Questions of Self-Reflection

Profile of You as a Knower

1. How old are you? How might your age affect both what you know and your attitude toward gaining knowledge? I am 17 years old and since I am at the end of my years as a teenager, I question many things before automatically accepting them. I form my own opinions now, which I am ready to defend. I have gained lots of experience both inside the school and outside (life experience). I have travelled a lot, which contributes to my broader knowledge of cultures. However, I accept that I still have a lot to learn and I believe that as long as you live, you learn.

2. What is your mother tongue? What other languages do you speak? How might your particular language(s) affect your knowledge? My mother tongue is Hungarian, but I'm also fluent in English and German. I also have a basic knowledge of Russian and Spanish. Since I have learned many languages, I have become more open and tolerant towards other cultures.

3. What sex are you? Does your gender role affect how you see the world? Does it influence your expectations of what knowledge you should gain in your education? Male, I believe that my gender role does not largely affect how I see the world. I am one of those liberal guys who believe that in the biggest part, we control our own life. Call me crazy, but I really do.

4. Did you grow up in an urban area or a rural one? How might living in the countryside affect what and how you know? In the rural area of the capital city, meaning I could easily travel downtown, but still lived in a calm environment, next to a forest.

5. Have you always had enough to eat, felt safe and been able to get an education? How do you think that having these needs met – or not met – affect your present knowledge? Yes, I have. Because I have not experienced not having them firsthand, I have never had to really work for basic needs as hard as those, who didn't have them.

6. How would you describe your spiritual worldview? How might following a religion, or not doing so, affect your knowledge? On paper, I am a Russian orthodox Christian, but I do not follow that religion. In reality, I have a mixed worldview. I believe that there must be someone up there, but I can not decide who he/she/it is and if he/she/it is helpful or harmful by nature. However, I also believe that in the biggest part, we control our own life, that nothing is destined. Furthermore, I do not decline the belief of reincarnation.

7. How do cultural influences affect how you see the world? Do you identify with a particular culture? My mother is Hungarian, the daughter of very liberal parents and my father is Ukrainian, raised under USSR culture. Therefore, I was raised in a highly mixed household, where sometimes the cultures even coincided. I do not identify with a culture, however, I like the American open, liberal, tolerant, democratic culture.

8. sAre there any particular field of knowledge appeal to you strongly? Does your interest affect your current knowledge and your knowledge goals for the future? I don't really get the question, but if I do, then here it is: I'm a Humanities guy. I especially like History and foreign languages. My interest definitely affects my current knowledge, on a subconscious level - I forget stuff that I don't find interesting - and consciously, when given a choice, I choose fields of knowledge that interest me. How fascinating, I like stuff that are interesting to me, and I know (and want to know more) about stuff that are interesting...