Family Reputation

The domain in which I usually have the strongest reputation is with my family. My family is comprised of my two parents and my younger siblings. I am the oldest in my family with one brother who is three years younger than me and twin sisters who are seven years younger than me. Personal reputation amongst family is unique in that it has been developed over the span of an entire lifetime. Each action that I have taken over the course of that time contributes to my reputation as a whole, especially in the eyes of those who are able to judge it best (based on the passage of time): my parents. It is also unique in that the people who judge my reputation are the very people who I live with and are closest to me.

My personal successes both socially and academically have contributed the strong reputation I have in my family. For example, events such as that described in my earlier post “Opportunism - Getting Out of a Pickle” are the events that routinely characterize me and contribute to my reputation. By choosing a route that characterizes that “hard work will always pay off in the end”, I have conveyed that I am a hard working individual to my family. Throughout childhood, academics surround a person’s reputation. Parents brag about their children being honors students, getting good grades and even projects. In contributing to a parent’s own reputation, good students can also develop their own reputation that conveys they are not only competent but hard working. Following this assumption, my academic success further contributes to my reputation. I have been quite successful academically as I was most always an honors student and am now attending the University of Illinois where my academic success has stayed consistent with that of my performance throughout K-12. Throughout every event, I have shown that I am also reliable to both my siblings and my parents. I have made a point to put family first in my decisions and it has further enhanced my reputation.

I must also realize that my reputation in my family affects each of my siblings’ performances. As the oldest child, I have first and foremost set the precedence for each child in my family in my performances socially, academically and in how I have built my character. This motivates me to perform as best as I can to serve as a role model to my siblings and use my reputation to motivate their own performances. For example, if I achieve success academically, my siblings will look up to me and be motivated to also achieve the same success. My reputation is then further enhanced by serving as this role model. As a role model to my siblings, there is little moral value for me to stray from the behaviors that give me a strong reputation. I must consistently serve as this person for the better of my siblings. 

Constantly keeping my reputation intact and enhancing it also gives me the opportunity to take advantage and in a way “cash it in”. As every college student might, I use my previous reputation acquired to gain the occasional Illinois hoodie or other souvenir when my family comes to visit me or when I am back at home. I can use the argument that, “I have been working so hard” or something along those lines to convince my parents to do these things. I this way, I am using my perviously established reputation for a personal gain. I may not be completely abandoning my reputation or even harming it but I am able to take advantage of my position to make an immediate gain.