on what we have heard https://youtu.be/MlLWTeApqIM https://youtu.be/MlLWTeApqIM https://youtu.be/lcZMeqWWOIs (especially if we have only heard one story) can lead to very negative consequences because those assumptions are often wrong and biased (“The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Moreau FYE Week Seven). I believe that I can also find meaning in a career in engineering. As an engineer, I will be in a position where I can help a lot of people, whether I am doing something on a small scale to help individuals, or on a larger scale to help society as a whole. I think I first developed this belief after watching my dad work as a vocational rehabilitation engineer. He has helped many people through his job, and that is something that I really liked about engineering. My mom is a nurse and has also helped countless people, but engineering was more interesting to me than healthcare. This belief has been challenged a little bit after learning more about what many engineers do. Many mechanical engineers go into the auto industry, and while the work could be interesting and necessary, I don’t think it would be that meaningful. However, there are many different opportunities for engineering, so I think I will be able to find one that is meaningful. Ultimately, these root beliefs make up who I am, what I do on a day-to-day basis, and my goals for the future. I believe in doing what I can to help others, challenging myself to become a more well rounded individual, but most importantly working hard to form deep connections. https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story Works Cited “The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon - Moreau FYE Week Six “5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Friendship” by Olivia T. Taylor - Moreau FYE Week Four “Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education” by Father Kevin Grove - Moreau FYE Week Five “Should you live for your Resume or your Eulogy” by David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week Two “The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Fr. Pete McCormick - Moreau FYE Week Three “The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Moreau FYE Week Seven https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/relationships/signs-of-toxic-friendships/ https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 https://youtu.be/MlLWTeApqIM https://youtu.be/lcZMeqWWOIs https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story