An Essay About Meaningful Quotes

An Essay About Meaningful Quotes

My life has been influenced by the interests my family and I have, including learning about the issues of the world and being able to appreciate art and literature. These interests, as well as my own personal struggles, have led me to books and songs that I have been able to relate to my life. I have been through a period in the last few years in which I have experienced an awakening. This awakening has shown me what I am really passionate about. At the same time, I have recently experienced periods of depression and loneliness. Reading science fiction books and listening to rock music have been hobbies that have reinforced my new beliefs and helped me get through hard times. Specific quotations from the book The Dispossessed by Ursula LeGuin as well as the songs “Panda” by TTNG and “Lanterns” by Birds of Tokyo reflect my willingness to share what's on my mind, my recent troubles, and my motivation for the future, respectively.

I love the writing of Ursula LeGuin, who crafts amazing fantasy worlds with deep characters in her young adult series. I have become more mature recently, so I have started reading adult science fiction. I picked up and loved her book of that genre called The Dispossessed, and I remembered her words in the book: “No one who will not go as far as I'm willing to go has any right to stop me from going.” This quote is stated by the main character Shevek, who wanted to travel to a planet that was the enemy of his planet. He wanted to travel so he could share radical scientific ideas with leading minds on the other planet. When he eventually left, he was called a traitor by many people in his society. Shevek's willingness to depart from both scientific norms and his planet, as shown in this quote, parallels my willingness to depart from traditional thinking that I have developed in the past year. By researching on the Internet and thinking things through on my own, I have developed ideas about some subjects which everyone else has seemed to make up their minds about. I like to question everything, and I reject dogmatic thinking, whether it comes from the political or religious/atheist spheres. One day, I posted a comment online that stated that religious people and atheists should respect each other, and it sparked a bunch of the intolerant arguments. These arguments were the kind that I was trying to prevent with my comment. I also think that the Constitution and the Bible, documents that were written long ago, should be thought of as things that shouldn't be taken literally and should be questioned and reviewed. Also, I think that we as the human race should be open to any credible ideas, even if they seem weird at first. Ideas that don't fit the current thinking should be reviewed with an open mind, in the same way that Shevek's actions and ideas should have been reviewed.

I have been obsessed with rock music ever since I heard the middle school jazz band play “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay when I was in sixth grade. Recently, I have explored more experimental sub-genres of rock. TTNG is my favorite math rock band, and they accompany their wonderfully complex instrumentals with great lyrics like these from their song “Panda” from their album Animals: “Another place/ another time/ another twinkle in the eyes/ caught between awkward glances/ in crowded social scenes/ another breeding ground for apathy.” These masterful lyrics describe my feelings perfectly as I walk down the halls alone at school. I don't know if I should say hello to people or not as I pass them. After my decision, I always feel like the situation went awkwardly. Although I know many people, I am unsure if many of them should be called my friends or my acquaintances. I have social anxiety and can feel very awkward while talking to people. I also don't like parties, as I do not do well in social situations with large groups. Last winter, I thought I had lost all of my friends, and I went through a bout of depression. I found TTNG and their amazing music and relatable lyrics during that time, and I eventually bounced back by repairing friendships and having a great track season. Although I am still socially awkward, I have not felt totally alone at any time in this tenth grade year.

After hearing the great power and optimism in the song “Lanterns” by Birds of Tokyo off their Lanterns - EP, I knew it would be the song I would go to to cheer me up and keep me confident. The band's singer is an amazing lyricist, and I love hearing the power of his voice when listening to both of his bands. His message is clear in this lyric snippet from “Lanterns”: “We are ready/ we are young/ we have nothing to fear.” I am a young person with a life of opportunity ahead of me, and this is the message that I love to hear. I want to step into my life with hope and love. I have realized that fear is my, as well as humanity's, worst enemy and that it is used by people to control others. Since I was little, I have been scared of flying because of the 911 attacks. However, I flew for the first time over winter break so that I could learn about the issues at the border between Arizona and Mexico. I will continue to face my fears so that I can be able to travel the world and have successful relationships with others in my lifetime.

The Dispossessed by Ursula LeGuin, “Panda” by TTNG, and “Lanterns” by Birds of Tokyo are amazing works that have meaningful and memorable lines or lyrics. I am a person who believes that the human race needs to be open to new ideas, even if they contradict conventional views. I have struggled socially and have become depressed in the past, but I am feeling better and am looking into ways to become more involved with others. I have learned to face life with positivity and to face my fears so that I can reach my goals and dreams. Songs and books that reflect my feelings and experiences have reinforced how I want myself and the world to be as I grow older.