while i'm not actually done at bryn mawr, i don't really feel like bryn mawr has shaped me that much. i feel like i've shaped myself by making positive decisions and studying hard at bryn mawr. saying that a school shapes you sounds a little deterministic for my taste, but maybe i'm misinterpreting what you're saying.
Thanks for the response, Gaby, and for keeping me on task.
I believe experience is a factor in shaping a person, and our control over our proper experiences varies according to circumstance: sometimes you hold the reins, and sometimes wear them. At least in my case, the particular environment of Bryn Mawr helped set the stage for experiences which were formative in a specific manner. London and the Courtauld dealt a new deck of cards, and the lived experience brought another set of insights, which edited the repertoire distilled from the years at BMC.
So, you're correct to consider a statement like "BMC shaped me" deterministic, for it negates the self's role in the equation. The nature of the self is obviously a tough question, but I regard its development (an assumption, I realize) as Aristotle defines virtue: action in accordance with a concept. Action necessarily refers to circumstance, which in turn reflects back to the concept; if strong enough, the one can modify the other.
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I believe experience is a factor in shaping a person, and our control over our proper experiences varies according to circumstance: sometimes you hold the reins, and sometimes wear them. At least in my case, the particular environment of Bryn Mawr helped set the stage for experiences which were formative in a specific manner. London and the Courtauld dealt a new deck of cards, and the lived experience brought another set of insights, which edited the repertoire distilled from the years at BMC.
So, you're correct to consider a statement like "BMC shaped me" deterministic, for it negates the self's role in the equation. The nature of the self is obviously a tough question, but I regard its development (an assumption, I realize) as Aristotle defines virtue: action in accordance with a concept. Action necessarily refers to circumstance, which in turn reflects back to the concept; if strong enough, the one can modify the other.
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thanks for your interesting and nuanced response. i assumed you weren't going to reply, and i'm very glad that you did.
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