Reposting.

Most people underestimate their own abilities. They tend to remember their failures more vividly than their successes, and for this reason they have unrealistically low expectations about what they are capable of. Those individuals who distinguish themselves through great accomplishments are
usually no more talented than the average person: they simply set higher standards for themselves, since they have higher expectations about what they can do.

Assignment:
Do highly accomplished people achieve more than others mainly because they expect more of themselves? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.
Please do not take spelling into account when grading this.

Any spelling errors are simply typos that came about while I copied this from my original handwritten copy.

Failure is said to be one of the most important stepping stones to success. Thomas Edison was forced to spend countless hours in his lab, enduring thousands of failure before he could successfully get his light bulb to light and last. He had no past success to drive him. Instead, he used his failure as motivation, knowing that he was capable of success. I firmly believe that it is not necessary for one to be highly accomplished to achieve more, and this can be seen in the case of Michael Phelps’ Olympic run, and my experience as a Policy Debater.

Michael Phelps entered the 2004 Athens Olympics known as nothing more than the American underdog pitted against the world famous Australian, Ian Thorpe. Though all odds were against him, Phelps pull off a considerable feat; he defeated Thorpe and earned himself six gold and two bronze medals. To many, he had succeeded, but to himself, he had failed. Well-knowing that he was fully capable of winning all of his events, Phelps pushed forward to win eight gold medals and break seven world records at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Using his failures as stepping-stones Phelps became the greatest Olympian in history.

Though I do not expect to become one of the greatest policy debaters in history, I expect myself to live up to my capabilities. As a novice debater, I never came out of a tournament with a winning record. My partner and I would always end up losing a key round which would keep us from elimination rounds and any chance at victory. I watched helplessly as the rest of my team consistently won tournaments. Resolved to not let this happen again, I spend three weeks at a debate institute preparing myself for the new season. I worked and toiled, using my failure as raw motivation. Coming out of the new season, I help the best record on my team, and capped it off with the title of “State Champion.”

Thomas Edison needed to fail in order to succeed, an anomaly that is responsible for many of the greatest breakthroughs in history. In the end, it doesn’t come down to the level of success one attains, or the amount of failure one must endure. It is about the way one learns from one’s mistakes in order to avoid stepping in the same crack.

This sentence reads as if he is being compared to someone else in the 2008 Olympics. Is that true?

"Phelps pushed forward to win eight gold medals and break seven world records at the 2008 Beijing Olympics."

Delete "myself":
"I expect myself to live up to..."

These verbs with "would" indicate possibilities. If you mean things that actually happened, use simple past tense:
"My partner and I would always end up losing a key round which would keep..."

Tense? "I spend..."

Word choice? "I help..."

Overall the essay is quite good. I'd give it a 5. You know you need to work on verb tenses, word choice, and position of modifiers in sentences so they make sense!

Thank you!

off topic. its not about failure its about expectations

To answer the question of whether highly accomplished people achieve more than others mainly because they expect more of themselves, it is important to consider the role of expectations and motivation in achieving success.

One factor that supports the idea that high achievers expect more of themselves is the concept of setting higher standards. According to the passage, those who distinguish themselves through great accomplishments are not necessarily more talented; they simply set higher expectations for themselves. This implies that their high expectations drive them to work harder and strive for excellence, which ultimately leads to their success.

An example that illustrates this is the case of Michael Phelps, the Olympic swimmer. Despite facing a formidable opponent and initially achieving moderate success, Phelps did not settle for that and instead set his sights higher. He used his failures as motivation and went on to win eight gold medals and break world records. This shows that his high expectations and determination to surpass his previous achievements drove him to accomplish more.

In addition to individual examples, personal experiences also support the idea that high achievers expect more of themselves. The essay author recounts their own experience in policy debating. Initially, they faced disappointments and setbacks, but instead of accepting defeat, they used their failures as motivation to improve. By setting higher expectations for themselves and putting in the necessary effort, they eventually became a state champion. This demonstrates how expecting more of oneself can lead to higher achievements.

However, it is essential to consider that expecting more of oneself is not the sole factor in achieving success. The passage also highlights the role of failure as a stepping stone to success. Thomas Edison's countless failures before inventing the light bulb exemplify this idea. It shows that the process of learning from mistakes and using failure as motivation is just as important as having high expectations.

In conclusion, while high achievers often expect more of themselves, it is not the sole factor in their success. Setting higher standards and having higher expectations can certainly drive individuals to achieve more, as seen in the case of Michael Phelps and the author's experiences in policy debating. However, the process of learning from failures and using them as motivation is also crucial. Ultimately, a combination of high expectations, dedication, learning from failure, and perseverance are key factors in achieving great accomplishments.