The word approx. is 250. I'm at 285, but I think that should be ok. Here is my essay. Please suggest any improvements.
"There is a reason why the other man thinks and acts as he does. Ferret out that reason-and you have the key to his actions, perhaps to his personality."
The best advice I have ever received comes from Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends & Influence People." In it, Carnegie stresses the importance of understanding the other person's perspective. His quote emphasizes a characteristic that all human beings share: We believe ourselves to be right. Each human is, without exception, egocentric. For each one of us, reality is formed upon the basis of our experiences. Hence, the concept of a "reality" becomes obsolete and perception is all that exists. In a world filled with nearly seven billion unique perceptions, who am I to say that mine is the one "true" perception? But the fact that I exist and continue to maintain my set of beliefs is proof of my bias. This realization has allowed me to analyze events and concepts in ways that I had never thought possible.
One of the main areas that I have reconsidered is religion. Being brought up by a highly religious mother and a father who liked to play devil's advocate, I was not very certain of my stance on religion. Doesn't the existence of one God contradict the existence of another? Or do all Gods represent human perceptions of the same entity? But isn't God supposed to be the ultimate reality? Accepting that God can be perceived in different ways goes against the definition of "ultimate" reality. For that matter, does God even exist? After reading Carnegie's book, I was able to extricate myself from this maze of doubts and embrace a new definition of reality. Reality is perception.
What I don't like about this essay is that I don't really seem to be "saying" anything. I introduce an idea, but I feel like I don't apply it properly. Maybe I should have chosen a different example as something I reconsidered? Can anyone give me any suggestions as to what I should replace religion with?
"There is a reason why the other man thinks and acts as he does. Ferret out that reason-and you have the key to his actions, perhaps to his personality."
The best advice I have ever received comes from Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends & Influence People." In it, Carnegie stresses the importance of understanding the other person's perspective. His quote emphasizes a characteristic that all human beings share: We believe ourselves to be right. Each human is, without exception, egocentric. For each one of us, reality is formed upon the basis of our experiences. Hence, the concept of a "reality" becomes obsolete and perception is all that exists. In a world filled with nearly seven billion unique perceptions, who am I to say that mine is the one "true" perception? But the fact that I exist and continue to maintain my set of beliefs is proof of my bias. This realization has allowed me to analyze events and concepts in ways that I had never thought possible.
One of the main areas that I have reconsidered is religion. Being brought up by a highly religious mother and a father who liked to play devil's advocate, I was not very certain of my stance on religion. Doesn't the existence of one God contradict the existence of another? Or do all Gods represent human perceptions of the same entity? But isn't God supposed to be the ultimate reality? Accepting that God can be perceived in different ways goes against the definition of "ultimate" reality. For that matter, does God even exist? After reading Carnegie's book, I was able to extricate myself from this maze of doubts and embrace a new definition of reality. Reality is perception.
What I don't like about this essay is that I don't really seem to be "saying" anything. I introduce an idea, but I feel like I don't apply it properly. Maybe I should have chosen a different example as something I reconsidered? Can anyone give me any suggestions as to what I should replace religion with?
