Dionne Wong - Week 11 - The Language of Inspiration
Everyone knows something you don’t. This may sound really scary at first, but interpreting this statement in a more positive way is important.
One of the first things you learn as a kid, whether you acknowledge it directly or subconsciously, is that there are a lot of different people in the world. Growing up, my elementary school teachers taught students to embrace uniqueness, and I think this helped many people with accepting parts of themselves at a young age. For example, the hobbies and interests we have now often came from things we discovered about ourselves in our childhood. It’s easy to understand this logic—that you are the way you are because of your specific past experiences—but it can be tiring to always reference it.
Nevertheless, learning to love yourself by appreciating even the things that set you apart from others, while difficult (extremely, especially as teenagers), can sometimes be easier to understand than its complement: learning to love others by appreciating the things that set them apart from others.
Recently, I’ve been more aware of the way others around me influence who I am. My younger brother knows something I don’t: how to find almost anything funny. My older sister knows something I don’t: how to maintain a carefree yet authentically content attitude throughout difficult times. All my teachers definitely know things I don’t, as well as my friends, classmates, acquaintances, and those I am unacquainted with.
Yet knowing what I don’t know forces me to know it a little better. The way I see it, everything I’ve ever learned has come from others, even if the conclusions I come to that set the foundation for my identity take root in the creation of my own thought processes. I once came across a quote somewhere on a social media platform (I’m not sure who it originated from, but it might be here), “I am a mosaic of everyone I’ve ever loved, even for a heartbeat.” I think it describes the core of humanity really beautifully.
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Hi Dionne! I love your topic because it is something I have also been thinking a lot about recently, and accepting differences is one of the most difficult things out there but also one of the most useful! I also believe that understanding that other people will always know things that we don’t gives us an opportunity to really learn from others and choose what we want to gain from their influence.
ReplyDeleteI like how you described your sister's carefree attitude because those things that we appreciate about others are some of the best things to notice. When I notice the differences between myself and others, I usually think about what I can learn from them. The overall idea of inspiration from others is critical for us to keep moving forward and improving instead of being stagnant and becoming close-minded.
I loved reading about your observations in this blog: it was interesting and refreshing to hear a hopeful and unique perspective like yours! Thank you for sharing, Dionne!
Hi, Dionne. I found your blog interesting. Coincidentally, I’ve been considering writing about the power of influence for one of my next blogs. I also thought it interesting how you introduced your blog with how this inspiration is practically received and handed down. It’s more or less knowledge that’s been attained and either directly or purposefully taught potentially down generations.
ReplyDeleteFollowing your next point of discussion, I have also made a conscious effort to notice what influence or potential influences others could have on me. Whether it be out of spite, mindfulness, or a mix of the two, this has actually benefited me well. As an only-child, my points of influence are much more limited than yours. With the fundamental parental instruction out of the way, I find that online trends like fashion are much closer to influencing me at all. I still exercise caution in what I do unless I find a trend or certain aesthetics to be genuinely pleasing.
No matter where inspiration comes from, I feel the best way to be inspired is by mindfully acknowledging what aspect an individual is replicating. Trends and hype can seem amazing in the moment—yet dull once that same wave of novelty has passed. Thanks for sharing, Dionne! - Rafael Montes Barrera
Hey Dionne! I find the topic you decided to talk about to be very beautiful and sentimental. When I read the first line I was slightly concerned because it sounds a lot like bullying, like when everyone is in on a joke but you are the only one left confused. It was a nice surprise when I read the entire blog, I found it quite heart warming. The reminder of the thought that everything that we enjoy now and our entire being is based on our past experiences and who we were when we were younger is both scary and fascinating. However I would say the thing most precious about your blog was the quote you chose, “I am a mosaic of everyone I’ve ever loved, even for a heartbeat.” Because I have always believed that, the thought that I am made up of everyone I have ever loved. I think that is most recognized in our personality, how our personality is a mix of everyone we know as well as ourselves.
ReplyDeleteHi Dionne! Your perspective on how we are shaped by those around us is something I think about a lot too, and I appreciate the way you expressed it. The idea that everyone we meet knows something we don’t is a reminder of how much we can learn if we stay open to different experiences and perspectives. I especially liked the way you described your younger brother and older sister—those small but meaningful observations about the people close to us can really highlight the value of human connection. Your mention of the quote about being a mosaic of those we’ve loved stood out to me as well; it perfectly captures how we are influenced by others in ways we may not even realize. Thank you for sharing and great job!
ReplyDeleteHello Dionne! Your Blog has many interesting concepts that really captivated my attention. You brought up how we are prone to being influenced by a variety of things, such as individuals. I feel that this is completely true, and the people that we hang around with can play a huge role in our lives and the decisions we make on a daily basis. You also talked about your little brother and your older sister having character traits that you don’t, and how it can influence you as you spend a lot of time with them as well, and I find it fascinating that siblings can have such a big impact on an individual’s life. I have an older brother, and growing up, his music taste really started to affect mine, as I started to listen to more of the same artists and songs that he listened to as well. One thing that I would like to add is that apart from siblings and parents, there are so many other individuals that we can start to become like. These people may include close friends, teachers, teammates, colleagues, or just about anyone else we spend a lot of time with on a regular basis.
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