Hello! I’m very excited to be here! 1. I do not agree that we all have one thing that defines us. People are complicated and are defined by many different things. Even the characters in the book cannot be defined by a single thing. For example, Monica’s one thing is that she wants to get married and have a family however she can’t be defined by that alone. She is also driven by her desire to make her mom proud, to live a life of purpose (by quitting her corporate job and starting the cafe), by bringing joy to her customers and making her community a better place. All of these things make her who she really is and not what she sees herself as, a sad aging spinster. 2. If we did all have just one thing that defined us in our own eyes and affected how we live our lives then I do think sharing it could benefit ourselves. Julian for example shares that he is lonely and as a result finds himself no longer alone. If someone caused a car accident that resulted in someone else injured or worse they may let that accident define them, but if they shared that guilt with others they may find the help the need to move past it and forgive themselves. 3. I think we all know that the internet tends to be a highlight reel of all the awesome out of the ordinary parts of our lives, whether it be vacations, engagement/baby/wedding announcements, big purchases, whatever it may be. The average person isn’t posting about the day to day that makes up the majority of our lives. There are of course plenty of people sharing the real, raw moments of their lives in hopes of finding solidarity or providing motivation but I think by and large that is not the case. Also, I think many people are afraid of saying the wrong thing on the internet when the number of eyes reading it is much larger than the few people you might say it to in person. I think for these reasons often (but not always) what is shared online is less authentic than what would be shared in a conversation over dinner or drinks.