Gloria_Week 6_Reaction

We had an interesting class last week because we talked about STRENGTHS. I think the strength quest I did online really match my personality. The top 5 strengths I had are in the following order: Restorative, Discipline, Individualization, Focus and significance.

I thought everything would have pros and cons. For example, I could focus on one thing for and long time and could make corrections necessary to stay on track, it also enabled to find out the minor mistakes in my work. However, I would spend too much time on one particular task and thus I might not have enough time to do other things. By filling out the form in class, it made me realize what’re my strengths, how to make good use of them and try to avoid the negative effects they might bring me.

Moreover, we also talked about the strengths of others that we didn’t have on our list. I found that it’s very important for us to realize which aspects were people good at. Everyone is unique and plays different roles in a group, it good for us to know the strengths of ourselves and others, so that we can apply them appropriately. It’s not only beneficial to the whole group, but also it can strengthen one’s confidence because they thought they are contributors in the group! 

Week 6 Reaction (Esther)

    I really enjoy last class.  The lecturer gave me a complete and clear understanding about strengths.  Why I need to know my strengths and how can I use it. Also, from the discussion, I think deeply about the advantages and disadvantages about my strengths. Every coin has two sides and it helps me to balance the usage of my strengths.
    Interestingly, after I know my strengths, I began to pay attention to how I use it in my daily life. For example, the first strength of mine is Input. I found that I like observing and thinking when there is new information around me. Before I know this strength, I just think it's my habit to do it. But now I know that it's my strengths. I may think how I can use it appropriately to avoid the basement side of this strength.
    It's COOL to know my strengths and to think how to use it.

Week 6 Reaction

I really enjoyed class this week and I also liked the Strengths Quest that we did to prepare for this class. While I was taking the Strengths Quest, I didn't really see how those questions would relate to a bigger picture that would involve us discovering certain qualities about us, but in the end I wound up agreeing with about 4 of my 5 top strengths and I feel like they really do match my personality as a whole. I found it interesting that although most of the strengths emphasized the positive qualities, there are definitely negative qualities to each one and I can see the negative qualities that are involved in mine as well! I thought Cece asked a good question about whether we thought it was more important to focus on things we are bad at versus things we are better at. Though I said bad at the time (and do still agree with that statement), I also know that is is very important to build upon the good qualities that you already have so that you are not starting from the bottom.

Week six_Reaction_Yoyo

This week we had a guest speaker at class. The class was inspiring and it was like a self-discovering course. She gave us a couple of exercises to do and some games to play. We were asked to write about our five top strengths from the report we did online, and thought about what those strengths empower us to do. Then we were asked to find out five classmates who have different strengths from us and describe them. I found that everyone has different strengths on their reports and we rarely have the same one. On my report, I got five top strengths which are the adaptability, learner, woo, significance and individualization. I think the strength “woo” is very interesting and I’ve never heard this word before. The report says that I am somebody who enjoys the challenge of meeting new people and I am drawn to them. Whenever I meet new people, I like to learn their names, ask them questions and find some area of common interest so that I can strike up a conversation. In my world, there are always new people to meet, new rooms to work and new crowds to mingle in. Well, I think this characteristic is definitely true for me. I like to meet new people and communicate with them. I enjoy breaking the ice and making connection with new people. In these two months in the U.S., I was fortunate and happy to meet a lot of new people and make some new friends. However, I think strength can be either positive or negative and it depends on how we develop it. For example, I think this strength could help me enlarge my social network and learn things from others. However, it also takes me a lot of time to socialize with new people and the relationships are sometimes superficial.

Week Six Reaction_Michael

    This week we just discussed the StrenghtsQuest thing. We had a guest speaker where she just discussed that all strengths can be a weakness as much as a strength. We figured out our talents by accomplishing the Strength Quest Survey. Any of the strengths listed can fit someones personality. This survey is only mean to make people feel good about themselves by giving them positive traits. I realize that people have bigger strengths in some areas then others and that it will be more difficult and time consuming to make a persons weaknesses stronger then to build upon a strength. .

 

KATHERINE~week 6 reaction~

     This week’s lecture was quite unique! We had a guest speaker Ceci to tell us what are our talents and how to build strengths.

       We figured out our talents by accomplishing the Strength Quest Survey. To be honest some of the top 5 strengths were really surprising! For example, I have never thought “Harmony” is one aspect I am especially talented in. That remind me of one saying, “You will never know what you can do.” Sometimes we need to really evaluate ourselves properly so as to achieve our goals. In spite of the surprising results for myself, I also found that my classmates seldom have the same talents as each other, which give me an insight that cooperation is really needed among group members.

       As for building the strengths, Ceci suggested that we should focus on the things we are better at not trying too hard to fix our disadvantages. It is certainly true that turning good to excellent is comparatively easier than moving from bad to good. Indeed it is time for us to find a proper way to achieve success not simply “working hard”.

Response to Chapter 5_Ben

This chapter focused on the gender which mentioned the idea of Masculine and Feminine pole, the features are quite similar with the definition of Individualism, Collectivism and Power Distance. Moreover, the concept of content transfer to the other stage which are complicated and abstract.  Author combines the idea of Power Distance, Feminine and Masculine that provides a specific definition to readers, it explains why some country have similarities and differences, such as United Kingdom and Sweden, they belong to Individualism, but they are separated in Feminine and Masculine pole.

For instance, I find that the characteristics of Feminine and Masculine are interesting, the best example are China and Portugal which have a close relationship with my hometown. China and Portugal belong to Collectivism, however, they also are separated in Feminine and Masculine, it's clear in my mind while I observed their working or lifestyle.  Portuguese tend to enjoy their life and the position of men and women are more equal than Chinese, on the contrary, Chinese tend to work hard in their life and spend many time in working rather than entertainment.

Although United States belong to Masculine pole, I argue American are between Masculine and Feminine pole. Because Americans emphasize the equality between men and women, they also tend to spend many time in entertainment and working. Finally, I find that is interesting while you match the characteristics with those people in daily life, you will realize the details of their lifestyle and idea.