Prompt:
“Independence? That’s middle class blasphemy. We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth.” Bernard Shaw expected to provoke controversy with these words, but I would agree with him that these days there is too much emphasis on independence. While it is certainly true that excessive dependence on others is not a sign of maturity, total independence of others is neither attainable nor desirable: we need to be mature, and unselfish enough to recognize our interdependence.
“Independence? That’s middle class blasphemy. We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth.” Bernard Shaw expected to provoke controversy with these words, but I would agree with him that these days there is too much emphasis on independence. While it is certainly true that excessive dependence on others is not a sign of maturity, total independence of others is neither attainable nor desirable: we need to be mature, and unselfish enough to recognize our interdependence.
Assignment:
Do we put too much emphasis on self-reliance and independence, and are we afraid of admitting that we need other people in our lives? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
Do we put too much emphasis on self-reliance and independence, and are we afraid of admitting that we need other people in our lives? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
In this sophisticated society, self-reliance has become such an inevitable norm that everyone is practicing it, in order to survive in this highly competitive society. If one examines the “Job street” recruitment requirement succinctly, one would realize one of the touchstones in selecting a candidate would be the ability to work independently. Due to this demands of the society which accentuates independence, unassailably, we, the pragmatic organisms, train and transform ourselves into people who are capable and independent. In short, we are forced to emphasize on self-reliance, due to the stress of the environment.
In fact, independence bellies with our communal human nature. As proved by the anthropologist, since the ancient time, human beings are herd-demeanor organisms. We live in groups and rely on groups. However, this harmonious atmosphere might burst if there is benefits clash among the people. To prevent any situations where disputes might come into play, we start to develop on our own skills, in order to defend and to guarantee our rights in sustaining our lives. Thus, instead of portraying it as a consequence of our lack of confidence to the people surrounding us, I would say this is an innate instinct that we rendered to, in order to ensure our survival in the unpredictable future.
In a nutshell, it is undeniable that we have toiled great emphasis on self-reliance. However, this behavior does not stem from the fear of trusting the people around us, but rather a solution to counter our innate insecurity to the environment. After striving through battles and warships, we have become more adept in protecting ourselves. “Even though today’s sunny, it does not guarantee that tomorrow will not rain.” As we never know what might happen to the world for the next second, it is thus safer for us to arm ourselves with great self-surviving skill, instead of depending on others.
Time spent: 25 minutes.
Personal comment: This essay is rather tough for me, don’t really have an idea or outline in writing it. If you’ve any idea, please contribute it to me! J
how about this?maturity doesn't equate to being totally self-reliance..to be self-reliance and at the same time being able to cooperate with others..after all,earth is a space whereby there is more than one people living on it,thus,undeniable,to be able to live with others is another viewpoint perhaps..
hmm..perhaps,we are not afraid of admitting that we do need other people..it's the rejection by others that we are afraid of..fearing that our screams of help will not be given response by others,we might as well learn to be independent instead of being ignored by those we seek help from..
also,self-reliance may gain some recognition from others..
xixi..
"wah!!!" is my expression after i log into your blog finding out that it is filled with SAT essays..jiayou ^^
ps..hopes my "craps" help..