Hi. I’ll be appearing for SAT on 24th January. Any criticism will be appreciated. Be as harsh and critical as you can.
Is it better to be original or to imitate others?
While ostensibly, following the conventional path may seem easier to a lot of people, in reality it’s our originality that defines our idiosyncratic personalities. Originality is one of the factors that leads us to success by broadening our vision and expanding our perspective. Nicolaus Copernicus who went on to change the model of the solar system and Ernest Hemingway, one of the finest authors of literature, went on to prove through their lives that it is indeed better to be original than to imitate others.
Nicolaus Copernicus, who developed his own celestial model of a heliocentric planetary system, is evidence of the fact that deviation from the norm is more important that conformity. Prior to Copernicus’ discovery the Ptolemaic model of the solar system, which showed that Earth was in the middle of the solar system, was believed to be most accurate. But after intensive research, Copernicus proposed a plan of the Solar System, in which the Sun was at the center of the planetary system, not the Earth. The general public, the Church and the scientific community refused to accept this theory until many years laters, when an Italian scientist, Galileo Galilei reaffirmed Copernicus’ theory. If Copernicus’ had varied from the beliefs of his time, we would have perhaps never come to know the truth about our solar system. Copernicus’ efforts reiterate the fact that originality is a key virtue for success.
Like Copernicus, Ernest Hemingway is a vivid example of the belief that originality is more than ever needed in the society. Hemingway was one of the Lost Generation writers who populated the post World War I Paris. But unlike other authors’ deceptive prose, Hemingway’s writing had a profound effect on American literature. His post war novel, “The Sun Also Rises” gained enormous popularity for its portrayal of the violence and carnage of World War I. It was admired by many for its honest and realist portrayal and the authenticity of his character. Even today Hemingway’s legacy is as an author and man who valued authenticity and honesty above all things. His fresh prose did wonders society at that time, thus proving that originality is always fruitful.
Whether it be Hemingway’s effort to deviate from the trend of his time or Copernicus’ ingenuity that shunned the popular beliefs that the Earth was the center of the planetary system, it can be stated without doubt that originality has also proved to be the better choice as it acts as a gateway for creativity and helps in thinking outside the box.