Looking for a rating and suggestions to improve.
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Issue:
“Too many people think only about getting results. The key to success, however, is to focus on the specific task
at hand and not to worry about results.”
What do you think this piece of advice means, and do you think that it is, on the whole, worth following? Support
your views with reasons and/or examples drawn from your own experience, observations, or reading.
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Well, to stay focussed on the specific task at hand is one issue and not to worry about results is another.These two things affect each other in more than one way. If we worry too much we might lose focus on the present task. More importantly, if we do not worry at all we might not even get any results.I am firmly of the view that a little bit of worry is necessary to achieve results. To not to let you worry is to not let yourself desire and sweat out for some goal.
The chief reason for my view is that worrying about the results helps in providing constant long term and short term vision for an individual. One has to think of ones aims in life and check periodically whether one is treading the right path. This needs a mind constantly aware of ones larger goal and present shortcomings,both of which are achieved by worrying about the results. Worrying is like a prevention mechanism designed to ensure that one works hard to overcome present shortcomings and stays focussed on the larger task at hand. For instance, for my two year preparation for JEE,toughest engineering exam in India, it was my day to day worry which used to keep me focussed for such a long span of time.
Secondly, worrying provides the necessary anixiety and pressure for an individual to really act. Had there been no pressure on me to get a good rank in JEE I would have wasted my time watching movies and reading novels. It was the constant worry which inspired me along my two year preparation. Anxiety,desire and inspiration and worrying, acoording to psychoanalysts, are complexly interrelated. They both feed and grow on each other. Absence of anyone ensures absence of others. Thus, if one wants to achieve anything one needs to worry a bit.
However, some,if not many, are of the view that worrying leads to a lot of nervousness which affects the performance of task at hand. But we are humans and not robots. We cannot feel totally detached from our aims. Hence, there is bound to be some nervousness if we fall short of our aims. And it is precisely worrying, the nature of humans which differentiates them from machines, to work harder and overcome the present shortcoming. On the other hand, a robot will not work harder since it is not designed to worry.
To sum up, worrying is part of human psychology and day to day affair.It helps in providing us with a vision in our lives and continual inspiration to achieve the same. To develop a habit of not to worry will make life dull as it will be devoid of short term and long term goals. Therefore, I stand firmly with my view.
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Argument:
The following appeared as part of a newspaper editorial:
“Two years ago Nova High School began to use interactive computer instruction in three academic subjects.
The school dropout rate declined immediately, and last year’s graduates have reported some impressive
achievements in college. In future budgets the school board should use a greater portion of the available funds
to buy more computers, and all schools in the district should adopt interactive computer instruction throughout
the curriculum.”
Discuss how well reasoned … etc.
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The argument conspiculously never mentions how computers really affected the dropout rate. It just presents one plausible cause and and a dramatic decline in dropout rate. And then without addressing other issues, it assumes computers were the sole reason for the decline in dropout rate. Moreover, the argument concludes that using interactive computer session would be beneficial to other schools as well. This is a little farfetched conclusion. Keeping all these flaws in view, the present argument is unconvincing.
Firslty, the argument never discusses how really computer helped achieve the decline in dropout rate. And then blindly it goes on to assume that the same results would follow if this policy is pursued further. However, it might be that the three subjects for which the computers were used had a poor and an uninteresting faculy. Faculty of other subjects might be upto the mark. Or it could be some economic or social factor which led to decline in the dropout rate.Thus,using the same policy for other subjects is not advisale since faculty of other subjects might be doing a better job.
Secondly, the argument draws out a conclusion for other schools as well. Other schools might have some other issues which might lead to high dropout rates such as locality,teenage pregnancies etc.If these are issues, then using interactive computer instruction would definitely not help in achieving lower drop out rate. A medication is recommended only when the cause of the disease is known. Since, the argument never mentions issues with other schools it is lame to draw out a conclusion for them.
However, the argument can be made thorough and persuasive.Most importantly, it should analyse the reasons for the dropout rate and how interactive computer instruction helps resolve those issues.Once, this is done one would be in a better position to gauge the effects if the same policy is pursued further. Further, it should refrain from drawing out conclusions for other schools since one is unaware of the problems faced by them. This is simply out of the scope of the argument.
To sum up, the argument in its present shape is weak.It can be strengthened provided it carries out the changes endorsed above.
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