Undergraduate / S&P downgrading U.S. credit; Stanford - Intellectual Vitality [3]

Prompt: Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development.

Is this strayed from the topic? What do you think about my essay? Please be harsh~~ THANK YOU!!

Last summer, I read New York Times opinion page articles on S&P downgrading U.S. credit for my English class. Reading those articles, I came across more theories than I had expected that tried to explain the downgrade. Some argued that it was a revenge of the rating agency, whereas others held that the unreliability of U.S. politics had led to the downgrade. For all of the opinions, authors supported their arguments with adequate evidence.

The stories under the surface amazed me. After reading the columnists' opinions, I started to appreciate the wider and different perspective that allowed me to think more deeply about the issue. More importantly, I was thrilled to find that I could draw my own conclusion based on what I had read. S&P downgrading U.S. credit, for me, was no longer a simple piece of financial news that indicated the weak economic condition of the United States. Instead, it illustrated a series of poor political practices and problems left by the 2008 financial crisis.

Since then, I started to wonder if there were more complex background stories behind every article I had read, not only objective news reports but also historical accounts and even scientific statements. Before that day, I tended to see the writings the way they appeared to be. As a result, I missed many opportunities to explore this complicated world and did not critically think the reasons behind. Now I start to enjoy the diversity in perspectives. Everyone has his or her own point of view as a result of different cultures and educations received. Thus others' opinions expose me with more new stories. In addition, learning for me is an intellectual collision. Reading those articles is like subconsciously arguing with different columnists when I compare my own responses with their professional views. On the one hand, I can benefit by absorbing the essence of their perspectives. On the other hand, I would abandon the flaws in my opinion. After such comparison, I would elevate my own understanding toward the topics.