We Still Haven't Figured This Out Yet

We learn so much as we grow up and as a society, we are still learning as well. We discover new things and ideas everyday yet there are still many things that we do not know. 

There are things we know we have yet to discover and we are currently looking for an answer to it. For example, the cure for cancer or whether or not there is life outside earth. These are things that human kind has been in search of for many years and we still have not figured it out yet but there are many other more ideological things that we have not discovered yet. For example: word peace. We have yet to create a world where humanity is united as one. A world without war and hatred where everyone is equal. Whether or not this is a possibility is debatable, but by now we should have been able come up with some kind of way to solve our problems without the use of violence. 

Lastly, and I think most importantly, we have not figured ourselves out. As high school seniors, most of us don't know what we want to be in life or what we want to study. Some of us don't even have a slight idea of things we like or things that intrigue us. These are things that we don't know now, but will eventually figure it out. There are, however, some things that we don't know now and we may never find out. Like what the purpose of life is, or what life after death is like. There are religious beliefs that answer these questions but there is no solid answer to it, they're more like opinions. These things we have to find out for ourselves and create our own opinion for because no one will be able to give us a straight answer to it. 

How do I know what I know?

Everyone has their own way of learning. Some are auditory learners, some are visual learners but I personally learn from touch and experience. I'm a kinesthetic learners. I can sit in a classroom for hours, take notes and listen attentively for hours and still manage not to learn a single thing. Well I guess that's a bit of an exaggeration, I do learn something but it isn't until I experience or do what was just taught that I really understand the concept at hand. Take math for example, math teachers usually talk about how to do a problem and then show how to solve the problem on the board. What helps me the most, however, is doing the problems myself. If I get it wrong, I find out what I did wrong and try again, making sure not to make the same mistake again. Even in this class, there are many things that we talk about that are interesting, but they don't resonate with me unless I can make a true personal connection to it. Of course most topics discussed are relatable, but those topics that are more sensible and important to me are the ones that stay with me the most and leave e pondering for days. Same is true for other subjects and for other aspects of life as well. When I’m at work, my supervisor can explain to me how to do something, but It isn’t until I sit down and do it that I truly understand what it is that I’m actually doing. Many times I have to figure it out myself: I navigate through several programs and web links until I find what I am looking for. The good thing about that is that the next time I need to find it, I know exactly where it is. Everything that is taught and said to me has to be analyzed and tested in my mind before I actually accept is as being true. I guess the moral of the story is that I learn from experience, but more importantly I learn from my mistakes.

Garden State

"We must cultivate our garden." For some reason the first thing that came to my head when I read this was the economic principle of trade. The idea that everyone is better off when people specialize on one single thing and trade to get the most out of our time and resources. Similarly,I interpreted the garden state as a place where everyone would be focused on doing one particular task for the greater good of the rest. Like a family on a farm. Everyone does one chore everyday so that the entire family is able to be self-sustained through the everyone's efforts. In this ideal state, everyone would be content because they would be able to do what they love and not be short of their necessities. If I could do what I love, be happy, and have my needs met, I would want to live in this ideal state. It sounded good to me at first, but it got complicated when I thought about the things that truly makes me happy. Personally I like doing many things. Of course I have my passions and there are certain things that I like to do more than others, but I get a sense of satisfaction in knowing I can do many things. I would be the one on the farm that milks the cows, then feed the chickens, then plant some vegetables, then cook some meals and finish the day off by pulling weeds. I can't really see myself being stuck doing one single thing. My interests change constantly and the things that make me happy change as well, so it's hard for me to see this so called "garden state" implemented in my life. Aside from my personal preferences, I think it'll still hard to imagine this ideal state being a reality in today's society simply because of some ideals and morals that many people have today. Many people like to compare themselves and be better than those around them. Unless people change that mindset of theirs, they would never be able to live in a place like the "Garden State". They wouldn't be happy with just the basic necessities, they would want more and more. I still think it is this greed that drove Candide out of Eldorado. People measure their happiness by what they have materialistically which is why many people think that happiness is tied to wealth but really happiness is so much more than that.