1.

Barbara Kruger said: A person is defined not by what he thinks, but by what he
owns. Shopping is an expressive and constitutive existential act. What Kruger
tries to imply with “I shop therefore I am,” is that the public is no longer defined
by what it thinks, but rather by what they owned. According to her, the modern
society is filled with people whose focus is on “what they have rather than who
they are.” Do you agree or disagree with Barbara Kruger? Elaborate on your
answer in 3-5 sentences ONLY. (15 points)

I agree that many people nowadays define themselves through the things they own
or have rather than who they are as a person. In my own experience, whenever I see my
classmates having new clothes or bags, I become amazed and envious to the point that
I will ask my parents to also buy me those items. It is because we tend to compare,
compete, and ask for validation. In reality, our view of ourselves constantly changes, we
discover new things every day, and it is important to understand these changes as well
as reflect on what's essential in life rather than constructing yourself through things we
own. If we define ourselves through things that we own then we will have difficulty in
discovering self-identity, developing self-awareness, having a deeper understanding of
ourselves, and satisfaction or contentment in life.

2. “People were created to be loved, and things were created to be used; the reason
why the world is in so much chaos right now is because people are being used
and things are being loved.” What can you say about this quote? Reflect on this
statement in 3-5 sentences ONLY. (15 points)

I think it is true, people nowadays focus on material things rather than the people
they love or who are important to them. For example, in our house sometimes we tend to
focus more on gadgets although these should benefit us, sometimes we use them too
much and tend to spend less time with our parents or family. This also applies in politics,
politicians give more importance to money rather than doing their job and ensuring and
protecting the welfare of Filipinos. We started to love material things that gradually
control us, we don't see anymore what's really matters and essential in life.