# data[].attributes.body
Question - What does it mean to be successful? Who is responsible for your success?
I think that being successful is having the ability to complete something that requires any type of work, whether it be physical or mental. I also think being successful is a feeling that you get when you accomplish something big or small. For example, in high school you work hard everyday to complete assignments and make corrections if needed. Then after you do all of that you graduate which is you becoming successful in your education. I think that depending on the type of person you are that your success can be impacted by many diffferent people. If you are an independent person than it is more likely that you will be impacted more by yourself then anyone else. Some people need that extra boost from a close friend or family member and thats okay too.

Question: Do you think solitude is important?
Yes I think that solitude is an important factor in everyday life for some people but not all. It again just depends on the type of person you all. If you have had a personal expierence that causes you to be afraid of being alone than maybe it isnt best for you but if you are a person that enjoys having some peice and quiet then solitude works out great for you. I am personally a person that practices solitude. I love spending time with friends and family but sometimes I just want some time to myself.

# data[].attributes.body
1.   Being successful, is when you try your hardest to achieve your goals, or to accomplish an assignment. To persevere till you get it done. I also agree with James, you are only in control of yourself to be successful, nobody else can make you successful accept for you.

2. Happiness is when you smile with a purpose. When others around you make you laugh, smile, have a good time with one another. You may not always be happy at times, but there are people in your life who can change that if you need, and that's the best kind of happiness. I know my boyfriend and my best friend make me so happy even when im crying. I don't know how they do it but they always find a way to put a smile on my face. I also agree with another student that being happy can be a choice, you can choose to be happy or not because your in control of who you are, but some people can't help it, there lives could be so bad that they can't be happy even if they tried.

# data[].attributes.body
Do you think solitude is important? Do you practice solitude?I live in a busy house with my parents and two younger sisters, so as much as I try to get alone time, it's difficult. When I am alone I enjoy it and think it is important because, especially when I am really busy, I need to be able to take some time to either calm myself or to just think and slow down. It is also important for me because I work best alone and don't the expectations or judgement from others to worry about. I also am often able to concentrate and think deeper when I am alone.

What does it mean to be successful? Who is responsible for your success? I think being successful is being able to fulfill a goal or task and be proud of it. I think the person responsible for your success is you. People may say that people can give you success, but I think that people can give you opportunities and encouragement to be successful but they can't force you to be successful.

Nora: I agree that everyone finds happiness in different  things and defines it differently. I think that your life doesn't necessarily have to feel complete for you to be happy, you can be missing things in your life and still find happiness. For instance, if you don't feel your life is complete but participating in an activity or spending time with your friends makes you happy, you found happiness.

Nikki: I agree that right and wrong is viewed differently by different people. I also agree that laws and rules play a big part in determining what is right/wrong, good/bad, but people can still think otherwise because of the way they grew up or because of what They believe in.

# data[].attributes.body
i feel that being a nonconformist can be a good thing. Everybody is different and they all have their own hobbys and ideas on how the world works that may be conflicting with the majority of secioty. if thats what your about than go for it.

success is different to everybody because to some people to be successful is to play sports in collage and others it is to be well known it is a very personal thing to depict success.

# data[].attributes.body
What does it mean to be successful?
To be successful, means accomplishing a goal or achieving an overall well-being of yourself. This can be about a career or passion that you have. I think that you are the only person responsible for your success. You cannot blame anyone sle or find excuses for you not being successful.
Do you think solitude is important?
I think that it is very important to be alone sometimes. Being social my take away from who you really are and being alone can focus on what's important to you. I think it is good to practice so you can relieve from outside stresses and do things you enjoy, not always influenced by others. I practice solitude in order to find time and do something I enjoy. I like to be alone in the basement and paint, a lot.
Response to student:
I agree with Nikki; finding alone time to do a passion makes you feel good and is more relaxing. I also agree with James about success. It means that you accomplish a goal that you set beforehand.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sierra                                 What is a nonconformist? Is being a conformist a good or bad thing?

# data[].attributes.subject
Sierra                                 What is a nonconformist? Is being a conformist a good or bad thing?

# data[].attributes.body
Being a nonconformist is being someone who puts their own personal desires and morals above the judgement of others and the expectations of society.
I believe that being a nonconformist purely to be different from everyone else is a negative thing and  I'd also say it defeats the purpose of being a nonconformist because you are still a slave to the expectations of society as you are still focusing and basing your actions off of them.

Do you think solitude is important? Do you practice solitude?
I do believe that solitude is important, mostly because it gives you time to reflect on different things that have happened and opinions and actions you have seen or heard, so you are able to think deeply about how you personally feel on the different subjects and through that you develop your own unique opinions and viewpoints. If you were always constantly surrounded by other people than their influence on you would be too great and you would not have enough time to think about yourself and your own personal opinions.

Student response to Jill: I agree that success can be determined by how proud of yourself and how satisfied you are with your current place in life. But I don't believe that you are the only one responsible for your success; Though I do believe that in an ideal world it would. Society as a whole and the people/community around us play a big role in encouraging and providing opportunities for us to succeed.

# data[].attributes.body
Do you think solitude is important? Do you practice solitude?

I think that solitude is important because it allows people to be alone with their thoughts and reflect on what’s important to them. It also builds inner strength and self-sufficiency. If people are constantly surrounded by or interacting with others, they may constantly be distracted, or worn down if they are introverted. As an introvert myself, I do practice solitude daily. Being alone gives me a safe space to unwind, work on creative projects, and accomplish whatever tasks I’ve set out for myself during the day. When there’s a long period of time where I can’t be alone, it feels like I can’t breathe, or that I am so moody and exhausted I can hardly function at all.

What does it mean to be successful? Who is responsible for your success?

I think success is defined as accomplishing your personal goals and becoming fulfilled, as well as helping others achieve happiness in doing so. Even if you don’t succeed in the exact same way you’d envisioned, if you are satisfied and accomplished, that can still count. It is what you personally define it to be. I wish I could say individuals were responsible for their own success, but the world isn’t fair. The cards are often stacked against minorities in society, making it harder or even impossible to achieve their goals. Not everyone starts out on an even field. Some of us don’t have the education, money, time, mental or physical ability to achieve our dreams: it’s not always a personal failing.

Response to Nora: I really agree with you that solitude is important in the teenage years of a person’s life. I think that I’m definitely at my most introverted now, as opposed to my childhood. It’s freeing and relaxing.

Response to Brodie: I agree with you that success can be more about personal interests than money, but what about the people who don’t have the luxury of choosing those things? What about the people who have disadvantages preventing them from reaching their success? Whose responsibility is it to change how society works that way, or is it up to those people alone to help themselves?

# data[].attributes.headline
What is happiness and what is the degree of importance in one’s life? To what extent is community essential to happiness?

# data[].attributes.subject
What is happiness and what is the degree of importance in one’s life? To what extent is community essential to happiness?

# data[].attributes.body
Happiness is something that everyone tries to achieve but few can really get there because people try so hard to be happy they can't be because they are spending their time trying to be happy. being happy is important to everybody, but everybody has a different version of being happy so if you don't want to be happy and you are not happy then you really are happy because what you want to make yourself they way you want to be .

# data[].attributes.body
I have changed my opinion about something important before. Such as is you think an assignment isn't going to help you in your future and someone explaining how it is and why you need to be learning it, by also giving you key points on why they think something different than you.

# data[].attributes.body
Being successful depends on who you are and what your definition of that word is.  Being successful to me is based on what type of job I end up having and if it is something that I like doing.  Being successful to me is doing something you like and not just doing something where you make a ton of money and are not doing something you like.  I think I am in charge of how successful I am in life. You are in charge of making decision which will make you successful or not.

I agree with other students that if you set a goal to reach you are the one responsible for getting to that goal and being successful.

# data[].attributes.body
What does it mean to be successful? Who is responsible for your success?

Being successful involves reaching a goal that you have set for yourself beforehand. For instance if you where said that you were going to win a certain game, or wanted to win it, and did then you are successful.  The only person that is responsible for your success is yourself. It's a irrational line of think to think that if you got help from a friend that they are responsible for you success instead of you. You are the one that wanted to accomplish your goal so if it's complete you succeed.

# data[].attributes.headline
(Rose) What does it mean to be successful? Who is responsible for your success?

# data[].attributes.subject
(Rose) What does it mean to be successful? Who is responsible for your success?

# data[].attributes.body
What it means to be successful to me is do what you can in life and enjoy it. I am responsible for my own success, unless someone else in my life wants to help me be successful. Most of the time I am pretty successful on my own.

Response to Lindsey. I agree with you. It does depend on the person. Personally for me yes it does depend on person, but it also depends on who the person is. I have to have like the same things as that person does, not only that but that person has to like the things as I do as well.

Response to Lexie. I agree with you as well. The students at this school are improving with their abilities and to be a proficient student you have to be a successful student as well. Personally I think I'm proficient student in almost all of my classes.

# data[].attributes.body
I think being successful is being able to be prouds of where you are in life  and the goals you  have been able to accomplish along the way,You are responsible for your own success it's nobody else's job   to make you succeed in life
Yes I think everyone needs time to themselves, I think it is important to have space and to be able to reset and be able to think more clearly about things with no distractions  and other people's opinions i think it is kinda unhealthy to not have alone time because then you are holding everything in with just causes  your body to stress.

# data[].attributes.body
I think to be successful you are doing really well and getting higher in your profession. You can also get great feedback from your co-workers or the people around you.  Such as if you are getting all 3's in your classes i'd say you are succeeding.

# data[].attributes.headline
(Lindsey) 1)What does it mean to be successful? Who is responsible for your success? 2)Do you think solitude (spending time alone) is important? Do you practice solitude? 

# data[].attributes.subject
(Lindsey) 1)What does it mean to be successful? Who is responsible for your success? 2)Do you think solitude (spending time alone) is important? Do you practice solitude? 

# data[].attributes.body
1) To be successful i think it depends on the person. Each person has different goals in life and different things that matter to them. Many people care more about how much they make with what they do, rather than what makes them happy. For these people that's their definition of successful. I think you as a person with your own thoughts, own opinions and own beliefs are the ones responsible for your success.
2) Yes I think solitude is important for everyone. Having time for yourself weather it’s to think about something or simply get away from people is needed for everyone. Some use it as a time to reflect, and others may use it as a time to get away. Most of the time I use it to get away from family or if I need space from others. For everyone one no matter the reason I think it’s needed.
Response to Jill- I agree with you. Your goals and what your proud of should be what makes you successful not what others think and their goals they may have for you. Thinking someone else's approval makes you successful isn't right.
Response to Nora- I agree with you. Finding yourself, that should be import to everyone. I think the "Secret hideaway" s a good way to put it.

# data[].attributes.body
What does it mean to be a noncomformist?

A nonconformist is someone who acts, speaks, and thinksoutside of the limits of social normalcy; someone who is brave enough to live outside of social expectations and limits to be their true self. Nonconformity is a wonderful thing as it allows for people to express themselves in a way that will be heard and challenged. Some of the biggest examples I can think of are deco kei (a brand of japanese street fashion designed to stand out with bright colors and over accesorising), flapper dancers of the 1920's (standing out against the tight rules of how women should dress and behave), and Marilyn Monroe (for not conforming to the common standards of an attractive body and being proud of her curves).

# data[].attributes.headline
(Nikki) Do you think that solitude is important? Do you practice solitude?

# data[].attributes.subject
(Nikki) Do you think that solitude is important? Do you practice solitude?

# data[].attributes.body
I think that solitude is important. I think that it is important to have time to themselves so that they can relax and do things on their own. I spend time in my room, at the gym, outside where I am alone. I enjoy spending time alone. My siblings and my parents can sometimes get on my nerves, and when they do I like to be by myself to relax and have time to think.  I like to spend time in our detached garage, where I shoot pucks, and stick handle and listen to music.  I also like to spend time with my family and friends in there playing ping pong, pool, foosball, air hockey, cards and lots of other things. But I find the time that I spend alone is relaxing for me.

How do you decide what is wrong or right? Good or bad?
I don't think that you can say what is good or bad or wrong or right. I think that it is different for everyone. I think that it depends on how people are raised and their influences growing up.  I feel that laws determine what is wrong and what is right and what is good and bad.  Rules are another thing that determine and tell us what is wrong and right and good or bad.

Brodie: I agree with you that it depends on who you are as a person and what the meaning of success is to you to determine yours. I think that for some people doing something that they enjoy doing although they don't make a lot of many is success to them. But I also think that people find themselves to be more successful if they are making more money. I also think that doing what you enjoy is important, but I also want to be successful when it comes to making money when I grow up. I think that when people think of successful people they think of the people who make a lot of money, not necessarily the ones that enjoy what they do. I feel that success is when someone completes a goal or has reached a goal that they have.

# data[].attributes.headline
(Kassy) what does it mean to be a nonconformist? Do you think solitude is important? 

# data[].attributes.subject
(Kassy) what does it mean to be a nonconformist? Do you think solitude is important? 

# data[].attributes.body
To be a nonconformist means to not flow with the rest of the crowd on certain things. It may not be everything but somethings definitely. Being a nonconformist isn’t necessarily bad or good. It depends on what you’re not conforming to. Society is created on people all having this base line of things they think are good and bad. Murder is bad, family is good (these are most of the time answers, not all answers apply to everyone or everyday life.) Society has been built on base knowledge or unspoken rules that people follow. When you go against the grain of society, depending on what it is, that will decided whether it is good or bad. If most of your community are carnivores and you come out with strong vegetarian beliefs that doesn’t make you a bad person for having different views. If you are a nonconformist who builds his/her own cult that is based on drugs, drinking, sex and violence and you have “followers” (willing or not) then you will most likely be seen as a bad person to the general public who do follow this conformist view of not building dangerous sex driven cults. So it depends on what you’re not conforming too, because society is so deep into thinking everyone has to conform when faced with nonconformist, we really don’t know how to handle it.

I believe solitude is important in life. While being social and having connections is also important, being alone with your own thoughts, having a rejuvenation moment is as important. Specifically in teenagers, we tend to like our own space more than many adults do because we are very busy psychologically building ourselves. Alone time is important to figure out oneself. When you’re surrounded by people you’re constantly influenced by others and you base what you like off of others likings. When you’re alone, you’re completely free to like and learn, discover who you really are. That’s why solitude is so important. How do you know who to be in public if you don’t know who you are in private?

# data[].attributes.headline
(Jonathan) What does it mean to be successful? Who is responsible for your success?

# data[].attributes.subject
(Jonathan) What does it mean to be successful? Who is responsible for your success?

# data[].attributes.body
Personally I believe that being successful in life is the concept of being able to reach a point in your life where you find yourself happy. Without being happy and doing what you enjoy doing then what is the point of doing anything? I personally consider that that a person is only truly successful when they are happy with both their life and the life of those they care for. I think that anyone can be successful at any point in their life, however I also think that it can change at any given moment. I have had times where I feel successful and happy with the way things are going and there are times where I don't enjoy portions of my life. I believe that someones success if mainly controlled
by themselves but can be affected by those around them.

# data[].attributes.headline
Do You Think Solitude Is Important? Do You Practice Solitude? (Nora)

# data[].attributes.subject
Do You Think Solitude Is Important? Do You Practice Solitude? (Nora)

# data[].attributes.body
Many times in my life, especially in my teen years, I have enjoyed solitude more accompaniment.  I am an only child so I was raised alone and learned to entertain myself. I learned how to be patient, and how to enjoy being by myself. I think solitude helps us find who we really are. Because when we are by ourselves there is no one to impress, there is no one who is judging us. When we are alone we are free to be who we truly are. Solitude is a secret hideaway for every human.

What is happiness and what is the degree of importance in one's life? To what extent is community essential to happiness?
I think happiness is the feeling of completeness in your life. If you feel that your life is enough then you are happy. I think community brings a different percentage of happiness to different people. Some people may love hanging out with others and having a close community around them at all times. This community may bring them joy and happiness, therefore they would associate community with happiness because it has brought them so much happiness. But some people may not like to hang out with others, and attain happiness through being alone. Everyone is different and everyone defines happiness differently.
Respond to lindsey: I agree with you on your though about everyone needing to have solitude for different reasons. No matter the person, and no matter the reason everyone needs solitude.
Response to Kassy: It's interesting to look at all the nonconformists in  the world, and see how much they were hated or loved just because of one difference in their beliefs. It shows a lot about society.

# data[].attributes.headline
Jenn                           Why is solitude (spending time alone) important? Do you practice solitude? 

# data[].attributes.subject
Jenn                           Why is solitude (spending time alone) important? Do you practice solitude? 

# data[].attributes.body
As an only child, I was accustomed to spending and enjoying time alone while growing up. I must have spent hundreds of hours in my room, but mostly in our unfinished basement rolling skating, playing with Barbie dolls, reading books, and dancing to 1980s pop music. The basement was my space to do what I wanted. Our house was small, and Mom and Dad kind of owned the upstairs - the TV shows were mostly their choice (though not always). After I went away to college at UVM, I stopped spending time alone. I had a roommate while I lived in Coolidge Hall, so it became less and less common for me to spend time alone. Then, I met Andy, my now-husband, and I spent a lot of my free time with him. It wasn't until after my dad passed away in 1997 that I began spending time alone again. At first it was difficult, and I felt lonely doing it, but eventually I found I was craving it. Over time, I learned to build in time for me. I can't imagine not having time for solitude today. It's an integral part of who I am, and spending time in the woods walking with my dogs or hiking is one of my favorite things to do in the whole world. It's a time to relax and be in the moment.

Response to student: I can identify with what you say about needing alone time. I like how you put the idea that we spend most of our time living within the boundaries of those around us...that's true for me. I almost feel like I have my "alone Jenn" personality, where I can think about anything I want, let my mind wander, and pause and reflect, is different from my "with other people Jenn" personality. I believe I am different when I'm alone. I'm probably just more able to think and not be encumbered by what others are thinking around me. Solitude is essential to happiness and quality of life...at least it is for me.