Ted talk reflection
~The Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie~
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s notion that “many stories matter” from her TED Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” holds significant relevance for guiding research in the social sciences. In research, embracing diverse narratives and perspectives is essential for creating a comprehensive understanding of complex phenomena. Just as Adichie warns against reducing individuals or cultures to a single narrative, researchers must avoid the temptation to rely solely on one perspective or data source. Embracing the idea that “many stories matter” encourages researchers to seek out diverse voices, perspectives, and methodologies in their work. By doing so, researchers can uncover nuances, contradictions, and alternative explanations that may be overlooked in a singular approach. This inclusive approach not only enhances the richness and depth of research findings but also promotes a more equitable and just representation of the phenomena under study.
Who am I?
As you can see below, I intertwined what people thought of me vs what was actually going on
- Who am I… A question I think we all ask ourselves at some point, or multiple times in our lives. I think people are constantly changing as we live more of our lives. Perceptions of us also change and multiple people could presume you differently, good, or bad. Being a freshman here at SIUE, I came into college with a certain mindset about things and I think that mindset was heavily dependent on what my parents’ mindsets were growing up. With that being said I can certainty say that I have changed and grown a lot since being here and being away from my parents. Though I find it a confusing process. A way I could describe it is almost like you are being torn apart with who you think you should be and who your parents think you should be. Maybe this experience is different for everyone else, but it has definitely been a struggle for me as I have gotten older. Especially just in the last 8 months so much has changed. I’ve lost people, gained new people, lost friendships, rekindled old friendships and found passions that I have forgotten about. Growing up as a kid I had a great life from what I can remember. I am of a mixed-race , so that in itself comes with challenges that I think no young child is ready for. Between the talks my parents would have about how we need to be careful and how we get treated differently when we go out to dinner as a family, is a very confusing thing for any child. So instead of boring you with my past childhood because I’ve already told you about that in my Digital Project #1 (last semester- in my Eportfolio). I want to talk to you about my life just in the past few years or so. When I was in my teens, I experienced a lot of mental health issues but never really knew how to “fix” them, so I pushed them down and tried to distract myself. I found myself trying different ways of therapy, to sort of distract myself from what was going on in the inside of me and at my home life. Throughout my high school days, I was a straight A student with lots of ambition and drive within me, and many people saw that and admired that about me. People saw that and saw that I am “pretty” or “have beautiful hair”. But what they did not know is that I was just a very insecure teenager who was struggling every single day. I’ve perpetually believed that I was consistently letting people down, whether through my academic grades, my basketball performance, striving to embody the “perfect” daughter, or attempting to conform as the “perfect little church girl.” But I never realized how much that incessantly striving for perfection takes a toll on your mental well-being? Because you can’t be perfect all the time, and it’s okay to make mistakes. Though that never really got into my head until I started school here. In high school, specifically my senior year my anxiety was so bad that before every single basketball game I would lock myself into a bathroom stall and do one of these three things, sometimes all three; throw up, cry, or have an anxiety/ panic attack. But guess what? Nobody knew, nobody saw that side of me, all they saw was an amazing athlete getting buckets. Little did they know I had to force myself to get on that court every single game, wiping my own tears away. I believed that I would be okay if I just “thug it out” because I didn’t want to rely on outside things such as anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medicines to be happy. But now as an adult I can say that it is not a crutch and if you need help it’s okay to ask, don’t be scared to reach out to people, even if the people closest to you don’t agree. This is your life now and you can choose to live it any way you would like to. It’s important to not allow what other people think of you dictate your decisions in your life. So, to sum it up I don’t really know who I am but i am on a journey to figure that out.