ENG 2150 Assignment #1 Draft

ENG 2150 Assignment #1 Abstract

There isn’t a specific day I can tell you to pinpoint when it happened. In fact, I would assert that it wasn’t a specific day, rather it was weeks and months during which my outlook on life changed completely. From late secondary into the first few years of high school, I saw life through a juvenile and immature lens. Arguments were answered either by yes or no. Every situation was black and white. Moreover, if I believed a situation was black and you said white, I would completely disrespect your opinion, not even considering your rationale. They say that it is impossible to argue with those who would never be open to different ideas. I was one of those impossible people. I had extremely controversial opinions before the transition of my mind. I was a hardcore supporter of conservative beliefs and politics. As is apparent in our country, the people on this side of the political aisle find it repulsive to even hear an idea which differs from their own. Oftentimes, at family meetings, I would let my mouth loose, spewing out questionable and often insensitive beliefs just out of the interest to argue. Often, at these family meetings, I was the lone man against the many. I felt validated in that I was enlightened and they were not at my level yet. I had pride. Too much pride. Pride is one of those traits that is both sought after by men and condemned by religion. But in my case, the brothers I had around me perceived that pride to be confidence and being well-spoken. It took the women in my life to criticize me, or scold me out of irritation, really, to wake me up to the reality of my backwards mindset. I was arrogant. I thought I was right and everyone else was wrong. My friends were always those who thought exactly like me. If you didn’t think like me, we could not be compatible. But it is thanks to these women that I realized open mindedness was key to becoming a wiser, more knowledgeable human being. In the Fall of 2022, I start senior year of high school. I am beyond excited. You see, I had everything going well for me. I had smart, like-minded friends who I considered my brothers. I started to develop true confidence as opposed to pride. There is a difference. Pride is ego and arrogance. These feelings, though they may conjure some temporary confidence in you, are susceptible to being shot down by insecurity. Real confidence is not these things such as ego. Rather, it is in line with humility, self-respect, and the pursuit excellence. It should be obvious, now, that one is more preferable than the other. To be clear, open-mindedness does not mean abandoning tradition. I consider myself a practicing Muslim. Although I am not as religious as many people, I perform the necessary duties. Moreover, I am wholeheartedly convinced in the correctness of my choice of belief. Despite my conviction in religion, I still advocate for open-mindedness. That doesn’t mean you have to respect all ideas that are unlike your own. Open-mindedness is about hearing out different ideas and what reasons might lead someone to think that way. See if perhaps there is any logic in these arguments. If there is, how does it affect the lifestyle of those who believe in these arguments? Is that a lifestyle you would prefer over your own? Then perhaps take what you like and stay with whatever else you already have. Something I had trouble with before was taking criticism from others. I don’t need to repeat myself about the issue of arrogance to explain why I did not take it well. But it is exactly these criticisms from people we trust that keep us on the right path. We cannot always trust ourselves to decide what the best possible move is to make. For instance, our brains very often convince us to procrastinate on our important responsibilities. Whether it is homework, studying, or exercising, our minds too often convince us that we can “do it later.” Do not listen to yourself always.