Sophie

= = = = = What I Already Know About Development = 1. The social environment of a child is very influential on their development. 2. Maturation is a natural thing that comes with time and can't be controlled. 3. A person's social structure helps form the person that they become.

= What I Want To Know About Development = 1. How does a person deal with dying and old age? 2. What are the factors that cause a mid-life crisis? 3. How influential can a person's social structure be to who they become?

= Reading Responses =

__ **Resource #1** __

**Read** Terror Management Theory is the idea that humans, unlike other animals, have an awareness of their own mortality and a desire to live, which is a terrifying reality that follows us all throughout our lives.The way humans respond to this reality forms the beliefs we hold, the political parties we join, our opinions and our desire for high self esteem. We do this because we want to be apart of something that goes beyond us and that will outlive us, hence giving us a sense of immortality.When we become Democrats, Episcopalians, Environmentalists, Evolutionists ect., our ideas outlive us and propagate after we are gone. That is why us humans can become so defensive and passionate about our opinions and beliefs.

**Response** I thought this was a great article because it really gave me a different opinion as to why we have the need to join groups or form opinions that we cling to so dearly. I didn't realize how many attributions stemmed from recognizing our mortality: defense of world views, self-esteem, wanting to identify with a group, increased interest in close relationships and being more religious. I find it intriguing that our human spirit, when aware of our mortality, doesn't kneel down before the fact and and just wait until the end but instead perseveres and really tries to leave something on this earth to try, in a certain regard, to overcome death. I think that this characteristic differentiates us from other animals because it forces us to innovate and constantly improve and makes us the only species to have real passions. So even though death is sad and very scary, we should stop and recognize how it molds us to be higher thinkers and life seekers.

**Citation**

Nathan Heflick, // Life Death and Free Will. // June 10th, 2012,

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**Sexuality Activity** http://glsen.org/sites/default/files/Kandall%20Bailey%20Transcript.pdf

I read an article about homosexuals in the military. A man had left his phone in the car and while he was away the fellow soldiers read through his text message with his boyfriend. He said that everyone started treating him differently and it was very uncomfortable so he decided to talk to his commanding officer about it. When he told him that he was gay the officer said that it was just a phase and that he needed to go to counseling. He was then discharged from the military and could not come back. I think the most remarkable aspect of this story is that even after the military did that to him he still respects it and wishes he could go back; I think that speaks very highly of him. He wishes that there really was equality for all and that there still is a very long way to go.

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