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Alexis Quinones
Professor Jon Beadle
English 113B
24 February 2016
Who am I and How I Live?
Culture is defined as a of group who has similar characteristics like beliefs, values or
morals, while space is an unoccupied area in which we are free to fill with our expressions, and
comforts. Each individual of mankind lives their life differently. We have our own form of
happiness. These incompatible forms come from our own self-culture and space. The crosscountry culture and space of relation have constructed my own self-identity, of who I am today,
and how I process the impression of people from different cultures.
I take myself to be a comforter, a person who supplies company. I believe I am an
individual who provides consolation because the amount of experience and relation I can provide
to another human being. As a cross-country runner, you are on a team. A team is a group of
people that from as one. Cross-country has had such an impact on my self-identity by caring for
others, and never leaving anyone behind. I believe in the idea that no individual should go
through hard obstacles alone. Everyone deserves a companion who can relate to their emotions,
and weight of physical and mental stress that has been put on them. Cross-country has shaped
this part of my identity because as I ran with my team we were all enduring the same physical
pain. We were all in the same area, therefore, thinking and acting alike. I value my self-identity
because it makes me feel satisfied. I feel satisfied because I know I am not experiencing the way

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I live my life alone. There will always be someone who has been in your shoes. Cross-country
has been a critical component by providing me with this usefulness. Therefore, the quantity of
relevancy that another individual can provide feels like life can be lived with tranquility.
I find it interesting how every single individual has their own culture, and formation of
space. Everyone has their own shape of happiness, due to the fact that we are each raised
differently. As a human being, we tend to ignore and outcast other cultures. We do this because
we do not want to change what feels right for us. We will always criticize people with different
characteristics they have. Judgement is in our human nature, however, that does not mean that all
of our judgements are accusations. I communicate with people from different cultures the same
way I want to be approached. Every member of the human race is not the same, because we all
think differently. In the article "Self-Identity and Culture" by Ronald Jackson, Cerise Glenn, and
Kesha Williams, it says that While places are physical locations, spaces are psychological
locations that frame understanding of preferences surrounding closeness and distances (119).
This quote means that space is in our mentality, where comprehension of our liking can get close
or pushed far away from us. People have their right to their own opinion. As from experience, I
have not let anyone change my beliefs or actions because in my space I can do what I please. In
cross-country I can run at the pace I want and if someone passes me, I have the ability to either
speed up or maintain the same. I can do whatever makes me feel calm. We have the power to
create our own realities in our minds and by doing so we feel at ease. We know that nobody can
disturb the world we constructed. Therefore, space cannot be changed by another individual but
rather the individual who controls that space.
Difficult situations where panic is involved become less worse when you are not dealing
with them alone. Another contributing factor to feeling less worried is when that individually

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specifically has the same problem. When this two things are put together you get this term called
"Relation". In the article "Culture and Communication" by Anastacia Kurylo, it states that
"Seamlessness is possible because only some identities are relevant in any given
moment...Without always being aware of it, you are actively and seamlessly manage your
identities by making only certain identities salient in a given moment" (4). In other words the
same characteristics are relevant at any time even if you are uninformed about them, they are still
in control of your identity. However, we the put the most important character depending on the
situation. My cross-country experience relates to this because of competition. During
competition we put the sportsman ship identity. No matter how bad you want to beat your
competition, the best thing to do is to always wish them luck before a race. During the event we
transition our characters into a fierce one. This fierce personality becomes the most important
one at the moment. The greatest thing about this is that you are not the only one with this
personality during this occasion. Relevancy makes circumstances less stressful, therefore, this is
why it is part of my space.
In my seven day experimental location journal entries I experienced different cultural
settings. The two most important that caught my attention was at a restaurant and my uncle's
house during the super-bowl. I went to have dinner with my parents at Olive Garden, which is a
fancy restaurant. As soon as I stepped in, the transition of my cultural expectations had changed,
and I adapted to a new one. The new culture I adjusted to was one that was very rich, and
mannerly like. Everyone around me was speaking in a soft voice, and eating slowly. Laughter
was being controlled at a tolerable level, and everything was neat and organized. Being in this
was not something I was use to. I honestly felt out of place. However, I had a different
experience at my uncle's house. It was super-bowl Sunday which meant lots of food and a bunch

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of family. The cultural setting here was obnoxiousness, laughter, and talking out loud. The
experience I was having here at my uncle's was one I was use to. During my cross-country
season we went to different places to compete. These different locations always alternated my
identity. Some where serious and quite, while others were loud and fun. I did not let this change
who I I have claimed myself to be. I came to realization that these were just physical locations
and my values and beliefs where still the same in my space. All my identities were just relevant
for those given moments.
In "PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNALS" it states that "Values and beliefs are learned
in a national culture. You may not be aware of your own values and beliefs until you are
confronted with someone different than you. We have a tendency to judge others behavior based
on our own cultural norms, the lens we see through. Here we have lots of opportunities for
potential conflict, misunderstandings and miscommunication. It is important that we try to learn
and appreciate these differences in order to work effectively with people from other cultures."
Also in the "Wall Street Journal" it says "Occasionally, a misperception of societal norms can
have a positive effect. Individuals who hold negative opinions about other ethnic groups, for
example, may suppress these views if they think the attitudes won't be accepted within their own
group. 'Suppression becomes reality over time' Dr. Crandall says" (Shirley S. Wieng). We have
to learn to see both sides of everyone's perspectives and why they hold those beliefs. In crosscountry many individuals have different goals throughout a specific event. Some will want to be
pushing a specific pace throughout the race, or get a certain time on the course. We cannot
always assume people are mad because of what comes to our judgement. We may have different
cultures, and different self-identities, but that does not mean we have to misunderstand each
other. We have to respect these distinctions among us human beings and function adequately.

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Holding negative opinions will only lead to disaster and miscommunication and that is not the
reality we desire.
Morals, beliefs, and values are what you obtain from your culture. You are free to fill
your desires of expression and comforts in your space. My self-identity has been formed by my
cross-country experience. The amount of relevancy I was exposed to throughout my journey as a
cross-country runner made me realize what kind of human being I am, and how I view the
intuition of people from different cultures. This is who I am.

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Works Cited

Part I. introduction to Inter/Cultural Communication Chapter 1: Inter/Cultural Communication

"Culture and Communication" Anastacia Kurlyo Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2013
Published July 23, 2012
Part II. Distinguishing Self and Other Chapter 6: Inter/Cultural Communication "Self-identity
and Culture" Ronald Jackson, Cerise Glenn, and Kesha Williams Los Angeles: Sage
Publications, 2013 Published July 23, 2012
Heggertveit-Aoudia, Sunniva. "Culture, Values and the Impact at Work." Profiles in Diversity
Journals. N.p., 27 Sept. 2012. Web. 20 Feb. 2016
Weing, Shirley S. "Under the Influence: How the Group Changes What We Think." WSJ. The
Wall Street Journal, 3 May 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

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