The main idea for J#8 is the effect we have on the people with whom we are in close proximity. Day after day, we interact with different people in our day to day activities. These people impact on us in different ways, whether we are conscious of it or not. The effect of these people on our lives changes us in different ways. The manner in which our lives are changed by the effect of the people around us depends greatly on our personalities. For instance, some people are not ready to conform to the prevailing circumstances. Such people may not be easily changed by the people with whom they interact. It is worth noting that people can impact our lives through value addition or eroding the value that we have already accrued. It has been argued by scholars that we emit different energies-good energy and bad energy-and that the people around us tap into these energies. The effect the energies have depends on their personalities and the amount they are exposed to these energies.
Self esteem is a very important concept in this discussion. People who have low self esteem do not believe in themselves and their capabilities. Such people experience self doubt and may compromise on their stand and beliefs in order to take up those professed by other people. Such people would be easily changed by the people around them. Additionally, personal identity is of importance in the discussion. Everyone has a personal identity, an identity that personifies their being. The influence of the people around us shapes our personal identities in different ways. For instance, the influence of our parents helped shape who we are today. Of course this was through conscious choice or subconscious conformity.
For instance, one might decide to be a teetotaler because their parents were alcoholics and engaged in destructive behavior. Such an experience would form part of their personal identity. The propensity for change, either negatively or positively because of the people around us is also important. It has been argued that bad company corrupts good morals. Owing to this, it is important to know whether good morals can influence bad behavior to change. The illustration of this argument in J#8 is education. Is there a rewarding effect for educated people to associating with uneducated people on both sides of the divide? The people around us affect us both negatively depending on our self identity, their value in our lives and the society and our self esteem.
Even with this, one cannot turn their eyes on the value of education as environmental factor at play. One’s environment does not just mean the natural environment in which one lives. One’s environment encompasses the natural and the artificial environment, the people with whom one interacts and the other factors that makes one’s life. Education is a factor that can boost one’s self confidence and belief. Individual achievements cause a good feeling. They mark milestones in life and are evidence of the developmental path of an individual. They give someone a sense of self worth. The inverse is also true, especially when the lack of the same is seen as missed opportunities. In such a case, one may view self with doubt. Continued graveling on the missed opportunities may erode ones confidence, especially when one is constantly faced with the life that could have been had they acquired the education. Such erosion of confidence and self doubt may have a cascading effect on one’s life, and by proximity or extension, that of their family members.
A family is the most socializing institution in the society today, and for a long time. Parents are significant figures in our lives. They chart the path that we follow and guide us when we deviate. Parental achievement has an undue influence in the success trajectory of the children. For instance, educated parents are aware of the value in education. Uneducated parents might also be aware of the value of education; all this conjured from missed opportunities. These parents would be expected to ensure their children get their highest levels of educations. This is in contrast to parents who are not aware of the value of education, probably because they are not educated. They may not be expected to expose their children to quality education seeing that they are ignorant on the matter. My view is that the parental level of education is only a small part of a bigger cocktail of sociological and psychological variables that influence the school outcomes of their children. It is also my view that the level of parental education cannot be used to determine parental interest in the schooling of their children, their value on education and the aspirations they have for their children’s success.
Conclusion
It is important for people to be aware that they have an influence on those that are around them, and that they also impact on those with whom they share proximity. Through different activities, people can be made aware of this so that they act with consciousness knowing that their actions and energies affect those around them. Games that require teamwork are some of the activities that can be used to create public awareness. Through such games, people would know that their actions affect the team in such a situation and by proxy, people in real life situations. Another activity is through counseling where affected people and the perpetrators are informed of their actions and their implications on themselves and others.
Works cited
Higdon, Ray” How I was scammed and What I did about it” YouTube. YouTube,5 Mar 2013 .Web. 15 Nov. 2013.
Jahngir, Farhana, Saeed, Tahir and , Samara Tahir “Parental education: a contributory factor to personality “(2013): 13. Academic OneFile. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.
Mitchell, Josh. "Student-Aid Scams Targeted by Schools, Government." Wall Street Journal. 24 Jun 2013: A.2. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.
Royal, John “The Great CSN Houston Tax Scam” Houston press.19 Apr 2013 .Web. 15 Nov. 2013.
