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How were you shaped by your parents? (Sociology)

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How were you shaped by your parents? (Sociology)

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My dad always talked about certain values you need to have and how to talk to certain people or act. Obviously like any other parent, to make them happy you need to do what they tell you and meet their expectations. My dad has very high expectations academically and in other ways that I would always be striving towards. It taught me alot about hard work and time management to try to get the marks and be as productive as my father wants me to be. For my mother she taught me alot about being kind and knowing how to be respectful around people and comfort them. My mom was always good at talking and getting along with people so I aspired to be as extraverted and kind as her.

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How did your concept of family get affected by your Persian culture?(Anthro)

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How did your concept of family get affected by your Persian culture?(Anthro)

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In Persian culture, family means everything but it also means you're not as close to them as usually are in other cultures because Persian culture is a lot about looking good rather than doing good.  It would mean taking a photo together looking all happy for others to see but at the same time arguing with Each other.  If it taught me anything that blood doesn't always mean family. I never really got close with anyone from my Persian side of the family. Also, everything was very formal and the same routine every time they came over. For example, it would be “Hi how are you” then you not talk to them for the rest of the time.

In most cases, you had to do something for them for the sole reason they were family. This included allowing random family members I'd never met to live with you for a few months. They also had no boundaries because there aren't any with family. All of these events made me resentful of my Persian side. It really taught me that family doesn't just mean a blood connection; it's about the relationship you have with them. Most of my father's family seemed to me to be people we had to be nice to or guests we had to cater to.

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How did your behavior change once you were free to go outside on your own?(Phyc) 

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How did your behavior change once you were free to go outside on your own?(Phyc) 

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I started to go out way more because it felt like there was a whole world to explore and people to meet. I started to become way more social and started hanging out with my friends by biking to their houses in the summer. I also started to go on walks whenever I was stressed or needed fresh air which helped me develop strategies to combat stress which made me a very calm and happy person. In addition, it made me feel better about being at home because it felt like I had a choice and I was no longer trapped. Everything feels really different when you have a choice or you do it according to your own will. Thus, some days I would simply just stay home and relax all day. I went from going outside at any opportunity to going out occasionally and being lazy.

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What did being on a basketball team teach you?(Socio)

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What did being on a basketball team teach you?(Socio)

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Being on a basketball team helped me learn how to work hard and be competitive even with people on your team because you're all trying to fight your way for a spot on the court. It also taught me how to get along with other people more effectively because some people like to hog the ball or be patient with others who make mistakes. Moreover, it taught me that making mistakes is okay as long as you make a real effort to learn and move on from it. Seeing other people work really hard and getting the results they wanted it set an example for me about work ethic.

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What did being on a basketball team teach you?(expert)

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What did being on a basketball team teach you?(expert)

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Erik Erikson said that one of the stages of development is Industry vs Inferiority. In that particular stage he talks about how if a child is encouraged for his initiative or reaching a certain goal he gains confidence and a sense of pride. Making the basketball team when I didn't think I was as good as the other players gave me confidence. Making the team was unmistakably a step toward a goal for me. Furthermore, following practises, teammates would compliment one another on their hard work during the practise. Because I was taller than most people, I was also a starter and a valuable member of the defense team in grade 8. I started to think of myself as a good defender who could stop players from scoring close and long shots to the basket.

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How has high school culture affected your social behavior?(Anthro)

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How has high school culture affected your social behavior?(Anthro)

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High school culture has led me to be a more outgoing person by hanging out with my friends a lot and going out to more social gatherings. In high school culture it’s a lot about going out with your friends to parties in very large groups of people. When I came to this school in grade 9 immediately it was about going out to lunch with your friends or new people you just met. On top of that, in class I tried to be more confident and talkative since it's important to be popular and get along with lots of people. It made me not really act like myself and I felt like a different person which didn't seem necessarily bad to me. It felt good to know many people so I kept doing it and it became a part of me. My former introverted self was gone, and I developed into a more confident individual. It also motivated me to seek a girlfriend since it was valued in high school culture. It led to many mistakes, like moving too quickly in relationships with people who seemed amazing at first, but when you really got to know them, you could see some key differences. Overall, all of these social interactions with people have made me more experienced and knowledgeable about how to be a good friend or boyfriend. I don't regret talking to any of the people I did, but things happen and you stop talking, and that's okay.

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How did your first major heartbreak affect you?(Non traditonal)

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How did your first major heartbreak affect you?(Non traditonal)

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My dad told me that even though it felt like they were the one for you. Then leaving you could be an opportunity to meet a new better person. Almost like the saying “when a door closes another opens”. My breakup with my girlfriend was unexpected. I awoke one morning to find a text from her saying we should call it quits. It made my stomach drop, and I couldn't get rid of it for the rest of the day. My parents were quick to notice because it was so obvious. Overall, I felt betrayed because it made me believe that everything they said was a lie, despite the fact that they were one of the people I trusted the most. Furthermore, it came after I was forced to cut off a really good friend because he tried to turn all of my friends against each other. What it did leave me with was a lot of time and some friends whom I had neglected due to my busy schedule. As one door closes, another opens, revealing a world of possibilities. To distract myself or move on, I tried to spend as much time as possible with my friends and work on myself. My reasoning was that if I worked hard enough, everything would work out and I would be happy. So I began working, and I became more social, speaking with more people. Throughout the summer, I grew closer to some of my friends while studying for my g2 license. I went to the gym three times a week with my mom, and when school started, I made the basketball team. Everything was going well, but I still didn't feel whole, and I missed what I had before, no matter how things turned out. However, as time passed, I began to think it was all for the best.

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How did finding faith impact you?(Phyc) 

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How did finding faith impact you?(Phyc) 

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I was interested in praying and connecting to my culture because it gave me a feeling of belongingness. It made me feel safer and more confident almost because it felt like I had someone watching over me and that no matter what everything was going to be okay. Moreover, it gave me a different perspective on how I looked at everything and how everything happened for a reason. Instead of complaining after something bad happens, I would be thankful something worse didn't happen. It reinforced my belief in doing good things for no gain and in good karma. Furthermore, it assisted me in dealing with my thoughts on people I didn't like, as I didn't have to speak negatively about them or make other people see how bad of a person they are. If they were truly as horrible to themselves as I imagined they would be, and if nothing bad happened, that meant they became a better person, and that good too.