by Trunks Atienza
30 August 2012
Discussed Text: Gabriel Marcel, "Primary and Secondary Reflection," The Mystery of Being
One of the “first world problems” of today is starting a paper in a profoundly strong way. You never know what to talk about or what topic to attack first because of the vast variety of topics that our minds present to us. More often than not, man is vulnerable to the downfall of trying to cope up with all these beliefs, concerns, prejudices, and whatnots in our lives that we lose sight of the things that are truly significant. And this, my fellow Garcians, is where reflection comes in.
I presume most of you reading this blog entry are at the crossroads in life called college. Here, our “leashes” are loosened. We are given a broader sense of freedom: late nights with the barkada, wearing absolutely anything we want to school (even if we look ridiculous), sitting-in on your crush’s class, cramming for a long test on philosophy etc. A lot of us may see college as a venue for adventure, buffoonery, and enjoyment. I am quite sure most, if not all, of us characterize college this way. As Mike Ross and Harvey Specter would put it, we would all be committing an act of perjury if we denied this fact. But what college is, more importantly, is that it is a turning point in our lives where our broadened freedom will have to co-exist with a mature discernment for self-realization. Here, we are given the opportunity to bank on what we desire to become for the duration of our lives. There are no limits to the possibility of decisions we can make throughout our college lives. We may decide to cut class, resent professors, or forego studying for an exam. But we must reflect on how these decisions could affect us in the long run. We may have cut class now but what if we miss a bonus quiz by doing so? We may resent a professor or two but what if they could have turned out to be quite a likeable person? We may pass on a chance to study for an exam but what if we fail the course and eventually get dismissed from Ateneo just because of that exam?
Reflection calls for us to pay attention to significant moments in our lives, to internalize these moments and self-examine our feelings and thoughts, and embrace these moments and convert toward how these moments affect our lives. The decisions we make in our lives lead us down certain paths which comprise of the fruits that our decisions bear. For us, the young, wild, and free generation, reflection is a way for us to ask the question: “What do my decisions lead me to become as a person?”
I admit that this was how I saw college back in high school. Applying for colleges, I was already imaging what my college life would be: late night partying, going home at 3am, skipping class etc. But now that I am in college, I still do think that we have so much freedom that we get overwhelmed and we have the choice on how to use this freedom "given" to us. My theo prof quoted someone on how the youth is wasted on the young. The line is saying that at this moment of our life, we are at the peak: the peak of our health and life. And it is wasted on us since we don't know how to use this gift give to us wisely. And since I am currently on that stage in life, I think I have become aware on how the decision I make will affect my life. Whether the decision I make such as deciding to cram a test or as big as shifting to another course will change me (no matter how big or small the decision is). For I think the world we live in there is are multidimension in which there are different versions of ourselves, our lives that was affected by the decisions we made in the past. This is only a personal opinion for I think that everyday we are presented by different choices and decisions to be made and whatever we choose will change us whether for the better or worse. So basically what I am saying is just to be conscious of the decisions we make for a single decision can change everything!
ReplyDeleteMore than 2 years ago, I was accepted into a number of universities. I chose Ateneo on the simple basis that it was "more appealing to employers". Little did I know then that the school would teach me not just how to make a living but also to be alive. Those thoughts and questions I've kept shut in my head when I was behind the walls of a conservative high school were finally able to see the light of day. The university exposed me to all sorts of people of all sorts of views, expanding my own view of the world. It is here that I am waking up, to others, to the world, and to my self.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments :) Glad you guys took the time to read my articles! Now that I realize it, I think I have more to say about the topic but there's just so much work load. Anyway, thanks again! Cheers!
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