Thought with a Purpose
For the last few months, I have been considering applying to an internship in San Francisco. Lately, it feels as if my entire life is up in the air and this internship is no exception. So much is unknown that making any definitive choices seems out of the question. To make a long story short, the internship is available four times a year for three months at a time (i.e. January, February March and April, May, June). Initially, I wanted to apply to the first round so I would have a second chance to apply should I not be chosen for the position in January, but that leaves things in a tough and confusing place. Unfortunately, with my lease expiring, graduate school acceptance being undetermined, and finances complicating an unpaid internship, having such an unclear plan is incredibly difficult. After my loving boyfriend pointed out that my plan was "not very well thought out", I felt very overwhelmed, anxious, and upset. I'm the type of person that always needs to have a plan and a plan that isn't well thought out is not a good enough plan for me. So naturally, I hopped in the shower--where all the best thinking takes place--and got to work.
Luckily for me, I had read "How We Think" by John Dewey the night before. I definitely wasn't thinking of Dewey while I was in the shower (that'd be a little weird), but after giving my plan some serious consideration I realized that what I was really doing was reflecting in the way that Dewey had described in his writing. True reflection, not just thought, requires intention. One cannot reflect without the desire to learn more because it is inherently aimed at discovering facts, truths, and beliefs. It all boils down to the desire to know more. In my shower situation, my intention was to flesh out my potential options in a way that would lead me to what I believed was the best solution to this looming problem. Furthermore, reflections have consequences and impact other areas of your life. Thoughts about the weather or the dresses that were worn at the Emmy's have no impact on the bigger picture and this is one of the reasons they cannot be called reflections. It is the connection between observation and experience and the potential for future impact that defines reflection. All of the things I was considering incorporated my observations and experiences (such as not wanting to be in a new city with no money) into deciding how my future would be impacted.
Reflection makes us who we are because without it our lives would be a series of actions, some connected and some not, with no real direction or desire to change. All of those moments where we ask ourselves "why did I say that?" or "did I do the right thing?" would be erased without reflection. Reflection leads to self-improvement because it prompts us to consider what could be better, what could be different. Without these serious internal discussions, nothing would ever be better and nothing would ever be different, at least within ourselves. As Dewey touches on, simply thinking about your experiences is just thinking, but when you cross the line into reflection you actually begin to consider what those experiences could mean for your future and you begin to contemplate if your actions were appropriate, just, etc. or if something should change. It is clear now why reflection is the key to self-improvement. We must reflect on our actions, words, thoughts, and experiences to truly become the best version of ourselves.
In case you're eager to know, my shower reflection did lead me to a powerful conclusion about my plans for the future--and it made clear to to me the necessity of reflection.
Luckily for me, I had read "How We Think" by John Dewey the night before. I definitely wasn't thinking of Dewey while I was in the shower (that'd be a little weird), but after giving my plan some serious consideration I realized that what I was really doing was reflecting in the way that Dewey had described in his writing. True reflection, not just thought, requires intention. One cannot reflect without the desire to learn more because it is inherently aimed at discovering facts, truths, and beliefs. It all boils down to the desire to know more. In my shower situation, my intention was to flesh out my potential options in a way that would lead me to what I believed was the best solution to this looming problem. Furthermore, reflections have consequences and impact other areas of your life. Thoughts about the weather or the dresses that were worn at the Emmy's have no impact on the bigger picture and this is one of the reasons they cannot be called reflections. It is the connection between observation and experience and the potential for future impact that defines reflection. All of the things I was considering incorporated my observations and experiences (such as not wanting to be in a new city with no money) into deciding how my future would be impacted.
Reflection makes us who we are because without it our lives would be a series of actions, some connected and some not, with no real direction or desire to change. All of those moments where we ask ourselves "why did I say that?" or "did I do the right thing?" would be erased without reflection. Reflection leads to self-improvement because it prompts us to consider what could be better, what could be different. Without these serious internal discussions, nothing would ever be better and nothing would ever be different, at least within ourselves. As Dewey touches on, simply thinking about your experiences is just thinking, but when you cross the line into reflection you actually begin to consider what those experiences could mean for your future and you begin to contemplate if your actions were appropriate, just, etc. or if something should change. It is clear now why reflection is the key to self-improvement. We must reflect on our actions, words, thoughts, and experiences to truly become the best version of ourselves.
In case you're eager to know, my shower reflection did lead me to a powerful conclusion about my plans for the future--and it made clear to to me the necessity of reflection.
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