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"Laugh at yourself and at life" - Stanford Essay: Letter to a Roommate



jdurnford 4 / 6  
Dec 8, 2010   #1
Thank you for reading and critiquing! :)

Philosophically, I favor one of the many doctrines of American author Augustine "Og" Mandino: "Laugh at yourself and at life. Not in the spirit of derision or whining self-pity, but as a remedy, a miracle drug, that will ease your pain, cure your depression, and help you to put in perspective that seemingly terrible defeat and worry with laughter at your predicaments, thus freeing your mind to think clearly toward the solution that is certain to come." To me, everything in life is an opportunity worth taking to share a laugh. Laughter joins friends together into closer friendships, mends broken relationships, and eases tense and stressful situations. Never-the-less, in the midst of all my humor and optimism lies a fundamental sincerity and compassion for people usually expressed through generosity.

It was never really difficult for me to deal with the typical childhood problems of selfishness and sharing. The belief that I give simply because I have is naturally wired in my genes. When I was twelve years old, I had a sudden influx of money due to garage sales, birthday money, and Christmas gifts. As a twelve-year-old with $250 in my pocket, I was rich. Unlike many Americans, physical possessions have almost no hold on me. Therefore I decided that I could buy no toy or game that would give me more joy than giving a gift to a loved one. At the time, my sister was just entering her teens and was in the phase that listening to music to tune out the world was the best idea ever. I bought her the new iPod for her birthday, still fondly remembering the look of gratification on her face when she first unwrapped it. The satisfaction that came from knowing that I had enhanced someone's life through something I had given is the greatest feeling in the world.

wtangalang - / 14  
Dec 8, 2010   #2
Hi Jonathan, your essay is split into two parts, and they are both very interesting. In my opinion, I believe you should focus on one and relate it to the person you are. That way, you can go into more detail and elaborate about one or two characteristics of yourself that comes out of the scenario.

I didnt see the transition for this letter, so it was a bit confusing.

- "Laugh at yourself and at life. Not in the spirit of derision or whining self-pity, but as a remedy, a miracle drug, that will ease your pain, cure your depression, and help you to put in perspective that seemingly terrible defeat and worry with laughter at your predicaments, thus freeing your mind to think clearly toward the solution that is certain to come." This is way too long of a quote. You should condense it so that you can utilize more of the 250 words.

I really liked the anecdote about you and your sister. Maybe choose that one?

Hope that helped!
EF_Kevin 8 / 13053  
Dec 19, 2010   #3
Never-the-less, in the midst of all my humor and optimism lies a fundamental sincerity and compassion for people usually expressed through generosity.

This sentence does not successfully connect the idea of para #1 to that of para #2.

The quote about laughing at yourself and life also has significance pertaining to the way we cope with our own mortality. Deeper analysis of that quote would help...

That quote is excellent, and you improved my day by including it here! I just think you can give a few more sentences to explain the meaning.

You have to do something to connect the idea of laughing at life and not taking it too seriously and the idea of working to earn money you can generously give away.

Connect the concepts. What has generosity got to do with not taking life seriously?

:-)


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