week 8-Moreau integration one Professor Thigpen Moreau 15 October 2021 Uncovering Purpose and Truth in Life I believe that I am searching for purpose and for a way to be of service to the world. College is a time for me to develop skills and explore my interests in order to fulfill this purpose, but I also recognize that college is not just a waiting period. There are so many opportunities on campus for me to make an impact in the community and on the world without waiting for the “right” time or to be “finished” developing my skills and gaining knowledge. I have already learned at Notre Dame that life is a continuous exploration of knowledge and I am meant to cultivate my mind and heart both in college and beyond--it’s not a one-time process. In week 2, we listened to a TedTalk by commentator David Brooks, who expressed that many people live for themselves and seek to gain as much as possible from the world, but this mindset ultimately undermines their search for purpose and fulfillment. According to Brooks, “In order to fulfill yourself, you have to forget yourself. In order to find yourself, you have to lose yourself” (“Should You Live For Your Resume...Or Your Eulogy?” by David Brooks - FYE week 2). Brooks’ perspective reminded me of one of the units covered in my theology class a few weeks ago; as I was reading about the argument that theology is more important than science or vice versa, I was struck by one author’s argument that theology and science must really work together because not everything can be explained empirically and not everything can be immediately solved spiritually, therefore they complement each other. For example, the author contrasts “knowledge sub specie aeternitatis” with “news from across the seas.” While knowledge sub Kurzweil 2 specie aeternitatis refers to knowledge which can be deduced scientifically through measurement or observation, news from across the seas is not deduced except by revelation. Relating this to Brooks’ comment, I believe that I am searching for my purpose through others; only through the revelation (news from across the seas) of love and relationship can I find my purpose and truly connect with others. In this way, I believe that I forge life-giving relationships by fostering a sense of welcome and belonging for everyone around me so as to promote diversity, friendship, and healthy relationships. In the words of writer Olivia T. Taylor, “the best kind of friendships are the ones where you leave with a smile on your face, knowing you’re both growing to be better people and that you’re helping each other get there” (“5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Friendship” by Olivia T. Taylor - FYE week 4). I seek to act with love and compassion towards others while staying true to my authentic self in order to build the mutual friendships described by Taylor during week 4 of Moreau. This means embracing both similarities and differences with others, recognizing that our similarities to each other help boost each other’s confidence and foster a feeling of comfort and belonging, and our differences help us to positively challenge each other and see situations from new perspectives. Therefore, it is healthy, and it’s even important and necessary, to have friends who are both similar and different from me. One of my first introductions to Notre Dame was one of welcome, one in which I could see that the Notre Dame community is a place of life-giving relationships. After touring campus with a friend who attended the school at the time, my friend brought me to her dorm Mass. During the sign of peace, I was blown away by everyone giving each other hugs and wishing each other, including me, well. Even though no one knew me, they treated me just the same as they did the other students in the dorm. I can confidently say, in response to Taylor, that I left that Mass with a smile on my face because of Kurzweil 3 the welcome I was shown, and now I am at Notre Dame as a student myself to forge that same life-giving relationship with others. Similarly, I noted earlier that I believe that I am searching for my purpose. I also believe that, at this time, my purpose is to be a leader, a peacemaker, a compassionate companion, and an active person involved in the betterment of this world. Yet this search for purpose and belonging is continuous. As stated by Brene Brown in a TedTalk during week 1 of Moreau, “They had connection as a result of authenticity…they were willing to let go of who they thought they should be in order to be who they were” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brene Brown - FYE week 1). In this way, Brown asserts that finding purpose and fostering connections with others along the way often requires people to be less focused on what they want and who they want to be; instead, taking a step back and opening oneself to possibility is a more beneficial track for searching for purpose. Brown’s quote really resonated with me because it points to the valuable skill of taking time for oneself and doing a self-assessment. Additionally, Brown notes that love requires risk and vulnerability. Along these same lines, I would add that it requires sacrifice. In my university seminar class, I am learning about how affection is expressed in various South Asian and Pacific cultures. The American idea of love often does not translate to other cultures, which have their own versions of affection. One notable example is the emotion of fago in Ifaluk culture. Fago can roughly be considered a combination of love, compassion, and pity that motivates those on the island of Ifaluk to show affection towards one another through sacrifice and service. For example, a brother might show affection towards his sick sibling by leaving his family and his work for a short time to bring his sick sibling to the hospital facility on the main island. This demonstrates that, just as fago is expressed through acts of sacrifice and love, so also must I search for my purpose by acting with love, service, and compassion towards others. Kurzweil 4 Furthermore, I believe that I grow by fostering relationships with friends, family, and everyone whom I interact with on a daily basis by sticking with them both in easy times and hard times. It is always difficult to receive constructive criticism from others, but these people whom I have deep relationships with help me to grow by not only building my confidence in my accomplishments and potential, but also by pointing out areas where I can improve. I sought to convey my love for these incredible people who help me to grow through my week 6 “where I’m from” poem. I have been writing poetry since middle school as a way to relax, untangle my inner emotions, address social concerns and call people to action, and offer thanks to those who have shaped me to be the person I am today. The following excerpt is from a poem I wrote titled “Unexpected Friendship”: “Words passed a handful of Silence my way And placed—with a knowing smile— Deceivingly diminutive grains of quietude One by one, upon my outstretched palm. They were full of reds and blues and purples Ever changing, ever shimmering with new inspiration, And suddenly I could hear it…” My parents, my friends, and my teachers have all been instrumental in developing my love for writing poetry, just as they are instrumental in my growth as a person and in my growth in my relationships with others. They are beacons of kindness and love, capable of criticizing my work to help me learn from my mistakes and also capable of extraordinary compassion. During week 6 when we had the opportunity to write a “where I’m from” poem, my mind was immediately drawn to these beloved people as I wrote, “This place is the inspiration for my poetry: It gives light to my aspirations, To the hopes and dreams and challenges in my writing. I’ve been sharing them with the world for some time now, Encouraged by my teachers— Kurzweil 5 My dearest mentors— And my friends, The ones whom I will finally see again in Rochester When we meet, though separated for so long after our paths diverged.” Therefore, not only does my poetry demonstrate my growth, but it also reflects all those people and places who guide me along my path. I believe that I grow through their example and their loving relationship. I believe that I pursue truth by acting as a servant leader, remaining true to my authentic self, and helping others without expecting anything in return. In my week 5 readings and videos, Father Grove brings up the point that we consider the Notre Dame community a “family” (“Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education” by Father Kevin Grove - FYE week 5). This family is composed of love, unity, faith, truth, and so many more values. However, I am not at Notre Dame just to gain knowledge and a second family from this community--I am also at Notre Dame to give back to it. It is through being a servant leader at Notre Dame (and using these experiences of humble service to be a servant of the greater global community) that I believe I come to know myself better, come to know God, and fulfill my life’s purpose. Furthermore, as Sorin wrote to Father Moreau, Notre Dame was established to be a powerful institution for good in the country. This, then, is the mission of each Notre Dame student. We receive our education, we enter the Notre Dame family, not for our own personal benefit alone, but to go out into the world and be forces for good through each of our unique lives. Therefore, I believe that I pursue truth by transforming my Notre Dame education into a tool for me to be a force for good. Finally, I believe that my community should avoid the danger of a single story. During week 7 of Moreau, I learned that, according to authors Payne, Neimi, and Doris, “many of us are more biased than we realize” (“How to Think About ‘Implicit Bias’” by Payne, Neimi, and Doris - FYE week 7). This doesn’t mean that we are bad people, and I also realize that I need to avoid Kurzweil 6 the danger of a single story as well. According to Adichie, “The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story” (“Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - FYE week 7). To combat this single story as we might combat relying solely on theology or solely on science, it is necessary to recognize the importance of the “shared story” (“How to Destroy Truth” by David Brooks - FYE week 7), in which humans recognize that we are all products of our interactions with each other and our overlapping experiences. For example, I am studying Middle Eastern history and Arabic, and prior to beginning my courses in these subjects here at ND, I was subject to the single story that most people in the Middle East are Muslim, they dress a certain way, etc. These single stories could not be further from the truth. My perspective has been vastly expanded in just a short period of time, and my Arabic teacher is extremely helpful to my classmates and me so that we can learn about Arab culture from several angles. For example, when my Arabic teacher saw a poster for Arabic tutoring at the CSC that featured the announcement and a picture of a mosque, she immediately showed us the same TedTalk about the danger of a single story that I watched in Moreau and impressed upon my classmates and me that there is much more to the Arabic language than studying Islam. Therefore, not only do I believe that my community (myself included) should avoid the danger of the single story, but I also believe that it is important to learn from the perspectives of people like by Arabic teacher who can help the community to better cherish diversity and rich culture without the imposition of a single story.