Moreau Integration One Assignment


Moreau First Year Experience


I believe that I’m responsible for becoming my best self. In order to change as a person I
have to take proactive steps, including being vulnerable with myself and others. Vulnerability is
an incredibly important strength to have because it allows me to empathize with others and be
more honest with myself. Vulnerability helps differentiate people, because  “They believed that
what made them vulnerable made them beautiful” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brene Brown
- Moreau FYE Week One). It’s pointless to judge others for traits that make all of us human. This
includes our own negative introspection, likely caused by the fear and shame we’ve
experienced from others. A lot of people feel scared to come out of their shell and truly be
themselves, especially now during a time when everybody seemingly looks like they have their
life together through the lens of social media. When I was younger and first introduced to social
media, I was afraid to talk to new people because I thought they wouldn’t like me as a person
and that they’d immediately judge me based only on things they’ve heard about me. However,
as I’ve grown older I’ve realized that it’s okay for me to be myself around new people, because if
they don’t like me it’s okay! I don’t have to be friends with every individual I meet, I should just
be honest with them from the start and see how our relationship changes. If they don’t like me
then it simply wasn’t meant to be, and I wouldn’t want to be friends with someone who doesn’t
like me for who I am. This way I’m not living for others, I can live for myself, because “You have
to surrender to something outside yourself to gain strength within yourself” (“Should You Live for
Your Resume or Your Eulogy” by David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week Two). I naturally want to
please other people to relieve any possible tension, but that wouldn’t reflect who I really am as a
person if I’m changing for other people’s benefit. The best thing you can do is stand up for
yourself, and hope people respect you for your resolve.

I believe that my community should practice introspection more. As a society, we need to
become increasingly more aware of our mistakes in order to move forward. I need to start with
examining my own mistakes and toxic behaviors, because it would be hypocritical to bark orders
at others without following them myself. The best place to start would be with my personal
relationships, because “The best kind of friendships are the ones where you leave with a smile
on your face, knowing you’re both growing to be better people and that you’re helping each
other get there” (“5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Friendship” by Olivia Taylor - Moreau FYE Week
Four). I’ve found myself in many situations where I was stuck in a toxic friendship with what
seemed like no way out. These negative relationships leave no room for personal growth, and I
often found myself spending my personal time worrying about all of the wrong things. If you’re
close, you’re likely more honest with each other, and all I want is for someone to help me grow
as a human being to be my best self. With honesty, we’re able to show our more unattractive
behaviors and learn more about each other. Once I took the time to realize my situation, I got
out of there as fast as possible, and I’ve been so much happier since then! The most limiting
factor with changing our relationships with people is our fear of being uncomfortable. We need
to outgrow this irrational distress surrounding our inability to change. It seems that “It would be
comforting to conclude, when we don’t consciously entertain impure intentions, that all of our
intentions are pure” (“How to Think About ‘Implicit Bias” by Keith Payne et. al - Moreau FYE



Week 7). I do sometimes find it hard to admit that I’m wrong, it’s just a part of my human nature.
It’s important to get past that initial embarrassment in order to correct myself, because I don’t
want to hurt others in the process of my ignorance. It’s better to fix your mistakes and become a
better person than harm other individuals.

I believe that I grow by correcting my mistakes and learning from them. This is relevant
both inside and outside of the classroom, because I’m constantly making mistakes in my day to
day life. I used to be incredibly scared of doing the wrong thing, because I thought it meant that I
was a flawed individual who didn’t deserve a second chance. Anything less than an A meant I
was unintelligent, and any conflict with friends meant I was a bad person. After spending a lot of
time collecting my fair share of mistakes and other bad experiences, I realized that it wasn’t the
mistake itself that had an impact on my life, but the way I used it to learn. You must “Pay
attention to things as they happen to you, for when life comes to teach you a lesson, you will
repeat the class if you don’t pass the test” (“2021 Laetare Medalist Address” by Carla Harris -
Moreau FYE Week 5). It’s clearly more helpful to take preventative measures first, but if that’s
impossible, then paying attention to your wrongdoings is crucial. Learning from personal error
shows maturity and strength, much more than what is seen in individuals who don’t make
mistakes, who therefore can’t learn from them. I believe that tough situations are vital for human
development, because they can almost always be used as an important life lesson. We’ve been
taught from such a young age that we shouldn’t have flaws because it was assumed that they
make us failures. Once you get past the emotional turmoil of what seems like a failure, you feel
slightly grateful for everything you’ve learned and how much you’ve grown.