Getting started with this course has been really interesting so far. It’s made me slow down and actually think about how much of who we are is shaped by how we grew up and what surrounded us. Things like the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the way we talk, and even the things we enjoy don’t just come out of nowhere. One of the main ideas we’ve talked about is the difference between individualistic and collectivistic cultures. I’d heard these terms before, but I hadn’t really thought about how strongly they influenced the way I see myself and make decisions.
Growing up, I was encouraged to be independent and figure out my own path. Success was usually framed in my own terms, whether that was school, future career goals, or how to support myself. One example that really stood out to me was religion. When I was younger, I was baptized, received my first communion, and went to Sunday school. Those were choices made by my family when I was a child. But as I got older, my parents gave me the space to explore my own beliefs and decide what felt right for me. Over time, I realized that I didn’t feel a strong connection to Christianity, and my parents were completely okay with that. They never tried to force beliefs onto me the way they felt was expected when they were growing up. Having the freedom to step back and decide for myself made me really aware of how much autonomy I was being given. Another example that comes to mind was my decision to come to university at StFX instead of staying closer to home. Choosing to move away and prioritize what felt best for me personally reflects an individualistic way of thinking. Even when the decisions impact the people around me, I feel like I have this natural tendency to just follow what feels right for me, which I’m now realizing isn’t a universal mindset… it’s something shaped by culture. Reflecting on this has made me realize that a lot of what I’ve always assumed about motivation and success isn’t natural or inevitable. It’s culturally learned. This course is already helping me see that my way of thinking is just one version of many, shaped by the cultural environment I grew up in...cool!