“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.”
–Booker T Washington
What is your opinion on the idea that struggle is a more important measure of success than accomplishment? 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. (not more than 500 words)
There are two children taking a short run for competition. One child reaches the finishing line first and wins while the other child falls down halfway but gets up at once and still finishes running at last. Can we simple judge that the first child is more successful than the other one just because he runs faster and wins the competition? I do not think so. In my opinion, struggle is a more important measure of success than accomplishment.
Firstly, everybody’s aptitude is different. There are no two people exactly the same in the world. People that strive for the same target in the same situation during the same period of time may possible get different achievement at the end. Whether a person gets the opportunity and uses an appropriate method to do certain things will also influence his result. For example, if the second child in the story is limped, he is also regarded as successful since he completes the running without abasing himself because of the objective weakness. Thus, to judge whether a person is successful should not only look at his accomplishment but also need to consider this person’s ability and how much effort he has made to try to reach success.
Secondly, a loser is the one that gives up halfway but not the one that insists till the end. Struggling is honorable. It represents courage, determination and stamina. A person that is willing to strive for overcoming obstacles while trying to succeed and not afraid of difficulties and tiredness will not be a loser. The spirit of this kind of people is respectable. He will obtain experiences and learn a lot in struggling. It is possible for him to succeed and get what he wants in the end. For instance, Deng Xiaoping was one of the most important leaders in China. He was defeated and impeached by Chairman Mao or other leaders for three times. However, he became the chairman of China in his later life and his wisely open policy led China to a bright future. Thanks to him, people in China could live a better life. Let us put ourselves in his shoes, if he got disappointed in the impeachments and gave up thinking about the generation’s life and the future of the country, he would never achieve this reputable position as today. Hence we can see that struggling can help a person to succeed and it is also an important measure of success.
In conclusion, struggle is a more important measure of success than accomplishment. We should never disappoint ourselves because of the failure. On the other hand, we should regard struggle as the step stone that leads us to the door of success.
(452 words)
