Views are owned when you identify yourself with them. These are carried with people and develop their personality, and in turn these people defend their beliefs. The acquiring of different beliefs shapes people into who they are. Owning religious beliefs can shape a person's morals and what they surround themselves with. There exist many different religions that people identify themselves with solely because ownership of respective views gives people a need to defend their point. The ownership of others does not influence with a specific person's views, which brings diversity in our thinking.

Maria Karapetyan

Aniyah Tiggle

Marly Castro

In a world where consumerism and materialism is the basis of our idea of ownership, we question if we own material objects or if material objects own us? In our society, we have put so much focus on what we owns that we base people's importance on the things they have.

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One material object that has lots of control over our lives and our society is clothing. The clothes you own and wear are a reflection of how you are perceived by others. For example, if an individual is wearing a pair of brand new Adidas samba shoes, they are seen as cool and accepted. On the other hand, if one is wearing a pair of torn up, dirty Skechers, they might be viewed differently from a person who actually owns the clean and trendy shoe. People are judged on what they wear and own in our world today when ownership is something that is a separate category from character and personality, but almost all the time they are confused with and thought of as the same.

Kayla Kojakafayan

Annika Tamppari

Kahsahn White

Throughout many different cultures and times, the possession of certain objects influences how others perceive us and how we view our own status. In modern society the type of phone we have or the brands we choose dictate what people think of us at first glance but by trying to fit in we lose our moral character and we tend to lose our sense of self or personal identity as well. People tend to think the more you own, the more ownership you have of yourself compared to people who have less showing that people are concerned more about how much they own versus what they own showing a fair representation of themselves.

Ryan Manzanero

Milya Minassian

One example of objects helping to build character is, practicing a skill like playing an instrument which can teach discipline and patience, while owning something meaningful like if the instrument was a family heirloom which can remind us of our values and our heritages. These skills and the objects themselves can both be played and received throughout the family for many generations, influencing the way everybody acts and becomes in the process. Both the tangible and intangible things work together to influence our choices, behavior, and identity, helping to build our unique characters.

Kalia Hamilton

Jacob Monson

Everyone has their own set of experiences they go through on a day-to-day basis such as our fingerprints being unique to ourselves. These unique experiences change how you may be perceived by other people, but also how you view yourself. The environment you grow up in will shape your experiences and pave an entirely individual path in your life. People who grow up in households with parents who aren't as strict have drastically different experiences from a person who grows up in a strict household. The person in the loose household may tend to make worse decisions, taking their life down a bad path. The strict household may shape the person to have high expectations for themselves, striving to be a better version of themselves every day. These 2 situations hold infinite possibilities to branch off.

Let’s say, for example, you can’t focus and constantly procrastinate, leading you to a very negative self image. Then imagine you are diagnosed with ADHD. Nothing has physically changed about you, but your viewpoint, something that you arguably ‘own’, has changed. Perhaps now that you see these facets of yourself as a product of your diagnosis, not flaws inherent to you, your sense of self has completely changed. This concept extends to lots of mental illnesses. The information and perspectives you own about your situation are half the way to getting a better self image. That’s why the message “you’re not alone” is so prevalent.  

It’s why lots of this information is made public, for people to look at, get help for, and ultimately get a better understanding of themselves. 

One example of someone who has character is Mr. Narasky, an AP Lang teacher at Pasadena High School, who has a personality of goofiness, wonkiness, and is overall expressive of his personality. However, a majority of his personality and character comes from his skills– whether it be his relentless pursuit of not going to bed at a reasonable time, or his obsession with video games. Without the intangible skills of teaching AP Lang, playing games, and not getting sleep– and his tangible objects of the video games themselves, he would not be the same. He would lack interests and character, and while still existing, would be a dull, uninteresting person; he would essentially be “another brick in the wall”.

The one main difference between owning an object and owning your actions is, when I'm owning my own feelings and emotions, those actions are coming from me, those actions are made by no one else but me, those are my actions. There's a difference between possessing an inanimate object and owning emotion and feeling, you can own personal views in a completely different way then owning an untangeable object. Modern Society has a big role in this, When you own up to your feelings, society would call you weak, and lame, but when you got yourself and now own a new car, society would accept you. Society shames you for showing kindness to the poors, and they cheer for you when you finally phone.

Marco G

melanie M

Property is detrimental to a person's character because property can denature a person's sense of self, whether they allow material objects to determine individualistic value or ownership leading to deindividuation among groups.

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If one allows their material possessions to define their sense of self, they are no longer in control of their own moral compass. If one believes that good is found in the newest phone, the newest car, or external perspectives it can desensitize you to true good in the world. Slavery is one of many exaples of how an individual can negatively develop a bad character, and the ownership of slaves became ingrained into their sense of self.

Our environment and the objects that we own say a lot about who we are and shape our sense of self. For example, the types of objects that someone has such as toys or books typically reflects their personality and interests. The things I own such as my clothes also influences how I see myself. When picking out clothes I want to wear, I typically pick out clothes that best matches my personality and how I want others to see me as a person. This process of putting on clothes every day and buying clothes that you like slowly builds your sense of self as you try new clothes and see what suits you. Maybe you don’t like a certain piece of clothing but after some time you decide to give it a try and end up really liking it. You just learned something new about you and your sense of self.

Ownership is a broad and largely personal concept, ownership of actions and self expression are all stepping stones to owning an identity. Our actions and the ways we express ourselves both physically and verbally are the ways that we show the outside world who we are. In order to be content and happy with our lives, we need to be content and happy in our identity. A large part of that is being able to feel that we own and have some level of pride in who we are despite any missteps or insecurities that we have. That could be our first step to gaining some form of acceptance and a dampening of the inner turmoil that we've all faced. Our behavior and identity are also shaped by the things we own, whether physical objects or even our physical environment. They represent our beliefs and values and act as an important part of our lives. For example, an object you’ve had since your childhood has stayed with you since you were born and affected who you are as a person today. It not only reflects your personal identity but also a cultural one as well. Material possessions can also allow you to feel a sense of belonging, and contributes to the cultural/ traditional practices of a specific community.

In the time of the great European monarchs, each attempted to represent their power through their property. The great palaces of Versailles and St Petersburg are fantastic displays of the might of a monarch and their people, hulking and beautiful. Versailles in particular served the dual purpose of being a show of power as well as a shrewd method of controlling the nobles, a fine look into the mind of Louis the XIV, the king who commissioned her. For it wasn't the palace that made the Sun King the powerful king he is remembered as, it was his power that made the palace.

For example, when an artist works on a painting, they project part of their identity onto a canvas through different mediums.  This gives them a physical, tangible manifestation of their identity, that can be viewed for years to come.  This stabilizes their identity, improving their character and sense of self, by providing an anchor to their past experiences and personality.  The artist also develops an intangible possession: the skill of painting.  Over time, this possession becomes visible to others, and thus stabilizes their identity in the eyes of others, as well.  Even after the death of the artist, these paintings can become family heirlooms, ensuring the legacy of the artist.  Thus, the artist can take comfort in the fact that they will be remembered, and that their identity will be preserved by the imagery of the painting.

What we own undeniably defines who we are. Humans are creatures inherently defined by what we possess and what we do not. Not only in the sense of survival, obviously owning food and shelter is important, but emotionally. Everyone has objects that hold unquantifiable value, a family heirloom, a childhood toy, or a home. These objects become and inform how the individual is defined. Ownership reinforces these bonds. If someone were to take one of these special objects, if they were not in the custody of the person to which they hold value, their worth would diminish to that person, as the quality of being theirs would vanish.  This quality would often be described as vanity, however, this is not necessarily true, there is a powerful emotional difference between something you feel you own and something you don’t. Ownership was devised as a construct to safeguard these bonds between object and self.

You cannot truly own anything physical, you cannot own a place, an object, and certainly not other people. What you can own is your relationship to these materials, certain qualities and feelings you possess are only unique to yourself. We are expressions of beings that carry unique qualities and experiences. You can never own anything physical. For example, if you have a car, you never truly own the car, you only temporarily own it, eventually you will perish and your “ownership” of the car fades. However, the memories of your experience during your ownership of the car are permanently yours which is the true meaning of ownership.

Ownership is often minimized to being one’s possession of an object. In regards to the three philosophers, we agree with Plato’s view on ownership the most. Furthermore, we believe the act of owning something relates to humans as character and societal perceptions. Aristotle's view on ownership is more about the values of one’s upbringing rather than their make-up. For example, the way that people perceive others, their judgment is derived from personal beliefs instead of the individual themselves.

Pei And Kyler

Body Paragraph: The first pillar of ownership is the ownership of the ideals of oneself. The ability to have original ideas about the world around you and how to interact with that world is specifically designed in your head and is different for every person. This in and of itself is ownership. While we said that the philosophers were not all the way right, they still had something cooking. They touched on the other pillar, ownership of property. Owning property plays an integral role in developing one's self. Ownership of things like phones, toys, cars, and houses shapes and reflects our personalities. With each addition or subtraction of property, our personality and relationship with reality shifts in response to the corporeal changes of the material realm. Overall, the combination of physical products and ideals merge to create one's self, which some would say is the only thing you truly have ownership of.

Body Paragraph: Expression of clothing is an example of how individuals choose to utilize ownership. To express our individuality we each have gone through trial and error trying different looks, trends eras, and styles, figuring out what we perceive as the best look for ourselves and how we wish others to see us as. Prior to the French Revolution, women in France wore elegant and poofy dresses to express their social status. The poofier the dress, the more wealthier you were. In current-day society, people express their form of ownership within fashion by dressing in name-brand items. When someone decides to consume expensive material goods and lavish items, they are creating a perception of themselves that is centered around these items. Their form of individuality lies in this. 

Social Media plays a major role in your reputation. We depend on social media to set the standards for our lives. We let social media role models own our lives and thoughts by influencing our sense of self.

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One way technology takes over our lives is through social media. For example, people often feel pressured to post about their lives just to keep up with others or to get likes and comments. If someone posts a picture that doesn’t get much attention, they might feel bad or like they’re not good enough, even though it’s just an app. This shows how much social media influences how we see ourselves and how others see us. Instead of just being a fun way to connect, it ends up controlling how people act and feel in their everyday lives.

Henry Hegger

The Earth has become an interconnected web of cultures spanning its surface, resulting in particular objects becoming widely associated with a specific culture. Food is a recurrent example: white sticky rice and dumplings are often directly correlated to Asian cultures, rice and beans to Hispanic cultures, and kebabs to Arab cultures; eating food central to their cultures follows stereotypes and typically evokes further cultural stereotypes and assumptions of how they should behave. This also applies to religious artifacts, like cross necklaces often worn by patrons of the Christian faith. If one owns and wears a cross necklace, they will then be perceived to adhere to the primary doctrines of Christianity. Thus, ownership and personality have become interwoven in consumeristic society.

Ownership can be a reflection of what's inside, our values, personalities, and more, ownership of material items reflects the growth of self-identity and allows individuals to express themselves.

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Society places value on what others think about them, which creates a dependency on materialistic items as they center our self-worth and self-esteem on the compliments of others. The way we dress can speak volumes about personality, beliefs, values, and mood; for example, someone who wears mainly bright colors can reflect an outgoing and bubbly personality, on the other hand, an individual whose closet consists of black and dark clothes can mirror a more serious and closed-off personality. Someone who has a polished style shows they value sophistication and presenting themselves in an elegant manner, in contrast, an edgy style suggests a rebellious temperament. As we grow through our lives our style changes as do our values and beliefs, the way we present ourselves demonstrates our sense of self as we express self-identity through the materialistic objects we choose to buy.

 Ownership is intertwined with our autonomy and identities, the most important form of ownership is owning ourselves. Owning our thoughts, actions, and bodily autonomy. That by itself is worth so much more than what it means to own a car, house, or any other Monterey purchase. By asserting ownership of ourselves, we accept our distinctiveness and the singularity of our experiences. This self-ownership enables us to assume responsibility for our decisions and shape our identity according to our own standards. It enables us to follow our interests, question societal standards, and foster a sense of purpose that goes beyond physical belongings. In a society that frequently links value to riches and material possessions, acknowledging our inherent worth as independent individuals is a revolutionary and freeing gesture. Genuine fulfillment, therefore, arises not from obtaining additional possessions but from recognizing and affirming our identities, supporting our mental and emotional health, and fostering significant connections. In this scenario, self-ownership serves as the basis for personal development and self-fulfillment, granting the assurance to face life's obstacles and the liberty to forge our own routes. Monterey ownership can change but never self-ownership. 

Jyasi Chavez