Personal Belief Statement – Outline Formative
Name: Alan Yu
Complete the following worksheet for your Outline Formative.
Remember:
- Handwritten only
- No AI use
- Completed Friday by end of class
Essay Prompt: How should a person live a meaningful life? How should a person live a meaningful life?
Step 1: Thesis (Your Answer)
Write a clear, focused claim answering the question.
Thesis: Composing music is an unintentional job, but it serendipitously captures these memory fragments on my own. Later it becomes the keys to retrieve my memory, and since intentional records does not make sense, this makes my life more meaningful.
Step 2: Body Paragraph Planning
You must include at least 3 body paragraphs using philosophy and at least 2 additional sources.
Body Paragraph 1
Topic Sentence: Music is a passive archive of memory without listener’s intention.
Evidence (Source + idea):
- Janata: Experiment with pop music (MEAMs)
- Sedikides: Expanded the idea to general nostalgia.
What does it say? Janata provided the empirical base of music-evoked memory-retrieval concept. Sedikides expanded from the limitation of time period, group, and music genre.
Analysis (Why it matters): It is the first logic chain of my argument which music is able to generate memory.
Body Paragraph 2
Topic Sentence: The process of composing music enhanced this process and provides serendipity.
Evidence (Source + idea):
- Eno: First-person perspective. The creating process becomes archived as well.
- McAdams: Narrative integration. (Psychological — Prove)
What does it say? Eno’s article proved the fact that creative process produces memory fragments. McAdams had a more comprehensive and holistic view on this fact.
Analysis (Why it matters): This filled another gap of my argument: why do I not listen to music but compose my own music.
Body Paragraph 3
Topic Sentence: After all the processes, they integrated to form meanings.
Evidence (Source + idea):
- McAdams: Narrative identity: Reconstructed past and imagined future work together to give a person purpose.
- Sedikides: Music-evoked nostalgia also improves self-continuity.
What does it say? This forms a continuous narrative in order to provide meaning of life.
Analysis (Why it matters): It was the more philosophical aspect of my argument. It can be proved that the system mentioned before actually generates meaning.
Step 3: Philosophical Connection
Which philosophical idea are you using? (from Eagleton) Pp. 100 — A pointless form is what I need, as it is a delight in itself.
How does it connect to your belief? This can be connected with McAdams’ article in psychological terms. Plus, when I create music, music becomes another entity and thus forms this reciprocal flourishing.
Step 4: Evidence Check
- ✓ At least 3 pieces of evidence
- ✓ At least 4 sources used
- ✓ Includes philosophy
- ✓ Explains ideas clearly
Step 5: Conclusion Plan
Restate your belief: Composing music makes me feel meaningful in my life.
Final idea for reader: Create something (e.g. music, artworks, etc.) at least, then there will be things which are considerable.