Consciously Conforming...?

I went to CVS last night in search of the infamous egg. Yes, the chap-stick in the shape of an egg that seems to be a popular possession for many Buckley students. Since I love chap-stick and a friend sold me on how good it was, I couldn't help but want it. As I was searching the aisles, back and forth and back and forth, it dawned on me that I could be conforming to the standard at Buckley which is to have this egg-shaped chap-stick. For a moment, I thought back to English class and our conformity essay, and mine in particular. I remembered that conforming only becomes dangerous if one does so unconsciously. So, I readdressed the situation and concluded that I wanted this chap-stick for it's benefits of soothing my lips, if ever they were to get chap. Since, I was aware of the benefits and aware of my desire for it, I decided that the final purchase of the egg was perfectly okay. Low and behold... they were OUT! Although, I walked away without the chap-stick, I was happy to have gone through a thorough reflection of my purchase if it were to happen.
Nevertheless, I am happy that we were forced to brainstorm conformity and to really take our analysis to different heights. I will now and forever look out to see if I am conforming, and if I am doing so consciously or unconsciously.

My personal Experience

I traveled to France in the summer of 2009. During my 4-week study abroad trip i stayed with a host family who did not speak any english. Once at dinner, my family expressed their absolute love and fascination with Hollywood. They were so excited to hear that I lived very close to Hollywood. As I was translating back and forth about my experiences on Hollywood and Highland, the big question came up: "So how is it? Do you like it?" I was so oblivious to the fact that they had put it on such a high pedestal that my response was very heartless. I, while answering very honestly, retorted back with my limited french vocabulary, "c'est tres sale et bruyant et un peu ennuyeux". This was the first thing that came to my mind and frankly would of been my response to anyone who asked me what I thought about Hollywood. My response translates into" It is very dirty and noisy and a little boring" Of course, my family was very confused and wasn't sure what to think. They had built up the idea of Hollywood, and there I was to shut them down.

However, unlike Meursault, I have a filter and morals and emotions. After my insensitive response, I immediately changed the mood and told them that that was only true of the outskirts of the town and that Hollywood was actually a very fun and exciting place to be.

In relation to The Stranger, I would have to say that at times I am irritated with Meursault's responses to many different situations in the fact that he fails to show any real feelings or morals. It might be a little more excusable if Meursault, like me, had slipped an insensitive comment in here and there and then reconciled it right after. However, he demonstrates no real care or concern for anything and he stands by all of his beliefs and responses.

Creative Blog #2

College: The one thing every child, student, and friend is told they are going to attend one day. Personally, I have known that I was going to attend college since before I can rememer. Every grade that I receieved and all the effort I put in to succeeding and doing well in school, was aimed at maintaing high grades in order to get into a top-notch school. Whether this was in elementary school working hard to get into a good middle school, or in middle school striving to get into a top-notch colelge prepatory high school, I have been working hard in order to reach that point of impressing colleges with all that I have done. Now, this isn't to say that I haven't enjoyed or benefited from the education along the way, but maintaing a good transcript has also been a primary goal. Now, I also know that I am not alone in what I am saying and that is because there are many more students out there like me.

The main problem for me arises in the fact that I have now reached that primary goal through all the hard work and late nights to get into college, but where do I go from here? I haven't heard much about what to do once I have gotten into college. Sure, you're supposed to still work hard, and earn a degree, but I wonder if I am still going to be aiming to reach the next rung on the ladder or if I am going to be actually enjoying myself in college and beyond. I have conformed so much to the societal standard of working hard and receiving a good education that I am not sure where anything else fits in. I wonder if my life will be lived continously how it is now, which is looking toward the future and making sure that everything I do now will be a stepping stone to succeed. I worry if students and children like me are brought up on too much conforming to society instead of branching out and living for oursleves, which consists of living more in the moment.


Disclaimer: Not everyone might live like what I described....

Creative Blog #1

While tabloids, magazines, and t.v. shows fictionally portray the life of an average teenager, real teenage girls today are pressured into conforming to take on their same appearance. Girls feel as though they must look just like the girls on the magazines who weigh 100  pounds or less. They watch t.v. shows that relate to their life, yet they find that their physical appearance does not match up. Studies have shown that girls have taken drastic measures to be skinny and to enhance their physical appearance, such as getting surgical procedures. The actions of typical girls now are the epitome of dangers of conformity.

Intro Paragraph..

Outside pressures that cause individuals to conform present both positive benefits and dangerous consequences. Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis" explores the dangers of conforming that main character, Gregor Samsa experiences when he turns into a large bug. Gregor's physical and mental presence represent two very different spectrum of emotions; while Gregor's body replicates a chaotic and sporadic insect, his mind remains strictly intact and conforms to the environment that he is in. This mental mindset is evident in the fact that when Gregor wakes up as a bug, he is only concerned with catching the next train and getting to work on time so that his boss doesn't scold him.The danger arises in the disconnect between Gregor's mind and body; the fact that his body is incapable of performing any of the tasks demanded by his mind, makes him a dysfunctional being. In addition to an example of the dangers to conformity, there are some benefits to conforming. Most notably, in the field of education, outside pressures to conform, such as classmates, teachers, and parents help promote receiving a good education in order to succeed in the future. Furthermore, while pressures to conform cause individuals to not think for themselves, but only for the collective, a beneficial aspect of conforming becomes apparent, as seen when it comes to education.

Leaderless Discussion, My thoughts...

When discussing conformity and if education should be used to facilitate both conformity and the pratice of freedom, I came to the conclusion that education is the backbone to one's success. And if that means that one must conform to learning the facts that are taught in school, then that is okay because these are the basic skills that one needs to succeed in the futre. By learning social skills and how to react to different situations, education helps an individual analyze both sides of a situation and allows them to take up their own opinion. However, this being said there are some cases in which conforming can be dangerous. If one sticks to closely to a social ideal or standard, rather than seeing the situation in their own eyes, then there is no diversity in thoughts or opinions

I plan to focus my essay on Kafka and conformity. I would like to note how in some situations, such as Gregor's, conforming can prove to be a dangerous. I would also like to focus on how Gregor skillfully represents both sides of chaos and conformity. Maybe I can take an in depth look at both sides of the spectrum and the effects of each. Lastly, I would like to include some of my findings from the interview I plan to have with my grandfather.