Anderson Moreau Integration Final Anderson 1 Dr. Chan Moreau FYE 10/11/21 A Home Built on Rock: The Foundational Beliefs of My Life Below are my core values. Upon reflection, I noticed that all of them really come from the same influences so I decided to write about all of those influences here instead of individually. My root beliefs have been formed by my Catholic faith, the way in which my family raised me, my education (both my formal schooling and the independent studies I choose to pursue - especially literature), my friendships, and my own experiences and reflections. Core Values: 1) I believe that suffering and failure are inevitable and yet overcomable and redeemable I thought this Brene Brown’s video on vulnerability (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One) was very insightful as a whole but extremely relevant to us as we are beginning the college journey. I identified with the speaker very much: I often try to avoid vulnerability and uncertainty. However, I also agree that this is not a feasible way to live. It will not bring fulfillment. I think her point that numbing vulnerability also numbs joy was very persuasive. When we try to avoid vulnerable situations like asking for help we often become more overwhelmed and end up not necessarily vulnerable to another person, but vulnerable to our stress. This holds true to the teachings of Catholicism as well. We cannot avoid suffering. It is inevitable and universal. However, the Church teaches that we can persevere through suffering and adversity and ultimately find peace and joy through others and God Himself. Furthermore, in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be Anderson 2 order to believe that suffering has value, one must have hope. Professor Fagerberg talks about the nature of hope: “Hope is the confidence that we are moving toward light, not darkness; joy, not sorrow; life, not death. And yet even tribulations can advance us toward the Kingdom of God. Hope is confident because it rests upon God’s power, not our own” (“Faith Brings Light to a Dark World”- by David Fagerberg, Grotto - Moreau FYE Week Three). I think hope is one of those interesting concepts. It is a blend between realism and optimism. It is not just fancy or ignorance or idle dreaming, but is in fact an admirable quality. I think Fagerberg makes a point that illuminates why hope is admirable. He says “Hope is confident because it rests upon God’s power, not our own”. It is not idle dreaming because it is not saying “everything is right with the world” or “nothing could possibly go wrong” or “I can do anything”. Hope accepts that we are out of control, but simultaneously that God is in control. It is the ability to trust that all things, even darkness and tribulation, work towards the greater good of those who love God. If one has this mindset of trust, they can better face any difficulties because they have peace in their heart and confidence that even suffering can be redeemed and glorified. Several students talked about this concept in their “Faith journeys at Notre Dame” and I believe it from my own experience. 2) I believe that success and perfection are not as worthy a goal as virtue and character formation I loved Brooks' talk about “Resume virtues” versus “Eulogy Virtues”. I agree with him that the Eulogy virtues, centered around character, are ultimately more fulfilling than the ones centered around personal success. He states, “Adam one is built by building on your strengths. Adam two is built by fighting your weaknesses...and out of that wrestling, that suffering, a depth of character is constructed” ( “Should You Live for Your Resume or Your Eulogy?” by David Brooks - https://bit.ly/2MwCxs4 https://bit.ly/2MwCxs4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM Anderson 3 Moreau FYE Week Two). I think this is a beautiful quote that has many layers. I believe it is true that our culture is very success oriented and perfection is a major value. Thus, as a result, people tend to focus on and define themselves by their strengths. This is seen by how resumes are often about “selling yourself” as the perfect applicant for a job. However, “strengths” do not just refer to one's natural virtues, but morphs itself into every ability, award, or accomplishment one has ever received. Though not wrong in and of itself, this definition fosters a very achievement based culture, where people tend to ignore and omit their weaknesses (or even the reality of weaknesses) because success is based on perfection. Another point of this quote however, is that one should fight to overcome their weaknesses, and through this struggle, forge a deeper character. People should not be ashamed to acknowledge their weaknesses, but this does not mean they should justify them. Each one of us can constantly improve our character, not for the purpose of improving our resume, but because the possession of virtue results in a more fulfilling life. As the ancient Latin proverbs say, “strength rejoices in the challenge” and” the strongest characters are forged through fire”. 3) I believe that true education should enrich your mind and heart This value is very important to me and I find support for it in Notre Dame’s mission as articulated by Fr. Grove: “He founded Holy Cross to remind the world that 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 Fr. Kevin Grove, C.S.C. - Moreau FYE Week Five). We are hopefully not getting an education just for the sake of a diploma, but so that we can use that acquired knowledge for a greater purpose. A proper education cultivates both your intellect and heart with the ultimate purpose of a forged character so that one can be a source of good in the world. I believe true fulfillment comes https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 Anderson 4 through the cultivation of both the mind and the heart and I agree that both should be guided by faith and reason so that we can not only have transcendent ideas, but the ability to make them a reality. A real Catholic education is not contingent on what you are studying, but on why you are studying. We don't all have to be theology majors to serve God. We can take any subject or passion of ours, guide it towards the service of God and neighbor, and allow it to help us grow in virtue, 4) I believe that humans are complex and that generalizations undermine the depth and dignity of each individual In the talk about the “Dangers of a Single Story” the speaker described how she had once reduced a family in their town to nothing more than “poor” and through this mentality she flattened their humanity:“I was startled. It had not occurred to me that anybody in his family could actually make something. All I had heard about them was how poor they were, so that it had become impossible for me to see them as anything else but poor. Their poverty was my single story of them” (“Danger of a Single Story" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Moreau FYE Week Seven)I really liked her point that it is important to have a person's whole story, not just selective parts, in order to really understand them because humans are so complex. We are not just one thing. We each have depth and dignity. I found her point interesting that when you repeatedly think of a person as nothing more than a “victim” or “poor” it undermines their humanity. It flattens their character and reduces them to nothing more than a pathetic mental image. Someone might be poor, but that doesn't mean they can't have a love for art, a sense of humour, or an interior peace. There is much more to their identity than their poverty. Yes, there is real suffering in the world, but, as I send in one of my earlier core values, part of the remarkableness of human https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story Anderson 5 nature is the ability for us to triumph over that suffering and live a fulfilling life nonetheless. Furthermore, I think it is important that people don’t stereotype or generalize because when this occurs we lose sight of the individual. At the heart of every action is an individual. Each one of us has free will and a conscience and we determine how we act. Generalizations wipe away the nuance and complexity of each human being. People are reduced simply to the words “victims” and “victors” without actually exploring the depth and dignity of each of those people. I believe this is a dangerous mentality. 5) I believe that fulfilling relationships are based on mutual respect and investment and focused around depth In the article about whether or not you are in a toxic relationship the following quote stuck out to me as the epitome of disrespect: “As they respond with “mhmm,” “yeah,” “wow,” their minimal interest shows that they’re not terribly invested in you and don’t really care about what you have to say. Ironically enough, it’s usually the friend who never listens to you who expects you to listen intently to them”("5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Friendship" - by Olivia T. Taylor, Grotto - Moreau FYE Week Four). Mutual respect and willingness to listen to and understand each other is key in a relationship. There must be a free discourse of ideas.It has been said that the opposite of love is not hate, but rather indifference. When one speaks it is the act of sharing their inner thoughts with another. When one ignores or “tunes out” what someone has decided to share with them it is one of the most insulting actions a person can take. Even disagreeing is preferable, because in order to disagree one at least had to have put the effort into listening to what you had to say. When one ignores you they are indirectly saying that you are not worth the https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/relationships/signs-of-toxic-friendships/ Anderson 6 slight effort of them paying attention and that nothing truly valuable is coming out of your mouth, which could also be interpreted as “Nothing that you think is worth sharing”. I think this is indeed a toxic mentality. As the article stated, so often the people who ignore others are the ones who talk the most. I agree with the article's point that toxic relationships are ones that are imbalanced. For the relationship to succeed and flourish both people need to be truly invested in each other and act accordingly. In my “Where I’m from'' poem (Moreau FYE Week Six), I talked about how some of my greatest memories are having deep talks with others just in a car where we both sacrificed our time and just partook in an enriching conversation full of depth. Those conversations have shaped me and I value them immensely. 6) I believe that self-reflection and knowledge are key to personal growth The Moreau FYE objective of defining your beliefs and values (which find its culmination in this assignment!) stood out to me because I believe this goes hand in hand with the idea of self-knowledge. Your beliefs and values are an essential part of your identity and they inform the way in which you live your life. I believe sharpening the definition of your values through self-reflection is an essential step in living your life more meaningfully and intentionally. Since man is by nature teleological, when we have clear and defined goals of our personal beliefs, principles, and values it helps us match all decisions of our life towards that larger goal of our desired character. I enjoyed taking the VIA survey (“VIA Character Strength Survey” by VIA INstitute on Character- Moreau FYE Week Two) immensely and I think such tools are helpful for self-reflection and personal growth. The test said that my top strengths were perspective, Anderson 7 spirituality, curiosity,self-regulation, and prudence. I found this information both accurate and insightful. Thank you!