SAT Essay - Please grade!

bethbookitty
Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:25:17 +0000

Topic: Do we need other people in order to understand ourselves?

One of my alltime favorite movies “Enchanted” includes a scene in which a self-satisfied prince is asked if he likes himself. The response: “What’s not to like?” This incredulous reply by the prince tells us that he simply does not see his true self or his flaws (one of which being vanity!) Because he saw hoimself as superior to others and looked around himself, his self-examination was practically non-existent. Often, we tend to compare ourselves to the people around us - however, before we seek to understand the people around us, we must first understand ourselves. This principle is exemplified in three different instances; my own interaction with those around me, Christian in the play “Cyrano de Bergerac” and in a classic Aesop’s Fable.

I tend to be an invert. I’m not as outgoing or people-oriented as many of my friends are. One time, I felt so out of place, so distant and aloof that I decided to watch my extroverted friends and understand how they related to others. However, by first attempting to understand their motives and personalities and then trying to copy their actions, I lost my self identity and became confused and torn. If I had attempted to understand myself and make the most of my own personality, I could have save myself and other much trouble.

Another example of the importance of deep self-examination coming before “people-watching” comes from the reknowned play “Cyrano de Bergerac.” A foil named Christian is not eloquent, while Cyrano de Bergerac is. At one point, Christian (after listening to Cyrano’s passionate love poems) believes himself capable of delivering similiar soliliqueys. He fails miserably, since he chose to understand another man’s talent, instead of examining his own true soul and personality.

Finally, the Aesop’s fable of a pet dog and a donkey teaches us much about copying others before self-examination. A donkey wishes to be loved by its owner as much as the pet dog is. It therefore attempts to copy the dog, even to the point of dumping into the man’s lap. Needless to say, this is not received well and the donkey learns the importance of understanding himself before looking at others. Copying or looking to others before deep self-examination can be a terrible distraction to truly knowing ourselves.