The environment impacts a person to become who is or to be who he is destined to be. The impact of religious and familial traditions influences one when making essential life decisions. These influences play an integral role in determining how a person carries himself or herself. In addition, the cultural voice also plays a vital role in shaping ones’ self-understanding and life. Besides, the impact of the media voices also influences a person’s perception of life. This paper will take a gander at what influences my life and self-understanding.
Familial and religious tradition has influenced me a lot in that it has shaped my self-understanding and life. Born and raised in a religious and spiritual family I have been brought up in an environment that fosters the adoption of good Christian principles, virtues, and values. It is worth to note that my mother is a pastor of a non-denominational Christian church thus growing up in church played a major role in influencing me on how I relate and conduct myself around others. I always strived to do good and portray a good image that would not in any way tarnish or affect the reputation of my mother’s image. Besides, I was raised in a very strict family that influenced a lot how I carried myself during my rebellious development stage. This made me an introvert as I spent a lot of my time inside the house and not to trust other individuals.
Schwen & Bass, (2006) by using the story of Will Weaver shades to light the fact that our parents influence a lot on how we carry ourselves around other people and life. I believe in this assertion having being brought up by a dad who was in the army. This has influenced a lot how I view things today in that my father inculcated the values of loyalty, honesty, how to be precise and thorough in all my undertakings. Also, we did travel a lot with my family. Through traveling into various states exposed me to different cultural and people who had diverse and unique cultural and traditional heritage. This has influenced me a lot; it has enabled me to treat and understand that people indeed have different beliefs and traditions that they uphold and sometimes may contradict with our beliefs. Furthermore, the traveling that I had with my family made me not to find and meet many friends and has influenced me to have few friends and trust few people in my life today.
We can do it today.
Amy Tan in the article Two Kinds showcases the substantial roles that mothers play in our lives (Schwen & Bass, 2006). As I had mentioned earlier that my mother is a pastor pinpoints the fact that my mother made me view, understand and interact with the world in a positive manner and to always do good at all times. Schwen & Bass (2006) by explaining that Malcolm X was inspired and influenced by a prisoner called Bambi a self-educated man who convinced him of the value of education shows how our environment shapes and influences us to be who we are today. Through the strictness and rules that were being followed in my family made me find it hard to adjust to various schools and made me be seen as quirky. The media has also impacted how I view my life and understand things around me. It has influenced my identity. The stories that are aired in the various social media platforms and television has made me appreciate and thank God for my life since not all the people have been able to have the freedom and breath of life I have been granted by God (Jessie’s Legacy).Notably, it was until in my late twenties that I became content with myself being different with others.
According to Sabrina Worsham (2011), explains that whether individuals consciously are aware of what is being displayed in the media or not, the media plays a crucial role in influencing the lifestyle of a person. I believe with this assertion since valuable information is always passed through the media such as television. Personally feel that the media have influenced me on the diet and health precautions measures that I need to incorporate in my life. Conclusively, although I consider myself as a Christian, I am not that super religious. I hope and pray that my relationship with God will become stronger since He has proven to be there for me even at the time I doubted him.
- Jessie’s Legacy. How does the media influence us?
- Sabrina Lea Worsham. (2011).Media’s Influence on Social Norms and Identity Development of Youth.
- Schwen, M. R., & Bass, D. C. (2006). Leading lives that matter: What we should do and who we should be. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.