Ben Franklin once said, 'All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move.' Which are you?
--> (The last paragraph will end with a clarification and relate somehow back to the original prompt.) I didn't like the prompt because I felt obliged to answer with "Moving." I decided 'bending' the prompt to make it more even was acceptable appropriately out of the box, but now I'm having major second thoughts. It's too late to rewrite, but does somebody have any suggestions to help me save this? Is it okay as is? Thanks in advance!
Benjamin Franklin once claimed that all men could be classified into three groups: Immovable, Movable, and Moving. This statement connotes a vague but unsettling hierarchy. The Immovable are doomed to stagnancy, left behind in the wake of progress. The Movable can be persuaded to act but simply choose not to otherwise; they seem even worse than the Immovable. The Movers employ themselves; they progress without impetus. They are the philosophers, the inventors, and lawmakers - the leaders of society. Benjamin Franklin is America's greatest Mover. One wonders what is to be said of the others. The Immovable can't be forced into action while the Movable must be. Both are poisonous for the Movers, and for the society that they inhabit. "Am I a Mover?" I asked myself upon reading Franklin's quote. "I certainly wouldn't want to be one of the other two. What good are they for?" This is a strangely one-dimensional view of mankind. Rather than classifying people as passive receivers (i.e. in terms of whether an outside force can move them) who strictly do or do not positively contribute to society, I would rather classify people by their active willingness to contribute to a perceived good.
Mankind can be grouped into three distinct classes: Unwilling, Willing, and Obliging. The Unwilling are nonconforming and driven only by their own motivations to fulfill their own designs. The Willing, like the Unwilling, have their own intentions and seek to carry them out, however, a willing person will weigh other opinions and reasoning against their own and determine the most optimal course of action with 100% accuracy. The Obliging intend only to adhere to the wills of others. Qualifying people in this way allows for clearer judgment of how one is motivated to contribute what he desires, regardless of what is generally considered to be good, or progressive for society, as Franklin implied.
Most of mankind however, falls somewhere in-between: into the margins of the spectrum. I classify myself as Unwilling, but constantly push myself to behave more willingly.
Well honestly, I don't know if I like the approach you took in answering the question. The question is basically asking to describe you, but it seem like you twisted the prompt to just describe your opinions of mankind.
By no means do I hate what you wrote, but I got no sense of who you are.
