The day I was born, I was a blank slate. My parents raised me to hold their beliefs, and my teachers were tasked with educating me, teaching me how to fit into society’s norms, in hopes that I would one day be successful. What I did not know was that from birth I had been placed into a cycle of anger, distress, sadness, and conflict. This is the cycle of socialization.

My parents told me to love and care for all, yet they made racist jokes and spat homophobic slurs at the television screen. These prejudices and stereotypes stuck with me like glue as I began school, having burrowed deeper and deeper within my mind. My teachers taught me about oppression and the activist protests of various groups, yet my peers, filled with confusion and insecurity, felt compelled to joke about it, further amplifying and internalizing the feelings I have.

Those thoughts, once at the forefront of my mind, were now deeply rooted within myself. Holding those feelings, I read through countless articles, watched the news, and browsed the message boards of various websites. As the thoughts and feelings grew, my emotions began to run rampant. From offensive messages spat out online without thinking of others to having witnessed my peers mock and harass people based upon their race, gender, and other identities, I felt dehumanized.

Overtaken by the stress, guilt, and self-hatred inside, my feelings had become corrupt. Having isolated myself from everyone else, I thought back to the cycle of socialization and how it had taken hold of me. Eventually, I reached my limit and came to a realization. My reluctance to act when I saw oppression was hurting myself even more. I decided that it was time to stop the cycle.

 To escape, I questioned my thoughts, feelings, and actions, taking a stand and stepping in the direction of change. The question that I have for you is this: Will you continue to promote the status quo, or will you question the cycle and break from it?