Barco by Rhea Mahajan '22

irresistible journey to Louisville on the last of his army pay” (117). Since getting seperated from Daisy, Gatsby had created a version of their relationship in his mind that was far from reality. In this romanticized version of his love, Gatsby, disregarding the changes that people go through over the years, viewing Daisy with an idealized perfection that she never possessed. This unrealistic dream and all-consuming passion, fueled his actions and in the end, his failure to recognize the flaws of his dream, led to both his misery and his death as he passed away without knowing whether or not Daisy would ever accept his affection and love.

Even though Gatsby’s parties in the summer of 1922 and the homecomings of 2019 may not have much in common, the experiences and outcomes are more alike than different. For an event so highly anticipated, my friends’ experiences with the freshman year homecoming fell flat in comparison to what they had anticipated it would be like. The Monday after the party, I walked into school to a sea of faces sporting dark circles and tired looks, making it clear that they had stayed up late and didn’t want to be in class after the weekend’s events. My initial thought had been that everyone would enjoy their time with each other, and the drama (there were copious amounts of it), stress, and organization had all been worth it. The reality, however, was that many of my friends didn’t even like their experiences saying that, “it was more hassle than it was worth”. Those clearly “glowing” reviews of homecoming further cemented my decision to not attend events that I don’t anticipate enjoying, and I now look back fondly on the calm, relaxing evening I experienced, comfortably reading a great book and spending my time the way it would be pleasurable to me.

Since then, I have stayed committed to my decision not to attend events or gatherings that don't add to my life’s pleasures, regardless of how much my friends try to entice me into joining them. Of course, the pandemic has only added another reason to the long list of reasons as to why homecomings are not particularly enjoyable for me. Don't get me wrong, I am not antisocial, and I have participated in my share of stereotypical teenage experiences and at times, have even enjoyed them. However, as I grow older, it seems mind boggling to me that my friends participate in activities that they don't enjoy much and do so just because of an image that they have formed in their minds as to how they are expected to behave or feel as teenagers. It is intriguing that they repeatedly do things that they complained about the prior year and expect a different outcome, hoping that maybe this time they will enjoy an evening like those depicted in the coming-of-age movies they pressure themselves into emulating. The question then remains: how have I been able to go against the majority or what has kept me from following others?

While hidden memories contribute to the occurence of behavioral cycles, another facet of the science behind repetitive behaviors stems from the fact that evolution may have implanted a seed of optimism in the human mind throughout the years, slowly developing into a species-wide inclination to “look on the bright side,” otherwise known as the optimism bias, or “the belief that the future will be much better than the past and present” (Sharot 11). Even though this contributes to our happiness as a species, it can also be detrimental when we allow ourselves to enter into cycles of abuse, emotional trauma, and pain. As humans, we do this because our brains are wired to think that situations improve and will get better eventually, or that we have the ability to change someone else’s actions and ideologies, which often leads to enduring suffering at the hands of others, or even ourselves.

Both hidden memories and our own optimism bias allow for humans to continue to overlook the negative and walk into an experience they’ve already had, hoping for a different outcome because they simply don’t recall what has occurred before. In other words, our minds become our greatest threats when it comes to repeating behaviors that deprive us of the health, happiness, and safety we all deserve. Additionally, societal pressures as well as our own self-imposed idealization of an experience, can all contribute to the creation and persistence of such detrimental cycles in our lives. The only good news is that these cycles can be broken. As it turns out, exposure to different ways of thinking have the potential to enable the brain to think uniquely, preventing us from falling into the trap of repeating toxic behavior. This might help explain why as the daughter of two parents from two different cultures, I have been able to carve my own path in life rather than feeling pressured to follow the ones others lay before me, and have had the freedom to define what is joyous to me as an individual. If Gatsby had had the same opportunity, he would have been able to see the true reality of his love for Daisy, rather than believe the romanticized version that resulted in constant misery and his untimely death. In fact, under different circumstances, he might have been able to use his life and wealth in a more meaningful way to leave a lasting impact.

Works Cited: Fitzgerald,F Scott. The Great Gatsby - Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County Schools. https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/cms/lib/NC01001395/ Centricity/Domain/7935/Gatsby_PDF _FullText.pdf. Wilczek, Frank. “Einstein's Parable of Quantum Insanity.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 23 Sept. 2015, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ einstein-s-parable-of-quantum-insanity/. Northwestern Medicine. “How the Brain Hides Traumatic Memories.” Northwestern Medicine, 17 Aug. 2015, https://www. nm.org/healthbeat/medical-advances/ how-the-brain-hides-traumatic-memori es.

Sharot, Tali. “The Optimism Bias.” Time, Time Inc., 28 May 2011, http://content.time.com/time/health/ article/0,8599,2074067,00.html.

43 Barco by Rhea Mahajan '22