Part A
A generous act that I performed, involved myself cooking for my family. I made tomato spaghetti for dinner. Since I have 4 other siblings, I had to make a large portion of food, which made it difficult to cook. Nevertheless, I succeeded in making a dish for the family. After performing the act, I felt pleased and satisfied with what I had done. The amount of hard work and effort put into making food for my family led to my own satisfaction. Whereas, they were pleased and thankful as they enjoyed the dish. They reacted positively, hence creating a positive energy between myself and my family. My actions helped to create a closer relationship, as I created an interactive time with …show more content…
I donated used clothes for charity. Although it may not be much to offer, it still gave me a sense of satisfaction and gratefulness. Donating to charity helped me appreciate the little things in life, such as clean water, shelter and food. I felt thankful and lucky to have such possessions and it made me appreciate and acknowledge the value of the simple necessities. Surely, this act will have a positive effect to those who are in need, rather than going to waste in my closet. This experience relates to the idea of personal values and consumption regarding society. We, as a society is conditioned to believe in the idea that wealth is favorable, which I previously believed. Through this experience I learned that wealth does not necessarily bring happiness, but it is the quality of living that contributes to happiness. Donating to charity helped me to reassess the value of what I already possess and simply appreciate it. I realised that wealth may not contribute to quality living but it is compassion for others and the cooperative aspect that …show more content…
I was surprised by my score, as I thought that I would be part of the average group. My parents are conservative and tend to act in a sustainable manner in regards to waste and spending, which has also reflected on myself. The score may be due to the increasing materialism, it definitely plays a role in my consumption. Living in a first world society, we cannot help but be surrounded by materialistic values. Materialism is present in the world arounds us, and is influencing our values. There is a constant obsession over material goods which society has created, such as product brands. Product brands are marketed through advertisement and product placement, which increase consumerism and the value of products. We are influenced into desiring branded products, which are popular with the mass even though the product itself is not of any value or helpful. I am also influenced into desiring branded products and feel the need to achieve my 'wants' rather than my 'needs'. I think it is difficult to escape materialism or achieve full sustainability, as society in the 21st century has been ingrained to value materialistic objects. We have been accustomed to this idea and to believe that more material objects will result in happiness. Materialism has also developed significantly since the past decade, due to technological advancement. Our society is based on technology, hence it has become the basis for materialism. The advancing technological era