If I am ever a parent, the number one thing I want to teach my children is to think for themselves and question everything.
I have always been a curious person. I always had trouble doing things I didn't want to do if I didn't understand why I should do them. When I was a child I would often stand around with the adults and listen to their conversation rather than play with other kids. I was weird. :) And now, particularly in this stage in my life (being a young adult in college), asking questions, doubting authority, questioning social norms and media messages, and seeking new truths for myself are of utmost importance.
I tend to pity people who just sit around and watch TV all day (not that I am not guilty of that on occasion haha), or follow social norms and a specific path just because they think they are supposed to. I pity people who don't ever stop to question norms and what they've been taught. This is a bit of a flaw of mine, and I'm trying to work on it, because it's not my decision how others live their lives. But I hope you can understand that since questioning everything is so important to me, I feel like it should be important to others as well.
I understand that I have the privilege to question norms, sit and ponder, and find my own truths. Some people aren't really able to do that because they are focused on making enough money to put food on the table, or taking care of their children or parents 24/7. (It is still possible to question everything if you are in this situation, I am just acknowledging that it may not be as easy.) I have time to think and ponder. As a student, it is pretty much expected of me to learn, think, and question. I am grateful that I have this opportunity.
I've never been the type to conform and go with the flow, and I love that. I think that there are a plethora of things that are not right in the world, and I don't want to just look away from them. The only way things will change is if we acknowledge the wrongness first. And in order to do that, we have to question the status quo.
Here are some things I've been questioning lately; hopefully it will prompt you to question even more (:
Why is religion (a choice) so much more protected (legally and socially in America) than sexual orientation, which is not a choice?
How did early Americans justified ruining Native cultures by oppressing and assimilating them? How did early Americans justify slavery?
How can one world religion be right, and the rest be completely wrong?
Gender is the very first thing an individual notices about someone else. Why is gender so important to us?
Realized: I am so obviously a social sciences major.. haha (: All of these questions are about society and social norms.
Thank you for taking time to read this. It means a lot to me. It would mean even more if you strike up a conversation about these ideas. (:
