Networking ideas | a period of global fear outpacing us & geopolitical rivalry:

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”Grand Master Yoda

Defining the Cold War

Living during the Cold War would have been incredibly stressful. Fear shaped people’s choices every single day, and that constant pressure influenced how people behaved. It made many individuals easier to manipulate and allowed governments to maintain control more easily. Cold War fear often created a society that was more obedient and less willing to question authority. 

Today, fear still shapes politics (national security debates), society (misinformation and polarization), and culture (movies, media, and conspiracy thinking). Making these connections in my notes and pitch helped me understand that the Cold War isn’t “over” — its mindset still exists.

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My Connection and View

This project pushed me to understand how deeply fear shaped the Cold War world, from politics to culture to everyday life. This also made me curious about the technology that also shaped the Cold War era..

Ever since computers were created, they have influenced how we think and how we make decisions. Over time, technology has become more involved in our daily routines, which makes it easier for misinformation to spread. The Cold War relied on propaganda to shape people’s beliefs, and today we see a similar pattern with digital technology guiding how we interpret information now.

Key ideas and events helped me see how fear drove almost every major decision. For example, the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan both made me realize how the U.S. used fear of communism to justify massive economic and military actions. The Berlin Blockade showed how fear turned cities into battlegrounds, and learning about NATO helped me understand how alliances were built not on trust, but on mutual fear of the enemy.

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Networking Ideas

The seminars were challenging for me. I had strong notes and my ideas were solid, but I did not speak as confidently as I know I can. The points I did share sometimes felt surface-level because I did not feel comfortable entering the conversation. I know I am capable of communicating clearly, but I did not show that this time. It is something I am not very proud of.

Socratic Seminar Notes: DOCUMENT 

My Thinking

Throughout the project, I challenged myself to grow in line with my VMV (Vision, Mission, Values). My vision is to develop a strong creative identity, especially in filmmaking. My mission includes building healthy habits and becoming more confident in my work. And my values centre around consistency, curiosity, and effort.

At the start of this project, my goal was to become more consistent. with my habits, my workflow, and my communication. I wanted to push myself toward the storytelling, research, and creative thinking. I realized I needed a deeper understanding of the Cold War. I spent a lot of time researching the technology of the era, but my understanding of the events and context was not strong enough. That limited how well I could contribute to the discussions.

Further Actions

Moving forward, I need to make sure I fully understand the topics I am researching. This includes staying focused, staying on task, and building enough knowledge to speak confidently about the subject.

The biggest surprise in this project was how much more I needed to push my thinking. I realized my research was weaker than it could have been, and that I need to go deeper instead of stopping at the surface.

• Push my research further
• Speak more confidently in seminars
• Spend more time making connections instead of summarizing
• Continue building the consistency I worked on in my Learning Intention