Li 2


Anthony Polotto
Moreau First Year Experience
3 October 2021
My Unique Worldview
	It’s almost impossible to get everyone to agree on something. From the existence of lizard people to the shape of the Earth to far-fetched conspiracy theories, it seems everything can be debated nowadays. On a more serious note, though, it’s completely understandable that everybody has their own opinions and beliefs that they hold to be important in their own life. We’ve all had different experiences, backgrounds, cultures, religions, etc. that we grew up in that can never be identical to someone else’s. Even identical twins raised in the same household will eventually grow to become completely different people with their own unique personal values and beliefs. Through my experience so far at Notre Dame, it’s shaped many of my beliefs in just the few months I’ve been here. I believe that I must acknowledge my mistakes to grow, that I need close relationships to flourish and live a good life, and that spirituality can lead to a life full of purpose and morals. 
	I truly believe that without recognizing my own downfalls, biases, and vulnerabilities, I cannot grow and improve as a person. If I never admit that I don’t know something, how would I ever learn? Brené Brown in her TED talk claims, “Vulnerability is the core of shame and fear and our struggle for worthiness, but it appears that it’s also the birthplace of joy, of creativity, of belonging, of love” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown – Moreau FYE Week One). This demonstrates that being able to admit one’s faults is critical to developing as a person. At Notre Dame, I’ve had to be honest about not knowing countless things. For example, when I joined the rocketry team, I had no idea what CAD or apogee or actuation meant. There was so much terminology I didn’t know and so many programs I had never used before. It was only by being vulnerable and admitting I didn’t know what they were talking about that I was able to learn. If I had never been vulnerable and pretended like I understood what they were talking about, I would’ve learned nothing and would’ve wasted my time there. Now, I feel like I belong as a part of the team and I’m able to contribute to the overall success of the team while also learning more skills because of my vulnerability. 
Additionally, though, I think it’s important to understand that people are not perfect. I am not perfect. We all like to think of ourselves as being better than most people, or at least above average, but we all have flaws. The article in week seven notes that implicit bias tests reveal that people are much more biased than they self-report on surveys. (“How To Think about ‘Implicit Bias’” by Keith Payne, Laura Niemi, John M. Doris – Moreau FYE Week Seven). Again, this just shows that I probably have many flaws that I don’t even know about, but without recognizing these biases, it’s impossible to fix them. I truly believe that I must first identify problems and downfalls within me before I can improve upon them and improve as a person by getting rid of these biases. The TED talk in week two talks about Adam I versus Adam II mentalities, and that to grow as people we need the Adam II values of introspection and reflection rather than the Adam I values of ambition, wealth, and materialism (“David Brooks: Should you live for your résumé… or your eulogy?” by David Brooks – Moreau FYE Week Two). This further emphasizes my point that I need to grow by reflecting on myself, not chasing after short-term goals or ambitions for materialistic pleasure. It’s only by actively trying to improve myself that I’m going to able to do so. If I get distracted by short-term, selfish goals, I’ll never be able to truly change as a person (or in a positive way at least). In short, I believe that being vulnerable and retrospective are both critical to learning and growing as a person and I’ll continue learning from others and from myself during my time here at Notre Dame. 
	One of the most important aspects of learning and growing as a person is to build close relationships with others. Talking with other people allows both parties to learn from each other and support one another through difficult times. This belief is evident in my “Where I’m from” poem where I wrote, “I am from close friends who feel like another family, where we share our worries and delights without hesitation” (“Where I’m from” by (me) – Moreau FYE Week Six). This demonstrates that I firmly believe that everyone needs friends to get each other through tough times. A lot of the times, situations seem less insurmountable when it’s verbalized through dialogue with another person. Plus, talking with others lets me learn about information that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Talking to guys in my dorm (Keenan) let me know that certain study spots are amazing and mostly unheard of or that Nick (my RA) is really chill and a great guy to talk to about literally anything. My point is, without talking to others and forming these friendships, there are so many opportunities and chances to learn that are lost because it’s simply impossible for someone to know everything that’s happening. It’s also why networking is so valuable when people start looking for jobs/internships. This is further supported by an article that says, “A good, healthy friendship is one where two people are mutually growing” (“5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Friendship” by Olivia T. Taylor – Moreau FYE Week Four). At Notre Dame, I can’t say that I’ve formed a close friendship with people yet, but I’m sure that some of my current friends will definitely be majorly important to me over the course of the next four years. However, I still believe that close friendships are what allow me to live a good life. The close friendships that I have now provided me with so much joy and saved my hide on so many occasions that it’s almost unreal to think about. (The same goes for my family, who I’m ever-so-grateful for but didn’t talk about in this section because the citations didn’t really mention family.) Again, I think that without these close relationships, life loses a lot of its meaning and joy. Moving forward, I’m definitely trying to form these close relationships while maintaining the ones I have now. 
	I also believe that spirituality and finding faith can enable people to live life with purpose. My experiences at Notre Dame have brought me closer to religion than I’ve experienced for most of my life. From mass in the chapel to prayers at the Grotto to Keenan Bible study, I’ve been able to personally experience the massive impact that faith has on many people. A quote from an article claims, “Spirituality concerns the real world, and how we see it, how we do it, how we approach it” (“Faith Brings Light to a Dark World” by David Fagerburg – Moreau FYE Week Three). I think that this is true for people who have found faith in their life. It guides them, gives them morals to live by, and provides purpose for life. Spirituality creates bonds between people and God, and these bonds are oftentimes some of the strongest bonds that can exist. There’s something special about it that can’t be adequately described in words, but once it’s experienced, it’s truly unforgettable. An example of how faith can transform someone is seen with the saying, “We cannot love the God whom we cannot see if we don’t love the brother whom we do see” (“Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education” by Fr. Kevin Grove, C.S.C – Moreau FYE Week Five). This demonstrates that spirituality leads to someone becoming a better person. It teaches us to love and respect others and live life with morality. That’s one of the reasons why Notre Dame is such an amazing place to be. Everyone’s inclusive, respectful, and truly love one another regardless of who they are. I think that this environment is infectious, and I want to be able to become as inclusive and loving as the Notre Dame community has treated me so far. 
	In short, my time here at Notre Dame has already begun to shape my personal beliefs. I’ve learned to become more vulnerable and retrospective to improve as a person. I’ve realized the value in the relationships I have with others and to form more of them moving forward. I’ve experienced the transformation that faith can bring to people and the good that it brings to the world. However, these are just my personal, subjective beliefs. I’m sure the next four years will either strengthen, alter, and/or change a lot of the beliefs I hold right now, and I’m sure I’ll discover more of what I truly believe as I spend more time here. I know my beliefs aren’t facts and others might have vastly different opinions on these topics, but as of right now, it’s currently my unique worldview.