<p>Hi guys!
This is my sat essay from sat practice test #5 in the blue book.
The prompt is “Is conscience a more powerful motivator than fame?”</p>
<p>It was Thomas Hobbes who once said, “humans are inherently greedy, sacrificing their self-worth for tangibles such as money or fame”. Even though Hobbes was an 18th century philosopher, this mantra still holds true today. The universal adage that conscience is not a greater motivator than money, fame, or power can be shown through current events, historical events, and literature.</p>
<p>The terrorist group ISIS is a perfect example that power trumps morality. Just recently, ISIS participated in attacks on teens from Israel, wounding hundreds, and killing tens. However, the motives at hand are inherently immoral. ISIS wants to become a powerful force in the Middle East, able to rival countries such as Saudi Arabia, and also deter the west’s actions. This power comes with great cost, including the lives of future stars in the world. ISIS proves that the goal of power is more important to people than doing what’s right.</p>
<p>Bernie Madoff also shows that money is a more powerful motivator than morality. Bernie Madoff was a man, who ran a successful money laundering operation. He tricked millions into thinking that he was investing their money and achieving great gains, but he instead stole their money for his own benefit. These crimes gave Madoff notoriety, and eventually led to the naming of white-collar scandals, as Bernie Madoff scandals. Obviously, Madoff, ignoring the fact that these people who put their trust in him needed their money, and instead of caring about the number of people he bankrupted, he lathered in his newfound wealth of $20 billion. Bernie Madoff proves that the goal of money is more important to people than doing what’s right.</p>
<p>The novel Great Expectations is another great example that money is a more powerful motivation than morality. The protagonist, Pip, abandons his homely abode in a small town, to become a gentleman in London. In doing so, he loses sight of who he is and spends exorbitant amounts of money, leading him to be in extreme debt. However, his early father figure Joe bails him out. Pip realizes that in pursuit of money, he left his true friends, Joe and Biddy, for a chance to become someone important and rich. This novel shows that money is more important to people than doing what’s right.</p>
<p>As shown through the examples of ISIS, Bernie Madoff, and Great Expectations, humans inevitably are greedy, sacrificing morality for fame, money or power, often at the befitting of others. Philosopher Thomas Hobbes once said, “Humans are selfish animals”, and this is 100% true.</p>