decicels

     The environment an individual resides in heavily impacts the future personality and in turn outcome for that person. Depending on how one would define environmental factors, it can include expectations of surrounding individuals, mentors or role models, and various other elements. For one, Wes, there was no mentor like Mayor Schmoke who could help guide the way for him. As a result, that Wes Moore idolized other figures like rappers who touted lifestyles that consisted of selling drugs and all that the street life entailed. Despite this, taking into account the various other facets that both Wes Moores provided and the various points in which their circumstances and choices aligned and diverged, I still believe a person's fate is not solely influenced by their environments. Admittedly, the procurement of this belief was influenced by my sanguine or hopeful outlook on life. To say that a person's purpose is defined by the environment they are born into is to relinquis...

Music played a significant role in propagating the notions of what the street life entails for Wes. He found solace in the music, but it also served as a motivational factor. From excerpts in the fourth chapter hip hop seems to be the main genre that Wes enjoyed. Chubb Rock and EPMD were two artists specified in the book that Wes listened to heavily. His life and the struggles he was facing were mirrored in the music he gravitated toward. There were specific instances mentioned in chapter four where Wes drew energy from the music he was listening to and used it to surmount different hurdles he encountered. For instance, strains of “The Bridge Is Over” which he described as empowering prior to confronting Lateshia's brother. It would not be far-fetched to conclude that certain pockets of hip-hop made him feel validated in the lifestyle he was enveloped in that was accurately represented in the music. In my life, music also serves a similar role as a mechanism to stimulate desired em...

In the book, The Other Wes Moore , basketball serves as a unifying element for Wes and his friends. Their lives are described to be similar in the hurdles they experience such as their environment, socio-economic struggles, crime, drug presence in their community, and academic struggles. Their escape came from basketball at one point in time in the book. The good thing about activities such as sports is they consist of three beneficial aspects, whereas many activities that are commonly used to serve as an escape or coping mechanism only include one or two. These being the social factor with other people who may or may not be experiencing the same things, the physical factor which allows you to simultaneously get some healthy activity in, and the fact that most sports are shared outside. That last element alone can greatly affect mood and mental health to levels that most people aren't truly aware of. Unfortunately many people now turn to technology as their coping mechanism which ...

I believe the essence of a person is molded by the experiences that an individual encounters in life. To say a person is a product of their environment or the expectations of those close to them solely is only fractionally true. I believe both and so much more contribute to what makes a person who they are. The expectations imposed or simply held by those around you with regard to your future could be viewed as the seed. The environment you live in and your acquaintance with certain parts of it are the soil. That being said, more is needed. Sunlight, water, and oxygen. Maybe fertilizer or more time. The more you have of one component, the less of the others is required. The same is true for people.  The quality of people you have in your life from the very beginning is crucial to setting the foundation with which you will build your character. After all, when you first come into this world, the only pieces you have to build are of people around you. The house your parents have, the...