Dog and Cat. Coffee and Tea. Great Gatsby and Catcher in the Rye. Everyone knows there are two types of people in the world. What are they?
The pessimists and the optimists; the confident and the subservient; the selfish and the selfless are a few examples of how others divide society. But to me, society can be categorized by two types: the Nows and the Laters.
The Nows' obsession with the "now" stems from their desire for immediate gratification. They are the ones who are entranced by the television screen, watching movies or playing video games into the morning of the next day. They are the ones who spend their money without forethought on new clothes, shoes, or tools. Nows immerse themselves in their instincts and emotions rather than following the rational. Following the principles of Dionysus-Greek god of wine, pleasure, and ectasy, the Nows are the modern Dionysians. But does this mean every Now is impulsive? Is a spender or an addict? No. The universal definition of a Now is a person who enjoys the "now" regardless of what the past or the future holds. Enjoying the simplest of moments, the Nows also spend the time to wake up early in the morning, take out a chair, and watch the warm hues of the sun color the sky. As in the Tao of Pooh, they flow along with the river, wherever it leads.
The Laters are to Nows as light is to darkness. While the Nows are bound to the gratification of the present, the Laters are bound by their anxiety over the future. Constantly running, they focus on the horizon. They are the ones who study during breaks with their heads immersed in a textbook. They are the ones who have set goals and plans for the future. Unlike the Nows, the Laters know who they are and what they want to be. Indeed, every moment is a time to achieve or grow. As Nows are to Dionysus, the Laters are to Apollonius: the Greek God of intellect, prophecy, and healing. Focusing on greater heights and advancements, the Laters want to be doctors, lawyers, and scientists. With their hands, they want to change the future. But in doing so, the Laters lose the crucial piece of themselves-they lose the ability to enjoy life. While running to the horizon, they fail to look down at their feet. Responsible of the rush of mainstream American life, they become oblivious to what the Nows can see-the blooming of the first spring flower, the melody of the birds. According to the Tao of Pooh, the Laters are the "Bisy Backson," always busy, flowing against the current.
Which is better? The Now or the Later? The answer is none. Behind the two major types of people is a hidden third. Synthesizing the Now and the Later produces the perfect product, the Ideal. To the philosopher Nietzche, in a play, a true tragedy can only exist when both the Dionysians and Apollonians are present. To truly "live life" in the world, a person must become the Ideal. While having plans and goals for the future, the Ideal enjoys every moment in life. The Ideal is the sublime fusion of both rational and irrational, intellect and creativity. So what two types define society? It is the Now, the Later, and-the underlying Ideal.
I know that this topic is not exactly creative and is to generic, but is it to cliche?
Will Reply
I like this essay and cannot find grammatical mistakes. I don't think it is too generic, but I did think of doing this topic as well. It is kind of the idea of takes and leavers in the book Ishmael.
Nonetheless, this essay does not relate to you, so think you should add in a paragraph about whether you are a now or a later.
Can you please read my why chicago essay?
Greek god of wine, pleasure, and ectasy
ecstasy
I think ur essay is a little cliche towards the last paragraph. I don't personally like the ideal developement. It's a tad bit cheesy
^i agree with alexis brandon abt the personal touch.
Other than that i think its good:)
i'm applying as well :D so goodluck!
thxs. i forgot to mention, do you think i'm being repetitive in a couple places. I feel like I am but I'm not sure where.
in their instincts and emotions rather than following the rational.- rational what?
Is a spender or an addict? No. - is a spender or an addict what? impulsive? if so then make that mre clear
The universal definition of a Now is a person who enjoys the "now" regardless of what the past or the future holds.- this is restating the first sentence of the paragraph. Repetitive.
The Laters are to Nows as light is to darkness. - maybe say they are the yin to their yang; the light to the nows darkness.
Responsible for the rush of mainstream American
The answer is neither is more superior than the other.
I like the ending but you deviated from the prompt by adding in a third type of person. Maybe you should just change the last paragraph to be about how you are a fusion of both the nows and the laters. Use what you said about the ideals and say that about you and the essay will be great.
Please take a look at my new BU essay. Thanks.
New Version: (made changes at the end. did i make it personal enough? criticize as much as you want)
The pessimists and the optimists; the confident and the subservient; the selfish and the selfless are a few examples of how others divide society. But to me, society can be categorized by two types: the Nows and the Laters.
The Nows' obsession with the "now" stems from their desire for immediate gratification. They are the ones who are entranced by the television screen, watching movies or playing video games into the morning of the next day. They are the ones who spend their money without forethought on new clothes, shoes, or tools. Nows immerse themselves in their instincts and emotions: following the irrational rather than the rational. Adhering to the principles of Dionysus-Greek god of wine, pleasure, and ecstasy, the Nows are the modern Dionysians. But does this mean every Now is impulsive? Is a spender or an addict? No. The universal definition of a Now is a person who enjoys the "now" regardless of what the past or the future holds. Enjoying the simplest of moments, the Nows spend the time to wake up early in the morning, take out a chair, and watch the warm hues of the sun color the sky. As in the Tao of Pooh, they flow along with the river, wherever it leads.
The Laters are to Nows as light is to dark. While the Nows are bound to the gratification of the present, the Laters are bound by their anxiety over the future. Constantly running, they focus on the horizon. They are the ones who study during breaks with their heads immersed in a textbook. They are the ones who have set goals and plans for the future. Unlike the Nows, the Laters know who they are and what they want to be. Indeed, every moment is a time to achieve or grow. If Nows are the modern Dionysians, then the Laters are the modern Apollonians: the Greek God of intellect, prophecy, and healing. Focusing on greater heights and advancements, the Laters want to be doctors, lawyers, and scientists. With their hands, they want to change the future. But in doing so, the Laters lose the crucial piece of themselves-they lose the ability to enjoy life. While running to the horizon, they fail to look down at their feet. Responsible for the rush of mainstream American life, they become oblivious to what the Nows can see-the blooming of the first spring flower, the melody of the birds. According to the Tao of Pooh, the Laters are the "Bisy Backson," always busy, flowing against the current.
Which is better? The Now or the Later? In truth, neither is more superior to the other. To the German philosopher Nietzsche, life is an eternal struggle between being a Dionysian or an Apollonian. But consider this: what if a person could synthesize both types-the Now and the Later? To me, this is the Ideal-the way to truly "live life." The Ideal is the sublime fusion of both rational and irrational; intellect and creativity. This is the type I seek to be-a person who studies rigorously, but enjoys every minute of it. I strive to pursue my intellectual interests while explore novel ideas. To learn, but also enjoy; to pursue, but also explore-that is the Ideal.
So what two types define society? It is the Now, the Later, and-the underlying Ideal.
Will Reply
I like it a lot. It's very descriptive, but the last two sentences feel kind of awkward to me.
Please read my essay. Thanks
I love it especially the last few sentences
I strive to pursue my intellectual interests while exploring novel ideas.
So what two types define society? It is the Now, the Later, and-the underlying Ideal. I would delete this sentence and keep the one before it as your last one. Great job on the edit.
I think the newer version is great. You needed more of the "I" and "my" in your essay. Maybe you could also sneak in a quick mention of UChicago at the end, helping you reach the Ideal state.
Otherwise, good work!
