I believe the society we live in defines us more than we define ourselves. I believe there are certain things that define us no matter what the circumstances are, but they are not the majority. An example of something that the society I live in taught me to like is music by Eminem. This, for me, is societal because if I had grown up in strict surroundings and was only allowed to listen to say, classical music, I would be used to a certain sound and probably would not enjoy Eminem. People, who are bred to enjoy certain music, and dislike other music, tend to not change (with exceptions to extreme circumstances such as the rock and roll era). Something that I enjoy because of my own personal creativity is reading. I honestly think that no matter what my circumstances would have been if given the chance, I would always enjoy reading.

If I had to put a percentage on how much society defines us I would say about 80 percent, and I would contribute 20 percent to our personal choice/creativity. I choose this number because we are all born as people. I understand not everything is the same, but we are humans and we are made up of bones and muscles and skin. Most of us are given the same basic, capable package when we are born, but it is our environment which shapes us. It is the people we are surrounded by, the events which we live through, and the opportunities we are presented with that indefinitely shape us. There are concrete identities within our souls, but these identities are shaped by all the happenings in our lives.

I believe we as people do share a moral responsibility to each other. In the broadest sense we are all people and we are all trying to live and prosper. I do believe that we share a greater responsibility to those close to us, and I believe that is important. I am first responsible for myself, because if I am not well there is no way I can help other people. After myself I hold myself responsible for my family; my mother who is chronically ill, my sister who often needs guidance, and my nephew and nieces who need someone to look up to. My friends come directly next and I often treat my friends like family, most of my friends are very close to me and I would do anything for them. I am also a volunteer so I like to help out my community, state, and those who are less fortunate than me. I give to other countries far away when I can, and I believe if you are capable you should. But it is a sincere belief of mine that all people who are able should take responsibility for those closest to us. If everyone uses this mentality then eventually it will expand throughout the world and people who need help will receive it. If I had to make any type of moral law it would be to suggest people give what they can, and maybe try to prioritize some the extras in their lives. Many of us are wealthy in so many ways and take so many basic things for granted. It is important to realize how others suffer, and how we can make things easier for all people, one small step at a time.