1LIT12 Reflections

Reflection 5
Reflect on the fable’s origin, the characters’ motives, and their connection to one’s lessons in
life.
I think that most of the fables have dark sides to them and they are all reflections of reality in
which Aesop himself was a slave. It could probable have influenced the way he wrote his fables
in which they may be lessons about life, but they are deep and mostly dark. When it comes to
the motives of the characters in the fables, they usually are greedy and want to have something
more. The fables are about life, but they are not wholesome. They depict the harsh realities that
occur. In fact, they are portrayed in vengeful ways just like the story about the man and the
snake. A fox is also often present in Aesop’s fables often tricking other characters. This had a
bad implication on me because it is always the fox that deceives other animals, and it is kind of
repetitive already and negative at the same time. In my opinion, if these are the kind of stories
that you have your children read at a young age, then they might build some trust issues. I
understand the need to be cautious especially since there really is no certainty in a world like
ours and people out there would probably deceive you in actuality but that does not mean that
you no longer could trust other people. Furthermore, if you are always on guard, then you may
miss a lot of things in life such as possibilities of meeting new people and giving out as much
love as you can.

Reflection 6
To whom do we owe our loyalty – our family or the government? How can an individual make a
difference?
I think that our loyalty does not lie anywhere. I think that it depends on the situation and what
shows care for us. A lot of people are mistreated by their families and for those people, I think
that they do not owe their families anything. They should not stay loyal to their families just
because they are the reasons for their existence or anything. Furthermore, there are times when
we should not stay loyal to our families especially when we know that what they do is wrong. On
the other hand, with regards to the government, I think that people should be loyal to their
neighbors or the people of their country but not exactly the government. Help other people and
make it a goal to contribute to your nation but not exactly for the government. Our loyalties do
not lie with the rulers or the leaders but with the citizens. We want what is best for the people
and we should not just follow things because the government asks us to do them. We must
evaluate them first. Nonetheless, I think that an individual can make a difference in different
ways. Making a difference does not mean that you have to create a legacy or that the difference
that you make is highly significant. It can simply be to make a difference in someone’s life that
changes his perspective which then becomes a chain effect. I believe in this in such way that if
you positively affect a person’s life, then that person could possibly affect someone else’s life
too in a positive manner and so the cycle continues. On the other hand, there are people who
create bigger changes by correcting errors in the system and through their life changing
proposals and discoveries. However, I think that someone does not really have to make this
great of a difference in a lifetime. We are all extraordinary in our own ways.

Reflection 7
Write about the changing role of a woman in society today
The changing role of a woman in society today is that women have gone far from just being
plain housewives in which their sole “essence of being a woman” is to take care of their
husbands and children. Women have gone far from just being “wives”. They have created
distinct identities for themselves. I think that women in society today have broken the stigma.
There are still stereotypes in some ways, but they are changing. The role of women in society is
not the only thing that changed. In fact, the overall concept of stereotypes and double standards
has changed. Gender norms are being broken as more and more strong women are emerging
in various industries and proving themselves capable. Toxic masculinity is also being eliminated
as more men are showing off their feminine sides. These days it is more of what you want in life
and what makes you happy and not really about what is dictated by society that you should do.
A lot of women have proven themselves overtime in various fields like law, education, research,
politics, art, and others. Women can also be leaders and they are also capable of what men can
do. It is not about the gender but one’s preferences, hard work, passion, and determination.

Reflection 8
How would you classify these according to their importance to you? Work, Family, Education,
Relationships
I personally think that I am putting my relationships first, above everything. Relationships for me
include my friends and other people I choose to love. I think that the love that was chosen to be
given is much stronger than love that is given because you feel obliged to give it. With that, I
think that I prioritize those who love me because they choose to and want to rather than those
who only care for me because we are just related by blood. “Blood is thicker than water” is an
incomplete principle. It should be “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the
womb”. But it does not mean that I don’t love my family. I love them also and they come
secondary to those that are important to me. I would like to include my parents in the
relationship part as they also love me unconditionally. However, for other relatives, perhaps they
only come in secondary. As you can see, I prioritize people over my passions that is because
people come and go, and people are alive but the things I want for myself are not. I’d rather give
out so much love to other people and spend time with them than spend time alone in which I
can be productive but I’m not really happy and I don’t have anyone to celebrate my triumphs
with. Next, I put importance more to work than education. I believe that education is really
important, but it only helps you get somewhere. You can still take a different direction than the
direction that your education suggests. Education is also continuous, and it is nothing if you do
not really apply it to work.