Socrates advised you to know yourself. Bacon said you should take care to be sure your beliefs are based upon truth. Montainge told you to be skeptical of what you think you know. Voltaire told you to use common sense. Emerson told you to trust yourself. Ayn Rand told you to program your own computer. Hesse asked you to be a seeker contentment and meaning in life.

It is now time to apply your learning. To that end, please write a paper to share with the class which explains a central belief you hold as a truth about yourself, about the world, and about what you feel is the best course of life. Apply the belief to at least three different areas/instances/topics. Please explain the source and development of the belief, whether it be a reading, a discussion or a private thought provoked by the curriculum. Also, please construct an allegory that serves to better explain your belief.

Or, choose five unrelated beliefs you have developed or have been validated by the readings, activities and discussions during this class. Be sure to clearly state and explain each belief.

Or, review your documentations of learning for the course and write a narrative of your thoughts, ideas and learning for this quarter. You should be able to find ten specific areas of learning, thoughts about the content of the class worth sharing, or connections between readings and activities.

Or, write journal of original pithy statements on ten of the course's assigned readings.

Be honest, be sincere, and be legendary. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.