Social Interactions

This is a sociology assignment. In it I was supposed to answer a list of questions. I chose to do this in essay form.

On a typical Friday I occupy my work space, which is an office setting, and a restaurant with my boyfriend. At work I am professional and focused on the task at hand. In order to have total focus I wear headphones and listen to music. Occasionally I take them off to discuss business matters with my coworkers. Even in times that we are talking about things outside of work there is a level of professionalism that I maintain. In the restaurant I laugh and joke with my boyfriend while having little interaction with anyone else there. But, I am still mindful of the other people in the restaurant and tailor my volume and tone to not disturb anyone.

My backstage areas would be in the car and at home. In the protective bubble of my car I dance and sing like no one is watching. At home I am completely able to be myself. I might take off all my clothes and eat a quart of ice cream while watching a mindless reality show. Or I might sit at my desk and work on my homework in a studious fashion.

All in all I do act differently in my front and back stage areas. When I am in a place where I can absolutely be myself I tend to be loud and vocal. In order to not be that way on the front stage I avoid interacting with other people.

I believe that there are many people who act in socially desirable ways even in their backstage areas. I can think of quite a few instances just off the top of my head. However, I am not one of those people. My brother once told me I have the ability to be anything I need to be in any given situation. (I should have been a spy) But, in my personal areas, with the people I feel completely comfortable with, I don’t have any socially desirable pretenses.

I absolutely believe that we are who we are at the core of our being. I have five biological siblings who were all raised by the same people in the same way. Even though there are six of us, every one of us has our own very distinct personality and our very own special quirks. I think that saying we are all essentially blobs cut from the same mold and are only a product of our circumstances is a total disservice to people and to the human spirit. If that were true then we would not have revolutionaries. We would all be content to just wander through life doing the exact same things, in the exact same ways as all the people around us. Granted, some of our traits are forged through our life circumstances but to say that we are only made through those circumstances would be to say that the unfortunate parents of serial killers raise them up to be that way. To me that sounds like a cop out to place the blame on someone else besides yourself.