Personal Discovery: Defining the Relationship with Self Part 3

However, our story not only consists of the events that happened to us personally, but those events that happened on a wider scale. We are the children of history, shaped and molded by the times we live in.

“He who knows not why the universe exists known not who he is…and could not say for what purpose he exists himself.” – Marcus Aurelius.

Edward Norton Lorenz, a mathematician and meteorologist, came up with the idea of the Butterfly Effect, or “Does the Flap of a Butterfly’s Wings in Brazil Set off a Tornado in Texas?” The idea was that small factors could have far-reaching consequences in the future. In the same way, the choices we make, will affect not only ourselves, but also the world at large just as choices made in the rest of the world may ultimately affect us on a personal level. It is important to put the events of our life in context with the events of the world because the historical events that happen during the course of our lives have a direct impact on the person we have become. It colors our reactions and creates our biases. Many Americans that grew up during the Great Depression in the 1930’s learned the extremes of frugality and an inherent distrust of banks. Many Chinese who grew up during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960’s are handicapped by their disrupted education and many biases against highly educated people. The children who witnessed the collapse of the World Trade Center, the subway bombing in London, or the Bali nightclub bombings in the first decade of the 21^st century often internalize a mistrust of their surroundings and may even develop irrational xenophobia. Whether these attitudes are correct or not, these patterns of thought and behavior become instinctive judgments on how they perceive the world. Again, it is imperative to be aware of these patterns in our own lives and to consciously decide whether they are truly beneficial to us. It is also equally important to realize that others may harbor these same biases in their perceptions of us. The meeting of their patterns and ours will affect the relationships we develop with them.

It is worthy to note, that events will affect different people in different ways. It is the unique intersection of our personal circumstances and predispositions in conjunction with our unique placement in the flow of human history that determines how something will affect us.

Activity:

Sketch out your autobiography by coming up with a rough timeline of your life up until the present. Put in every event that seems memorable or interesting. Specify out different periods of your life such as romantic relationships or periods of employment. Also add in major events that happened to those who are nearest and dearest to you, your family and closest friends, which you were also a part of. Now, add in the dates of each event. If you can’t remember a specific date, try to at least specify the year. Lastly, add in any major world events that happened during your lifetime that you particularly remember. Now, it’s time to analyze. Just figure out the facts and the cause & effects.

• What caused each event and how did it affect later events or decisions?

• How does the timing of these events in your life matter?

• How did world events impact your life?

• What has each event done to shape your life and the person you are (both positively and negatively)?

• How did the person you became throughout your life, affect the way you made decisions in certain situations?

• If an event had happened in a different time in your life, how would it have changed later events and decisions? How would it have affected the person you are in a different manner?}