Do you agree with everything in "They Love You Until You Start Thinking for Yourself" by Monica Omorodion Swaida?

[Melisa Jane]

This is a discussion topic for the February 2025 Book of the Month, "They Love You Until You Start Thinking for Yourself" by Monica Omorodion Swaida.


Do you agree with everything in "They Love You Until You Start Thinking for Yourself" by Monica Omorodion Swaida?

[Lori Krecioch]

No, not at all. She is entitled to her opinions, but she seemed to make a lot of assumptions. One was that people who are on government assistance are lazy. She mentions this a few times, but one time in particular she mentioned a single mom with three kids who dropped out of college. Swaida blamed the decision on laziness.

In the second half of the book, she started giving her opinions on the political culture of the United States and was a little confusing as she claimed to not want big government, but then she does later say that unemployment is good to have.

I felt like this book was a way for Swaida to share her opinions, which she is entitled to do, but I didn't feel the book had much evidence or real information on how she survived.

She has a large family and there were many points in the e book when she would mention one of her siblings, especially the brother who was in the United States and into real estate. I just feel that she didn't share the safety net she may have had.

[Lorna Walters 1]

I do agree that she has a right to her opinions. However, sometimes assumptions are made about some people, their circumstances, motivations or reasons for doing things, which I do not think is a good thing. I saw while she was mentoring the young people, though, she was more open-minded and gave them the benefit of the doubt.
I was really scared for her while she traveled all by herself to Poland without letting her parents know. This is something dangerous and I would not encourage any child to do that.

[Gabriela Contreras Gonzalez]

No, not at all. She is entitled to her opinions, but she seemed to make a lot of assumptions. One was that people who are on government assistance are lazy. She mentions this a few times, but one time in particular she mentioned a single mom with three kids who dropped out of college. Swaida blamed the decision on laziness.

In the second half of the book, she started giving her opinions on the political culture of the United States and was a little confusing as she claimed to not want big government, but then she does later say that unemployment is good to have.

I felt like this book was a way for Swaida to share her opinions, which she is entitled to do, but I didn't feel the book had much evidence or real information on how she survived.

She has a large family and there were many points in the e book when she would mention one of her siblings, especially the brother who was in the United States and into real estate. I just feel that she didn't share the safety net she may have had.

I agree. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and share their experiences, but you don't get to do so while tearing people down and trying to make it seem as you are the saviour of humanity.

Another example where the author failed to share her real life, was claiming her family depended on her while she was in college, but she had another 8 brothers/sisters, including the one into real state, what happened to them?

[George Bastem]

While I found They Love You Until You Start Thinking for Yourself inspiring, I didn’t agree with everything. Monica Omorodion Swaida’s message about resilience and independence resonated with me, but some of her strong opinions on societal expectations and cultural issues felt more personal than universal. At times, I wished for a more balanced perspective, but overall, the book challenged me to think critically about identity and belonging.

[Elizabeth-Tush4Christ]

hile I found They Love You Until You Start Thinking for Yourself interesting and eye-opening, I didn’t agree with everything, especially as regards the opinion on Trump, maybe majorly because at the time of reading this book, Trump is back being the president, and I am not sure most of her views still align with the current administration. She also spoke about the country as an immigrant but shared a lot of concern for other immigrants stories, which were not the same as hers. It felt like she didn't have a bad experience as others did and therefore questioned their reactions to form groups that resonate with them. The truth is if those groups are not serving the people for which they are created, they won't last so long. If it serves even a little population, no matter how small, then the reason for their existence is valid and should be seen as such.

[Amy Luman]

Nope! I generally don’t agree with everything that someone else says. Don’t you think that kind of goes against the premise of the book?

[Annika porter]

I did not agree with everything presented in this book. While Monica's story is her own, the book contained a multitude of contradictions that do not align with her life story and definitely do not align with my life experiences. While the author claims that everyone getting governmental assistance is "lazy," in my experience there is a lot more nuance to each individual situation than is described in this book. I think the author is quite hypocritical and unfair in a lot of her statements and relies on primarily black and white thinking. While this book definitely challenged me to think critically about all information I receive, that sentiment also applies to this book and author who seems to have a very unique experience and perspective that does not come across as universal.

[Charles Benson]

Monica Omorodion Swaida’s memoir is a bold, thought-provoking reflection on identity, resilience, and the cost of independent thinking. While her experiences as an immigrant navigating societal expectations are deeply personal, they challenge readers to rethink conformity and belonging. Some perspectives may not resonate with everyone, but the book’s raw honesty sparks essential conversations about cultural identity and self-determination.

[Shaniqua Yorke]

I agreed with almost everything, expect most of her political stances.

[Obido Chinenye Faith]

While I appreciated Monica’s emphasis on resilience and self-belief, I didn’t agree with every perspective she shared. Some of her views on societal norms challenged my own beliefs, prompting me to reflect and reconsider certain assumptions. This introspection was valuable, even if I didn’t align with all her conclusions.

[Skylar Fox]

I enjoyed Monica's memoir and the story it told. However, I had a lot of questions at the end of the book that was not answered. On whether I agreed with all the things in the book, my answer would be no. But I did enjoy the book a great deal and if my questions would be answered then I would be more impressed.

[Ukaegbu Confidence]

No, I do not agree with everything she said. Firstly, she is an immigrant. No matter how long you've lived in a country, you can not fully understand what it means to actually be from that country. I don't think her political stance was unbaised.