http://www.software.co.il/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/ethics.jpgBefore enrolling in this class, I never really game much academic thought to concepts of ethics or leadership. I thought about during existential musings but was never asked to really give them much thought in the classroom settings. I always thought leadership was an inherited quality that I would never have nor be able to foster. However, I thought my views on ethics were solidly held: I had thought much about several of the topics we discussed in class. I considered my stance on animal rights and diversity pretty solid and I did not consider myself ignorant of the subjects.
http://artfiles.art.com/5/p/LRG/16/1646/1L2GD00Z/leadership-planes.jpgSo now, after a year in college and two semesters in E603, have my views changed much at all? While I believe my views on ethics have definitely expanded to consider all arguments for and against certain aspects of ethics, I believe where I stand on my personal ethics have not changed. I do not feel bad eating meat, despite our long questioning of the pain threshold of animals and potential cruelty of our dependence on animal products, and I feel that I treat others reasonably well. Even if a mouse in Alice in Wonderland says of his predation by cats "Mine is a long and a sad tale!," I will never consider eating animals for food as sad or sorrowful (Alice In Wonderland Chapter 3).
Where I think I have really grown is in the aspect of leadership. Being forced to lead a class and becoming so close to my classmates never made me apprehensive to put myself in front of my peers and take a leadership role. At the same time, I still do not consider myself a leader. I relish when others take the lead and I still do not enjoy the limelight entirely. But hopefully one day that will change. I consider myself a fairly open person, but I would hope more than anything that one day I have to ability to never fear letting others know what's on my mind and why I believe what I truly believe. I really believe, however, that this class has given me the ability to express myself through my writing and given me more confidence in speaking to others in class about my opinions, although I would like to be even more confident than I am now. Maybe one day as Alice said, when she was freshly given the title of Queen, "I shall be able to manage it quite well in time" (Through the Looking Glass Chapter 9.
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