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Robin Schmit

Honors 100 BC
10/11/16
Essay 1
I Am
My name is Robin Schmit. I am 17 years old, I am a freshman at the University of
Washington, Im part of the UW honors program, and Im a direct admit to UWs Computer
Engineering major. I was raised on Bainbridge Island, less than an hour from UW campus by
public transit. These are facts about me that make up parts of my identity, but I am more than a
name, a number, and some locations. I love learning and philosophical discussions, which is why
I am part of UW Honors. Honors at UW offered me an opportunity to take advantage of the most
distinctive and varied courses at UW, at no additional cost beyond checking a box on an
application and writing a brief essay with an interesting prompt.
I enjoy puzzles, games, and challenges of all sorts. These include board games, roleplaying games, philosophy, card games, programming, video games, and coursework. These
interests can be summed up as the interests of an old-school nerd and geek. I say this; however, I
firmly believe that putting people into boxes is rarely an accurate or useful way to understand
them, since it usually misses crucial aspects of their identity.
In my case, the label of geek (used to mean computer nerd) misses two key facts about
me that heavily influence my worldview: my beliefs and my psychology. I am Unitarian
Universalist, which is a faith tradition that holds sacred the value of every individual and every
belief. This acceptance has been instilled in me from an early age, and it is a key part of my
identity. I do not claim to be above the xenophobia that often seems to be human nature, but I do
my best to recognize and question its presence within me.
As for my psychology, the notable item here is my depression. I have suffered from
depression for the past seven years, and attempted suicide six years ago. Since then, I have been
on antidepressants, but drugs havent fixed me, though they have thankfully mitigated my
suicidal impulses. I have developed a cynical, pessimistic worldview, which is partially the
product of depression and partially the result of observation of the world around me.
I strive to see the world around me realistically, as I have no value for the damage that
self-deception does to my understanding. On a grand scale, this world is chaotic, unpleasant, and
showing no signs of consequential improvement. The responsibility for this can be laid mostly at
the feet of humans, who believe it sane (as a species) to continue living the lifestyle they are
accustomed to while passing responsibility down the generations until it is too late for any
change to make a difference.
Now, is that my depressed psyche talking, or am I drawing relatively objective
conclusions from my observations? I obviously believe the latter, but I cant be certain. All of
my perceptions are inherently tainted by my subjective opinions and experiences, just as every
other persons perceptions are. Thus, I cannot objectively judge anything or anyone outside of
my own conscious, and so, ultimately, I cannot be completely certain of anything other than this:
cogito, ergo sum. All I can say for certain is that I think, therefore I am. I do not really know who
I am, nor why I am that way, nor why I am here, nor where I am going, but only that I am.

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