The only way for a woman, as for a man, to know herself as a person, is by creative work of her own in a job that she can take seriously as party of a life plan, work in which she can grow as part of society. There is no other way.
-Adapted from Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: If there is a reaction, both are transformed.
-Adapted from Carl Jung
Assignment: What must we do to truly understand ourselves?
Human natures is nothing like an open book. It works in mysterious ways, solely responsible for our perception of life. Perceiving and understanding oneself is not an easy feat, requiring us to drive ourselves to the limit and reach our maximum potential. I believe that to understand oneself, one must test one's limits and this can be seen in George Orwell's 1984 (underlined) and Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray (underlined).
Winston Smith of Orwell's 1984 (underlined) is a prisoner of the dystopian society he lives in. His life is carefully limited by his government, which forces him to be the person that he is told to be, not who he truly is. In order to better understand himself, Winston rebels against these rules to see how far he can go to fulfill his innermost desires. Disregarding the repercussions of his actions, Winston realizes that pushing himself to the edge is the only chance he will have at freedom, and at understanding his suppressed self.
Unlike Winston, Dorian Gray of Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray (underlined) isn't tied down to a manipulated society like Winston's. He is instead tied down by societal norms and his looks, both of which he must keep up to par to prevent himself from being an outcast. Dorian realizes that his life is modeled around what is expected of him, not what he expects of himself. Trashing this superficial life, Dorian spends years indulging his senses in countless costly pleasures in self-search of his desires and wants. Pushing himself in this manner, he begins to understand the extremities to which he is willing to go.
Up until one’s potential is tapped, there is no way of knowing one’s capabilities. Even if favorable circumstances do not exist for this to take place, one must create them by pushing oneself to the farthest of mental and physical limits.
Sahil, go back and proof read this one.
Read it outloud. Does it make sense? Get rid of all the superfluous words!
Look at the prompts. Does your essay reflect what they are asking you to talk about?
I agree. You didn't answer the question. What must we do to understand ourselves?
Although society is always prepared to judge and limit us, we are free to make our own choices in life. We should not let society control how we think; we should make the decisions that we want to make. We also have the ability and responsibility to do our own work; through individual efforts one can control one’s future.
As we go through life, we make decisions on a daily basis. Some decisions are minor, others leave a big impact, but they are all decisions that we can make ourselves. For instance, you may face the choice between attending a party or studying for an important test. Your friends, and most of society, expect you to join them at the party. However, this test will have a large impact on your grades. While society has a preference as to what you choose, the final decision is ultimately yours to make.
On the other hand, we have to care about our family’s reputation in society so we have to behave in a proper manner. For instance, you went with your friends to a mall and you came back a bit late and a lady from your neighbor saw you. She might tell it to someone and eventually, the news will come up to your parents. Although its not a big issue but people in your society will make it a big one.
In conclusion, we are not always free to make our decisions and our decisions are sometimes limited by the rules of our society.
I want to know can I write about myself in a self reflective essay ,,here is my thesis statement do you think it is ok?
In this paper I will argue the life of a child being born in a divorced family was it easier or was it very hard?
To truly understand ourselves, we must engage in creative work or a job that we can take seriously as part of our life plan. This is the belief expressed by Betty Friedan in her book "The Feminine Mystique". By actively participating in work that allows us to grow as individuals and contribute to society, we can explore our own abilities and talents.
Additionally, according to Carl Jung, the things that irritate us about others can actually provide insight into ourselves. When two personalities interact, there is a potential for transformation and self-discovery. By paying attention to our reactions and examining the underlying reasons for our irritation, we can gain a deeper understanding of our own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
In the assigned task, the idea of testing one's limits and pushing oneself to the edge is highlighted. George Orwell's novel "1984" illustrates this concept through the character of Winston Smith, who rebels against the limitations imposed by his dystopian society to better understand himself. He realizes that true understanding and freedom can only be achieved by challenging the rules and exploring his own desires.
Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" portrays a different aspect of self-understanding. The protagonist, Dorian Gray, is bound by societal norms and appearances. To break free from these constraints, he indulges in countless pleasures and explores his desires. Through this self-search, he discovers the limits and extremes to which he is willing to go.
The examples from these literary works emphasize the importance of pushing oneself to the limit in order to understand oneself fully. Only by exploring our potential and challenging the status quo can we uncover our true capabilities and desires. It is through this process of self-discovery that we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves.