lOMoARcPSD|22517024
THEO 201 Extra Credit
Theology Survey I (Liberty
University)
lOMoARcPSD|22517024
Abigail Bettenhausen
Dr. Thornhill
THEO 201
February 28th, 2019
Extra Credit Assignment: Every Square Inch Conference Summary
I attended the “Every Square Inch” session Thursday evening at 7pm, in the concert hall. The
lecture given by Trevin Wax was entitled: The Gospel vs. Expressive Individualism: Why “Being
True To Yourself” is a Dead-End on the Road to Happiness. Trevin Wax began his lecture with the
statement that we live in a “you be you” society, our generation, and Americans in general, are
encouraged to trust their inner voice and make our own standards. Our society is teaching us to find
the courage to find our own definitions of right and wrong and go after them. Examples of what
“being true to yourself” looks like, Wax explained, can be summed up in expressive individualism,
which is the desire to pursue your own path and a drive to be more like who you already are and
asserting who you are into society. Wax proceeded to explain that if expressive individualism is
one’s mentality, the main purpose in life is merely finding your own purpose and place and forging
your own way ahead regardless of friends, family, and society. Society is teaching us to find
happiness and “doing it your own way” is the idea that gives direction for life. Wax proceeded to
give us stats that proved high percentages of Americans as well as church goers have this
individualistic and pursuit of happiness mentality. Wax explained a few reasons why expressive
individualism resonates with us as humans, 1) God made us to be individual, 2) It leads us to
freedom, and 3) Keeps us in the driver’s seat. Expressive individualism takes on the questions: If I’m
submitting to a capital truth how can I live my own truth? Wax wraps up the talk with stating that, as
humans we don’t know what we want, we even confuse ourselves when we try to decide the
difference between right and wrong. In the end we need to stop looking to ourselves for answers and
validation, but to God for the ultimate truth.
