From what I can understand, these types of Teenagers were derived from the quiz ‘How do you cope with what’s going on in the world out there’. I did this quiz and I got 2 As and 3Bs. Therefore, I am a type B teenager.
Question 1 - The US was involved in an overseas conflict that I don’t like, and I am also afraid that it my affect my older brother. I will always stand up for my family, and, I am not alone! There are several student rallies out there that I can just join. Someone will pass me a banner or tell me what to do. We will be united and be able to persuade the government to stop the conflict, therefore preventing my brother from being affected.
From this analysis, I have learnt that we must stand up for what we really want, and to take action, not just to live inside your own cocoon and not care about what is going on in the world out there. We can learn how to accept things as they change, either for the better or for the good. If we strongly disagree with that changed thing, then we should change what we can.
Question 2 tells us about the reactions of our school when a school shooting plan is uncovered at a neighboring school. They install mega metal detectors, cell phones are prohibited, and all Internet searches in the library are monitored. I feel that the school is overreacting, but it is better to be safe than sorry, so I would prefer to just abide to the rules. Also, sometimes being over prepared may just save us from the incident just in case we underestimated the dangers, or missed out on one of the minor things that may just render all other installments useless.
We could not have prevented the shooting plans from being discovered. We could have made a student led watchdog organisation, but, does the school trust us? In fact, the one leading the watchdog organisation may be the very person who is planning the shooting spree. Also, being the teenagers that we are, most of us will give in to peer pressure. The school may be overcautious because they do not trust us, but that does not mean we need to hate them for that, nor do we need to try to earn their trust if we did nothing wrong, honestly speaking.
For Question 3, The US government has raised the terror alert warning one level for New York City, during New Year’s Eve, asking citizens to be especially vigilant. I live in Little Rock, Arkansas, more than a thousand miles away. I agree that being cautious is extremely vital, but sometimes we cannot control everything. Since I am so far away from New York, there is a small probability that something serious would happen right here. So, I decide to go on with life as normal, and not let such a minuscule matter ruin my mood for the day.
Raising a terror alert so far away does not mean we do not need to be vigilant at all, but we do not have to be so tense to expect to be attacked any moment. It is normal for most people to be tense at first, but they will get over it almost immediately, and life will continue as usual. We just have to be mentally prepared for an attack, but we can continue our lives just the same. Being paranoid may be an advantage, but it can also cause a duller perspective on life, and you will not enjoy as many things as others as you feel you are unable to take risks.
In Question 4, you are asked what you do when a natural disaster similar to Hurricane Katrina hits the Southwestern United States, where thousands of people are killed and injured, and countless others are homeless. Seeing it all on CNN, I would feel very sad for all those people, but I disappoint myself by saying that I do not really feel sad for them after it wears off, as I am not there to experience it, and therefore do not feel much for them. Also, I remind myself that I do not have such expendable time to spend raising funds just to help those people. I may have exams coming up, or need to raise my subject scores by revising.
Okay, I admit. You may say, “Yes, all the more you should help them. If you manage to help them while managing your studies, it will all the more show how passionate you are about helping people” I agree, but no thank you. Why? Because I do not want to risk flunking my exams, nor becoming a laughing stock all because in the end I could not manage what I told others I would do. I am not overambitious, and all I want is just to be decent enough to get through life easily.
Finally, Question 5 tells me about a major political scandal that has the whole government in an upheaval. Even though I am not old enough to vote yet, I know that what happens in the government today is going to impact my future. I want to take a stand about it, but I just do not think it is such a good idea, as it may be futile. In fact, It may just earn me extra hostility from the government, and I may also have to suffer humiliating consequences like being rejected by the newspaper, who is trying to get on the good side of the winning party.I never understood politics and never really cared about it. I also do not like standing against changes alone.
If there are many others who are also rejecting this change, I will join them to make a difference. But if I am the only person against the change, I will not do anything and accept it as it comes (unless I am totally against it and not accepting it at all). If that is so, I will give it all my effort and believe that one person can make that tiny difference. I may not be able to change anything, but I can be the one to spark the change. That tiny difference I make may inspire others to take the stand. Only then can we achieve what we set out to do.
The best altitude anybody can have is to balance caution and risks, to know when the risk is too great, or where your limit is. By doing this, you will not be so paranoid such that everything scares you to hiding in your home, nor will you be so reckless it may seem you can get yourself killed anytime. Knowing how to enjoy things in life yet be able to prevent harm from coming to you is the most efficient way to spend your life. Thank You.
TSW
TSW
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