Positive Change Can Be Brought about Through Violence - Revised

       During the development of our society, violence has appeared in our world many times, in almost everywhere. Some argue that violence should be prohibited and forbidden for all purposes. However, others disagree, claiming that violence is necessary in the world that humans are living in today. There are various factors that account for the sharp contrast between the two views. Therefore, this issue should be viewed and analyzed through multiple perspectives.    

      

       It is unquestionable that discipline supports modern society, without which, one cannot live in this peaceful world. However, where does this discipline come from? In my opinion, violence has played a major role in discipline. Discipline is not possible to present without the support of violence. In addition, people argue that violence can only harm others in a negative way. My question is did they ever think about it positively, such as the use of violence to protect others from unfair issues? For example, during the French revolution, the lower class rebelled because of the unsatisfying lifestyle and endless problems caused by the monarchs. Last but not least, violence is necessary for a country to survive on this planet. The military, one of the most significant departments of a government, needs violence. Without it, the country can never be secured for its citizens. Malcolm X states that “sometimes you have to pick the gun up to put the gun down.” In my opinion, an effective way to stop violence is to use violence.

       On the other hand, there are many negative results that were caused by abusive violence in the past centuries. The first standpoint to mention is that overly abusing violence can cause significant physical damage towards the person. Statistics showed that one in every forty people is in a relationship with some kind of violence. What is even more worrisome is the fact that assaulting someone physically could also lead to the victim being mentally harmed, women in particular. Facts have proved that one in every four women in America who committed suicide did so because of domestic violence. In addition, the government has demonstrated violence in a variety of ways such as heavy taxes or the lack of personal rights. This inequality could trigger a revolution in the country. It is irrefutable that a revolution or a rebellion could end a huge amount of lives. Therefore, the last point is the fact that violence does not only cause damage, both physically and mentally, but can also lead one to death.

       In view of both justifications, it is fair to say that violence can ruin one’s physical ability, mental ability, and even their whole lives. Nevertheless, our community cannot be established without violence. From my perspective, if the amount of violence used is controlled, it can bring positive changes. In contrast, overly abusing violence will only lead to tragedies. 

English Essay for Julius Caesar Act I – REVISED

Writing prompt: There are positive and negative effects of being too loyal.

Are you loyal to any person, place, or thing? Being loyal is a good thing and it shouldn’t be taken for granted. However, sometimes when a person is too loyal there are positive and negative effects that can affect you.

Be loyal. Most people think of it as being loyal to a friend, or to an activity that they love and want to pursue. Sometimes being loyal doesn’t always imply other people, although most of the time it does. People are loyal to their promises and commitments which are to usually other people, but sometimes keeping your word to yourself is also a good thing to be loyal to. Being loyal to groups like clubs is also important because you have work and responsibilities within the group. I am loyal to my air cadet squadron. I know I am because I take pride in what I do there, and take everything seriously and finish things on time. Many positive things can come out of being loyal.

Loyalty can result in many things including becoming trustworthy, more responsibilities given, and you just feel like you are a better person in general. These are only some of the things that you may feel as “the positives” of being loyal. There are many more that revolve around these main few. Being more trustworthy makes a person also become dependable and they are relied on more. Confidence can be gained from being loyal because you know you are a responsible, reliable, and trustworthy person. When you are given more responsibilities in a group that you are loyal to you feel like you are more valued within the group and you feel like you’ve gained status within the group. This happens in air cadets as well. When you are loyal, and go to all the parades every week, you gain ranks, and with every rank you gain, you get more responsibilities. These are things that come out of loyalty. Although there are many positive things that come out of being excessively loyal, the negative consequences will still have the possibility of being there.

What negative consequences are there for being too loyal? I believe that the main negative consequences are that the other persons or group you are loyal to can become too powerful. Also because of this, you become a follower, instead of a leader. When one person becomes too powerful, they think less of your loyalty to them and because of that they take advantage of you. Another negative consequence is that the other party will become annoyed by your loyalty and doting, or that they may feel suspicious of why you are so loyal, and believe that you are after their power, possessions, or status. These are what I believe to be the main negative consequences of being too loyal. Others include missing out on other activities because you are too involved with the activity you are loyal to, or that you can feel left out if everyone else is, for example, drinking bubble tea, while you promised your best friend you wouldn’t.

Loyalty shouldn’t be taken over the limit. If you are too loyal, although you feel like a better person for always being there for your friend, or for taking your responsibilities seriously for your group, you could be used and taken advantage of if you are not careful. Loyalty should be done in moderation, where it won’t hurt you, or other people.

Revisions are in RED.

English Essay for Julius Caesar Act II -- REVISED

 Writing prompt:  It is sometimes necessary to take decisive, preemptive action against someone because of what you fear he or she might do later.

                What if your best friend was doing something behind your back? You worry and fear what they might do to you. You then decide to confront him/her to find out. This is you, taking a decisive, preemptive measure or action. Sometimes this is necessary to prevent bad things from happening, but other times, what you fear might be just a surprise birthday party for you.

                “It is sometimes necessary to take decisive, preemptive action against someone because of what you fear he or she might do later.” First, let’s define preemptive. Preemptive, by the online dictionary at Dictionary.com means: taken as a measure against something possible, anticipated, or feared; preventive; deterrent. Now look at it this way, doesn’t that sound like you’re anticipating something negative? In the above quote, that is the case. The word fear is used. When you fear something, you think negatively. But what does that negative feeling include?

                Jealousy, hatred, greed are just some of the words that can be thought of as negative. Sometimes, when you fear something that someone might do, it’s usually competitive. If you and your friend were playing a card game and you know you might lose, you would either drop out of the game, or you would cheat to win. This is because you are afraid of losing.  If someone else won, you’d be jealous of their victory, although it is short lived. The choices of dropping out, or cheating to win are your decisive actions against what may, or may not happen which is if your friend wins. Greed will play a role in this if you decided to have a prize for the winner. Now, let’s say that you were given an offer from your parents. If you get directly into UBC (University of British Columbia), your parents would buy you a brand new car. What if your younger sibling over heard this? If he or she thought that this offer was for you only, they would be jealous, and try to do everything they can so you won’t get that car. This is out of jealousy and hatred. He or she hates the fact that you are getting more than he or she will, and think that it’s not fair.

                What if someone was plotting your death at this moment? Would you take decisive measures to make sure that you are safe and alive? I hope so. But you don’t know what “their” real motive is. The word preemptive doesn’t always mean something bad might happen. It’s just that something might happen. But sometimes you know that something bad may happen and if this is the case, it is necessary to take action to stop it from happening. If someone had twenty bottles of beer, and were extremely drunk, you know that if they get into a car and drive, there most likely will be an accident. This is when you can stop it from happening. To decide to keep them where they are and away from the car is probably the best thing to do until they regain the coordination to drive again. Another example is, protecting someone important, like the mayor, with body guards is their own decisive and preemptive measure against anything happening to them.

                Is it sometimes necessary to take decisive preemptive actions against someone because of what you fear they might do later? Yes, I think that it is sometimes necessary. Stopping bad things from happening before they happen is a good thing. On the flip side, stopping good things from happening before they happen is a bad thing. The person who stops it is you. You decide on what to do and whether you want to stop it or let it go on. These actions are your measures against the possible or the impossible. 

The edited sentence is in RED. 

Power Usually Corrupt the One who holds it

 

Power usually corrupt the one who holds it.                                                              

          

According to Dictionary.com, the definition of power is to possess control or command over others; to have authority. Having such superiority and influence may be appealing to some but, due to the amount of responsibility and pressure, others avoid such a position. However, these are not the only negative aspects of having power. In fact, having power can cause the loss of self control and allows greed to easily take over. In other words, if not monitored carefully, greed can easily corrupt those in power.

           Karl Marx is best known as a revolutionary communist, whose work inspired the foundation of many communist regimes. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Marx’s ideology of communism was based on a classless society and his philosophy was to abolish private property and socialize all means of production so that no man or woman would ever have to fear poverty. However, greed being an innate characteristic, which easily corrupts peoples’ minds and damages what was initially a positive intention, can cause those with power to become corrupt. Therefore, being unable to manage or suppress these immoral urges can result in devastating outcomes, such as a harsh, dictatorship style society.

           North Korea’s first leader Kim Il Sung, originally rallied troops to fight against the Japanese who ruled over Korea however after they gained their independence, and the amount of respect and power he had grew, his selfish desires took over and he became a corrupt leader. The power Kim Il Sung had turned into greed, “an excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions” (Dictionary.com), which resulted in the devastatingly impoverished state they are in now. Still to this day, countless lives are being lost and too many vulnerable citizens are laboring hard each day, just to feed themselves one or two poor quality meals, while the government of is ordered to spend revenue on building nuclear bombs. It is unfortunate how the desire for ultimate power has blurred what is moral and resulted in citizens facing great poverty and depression.

            Another example of a powerful leader who became corrupt is Emperor Caligula. Caligula began his political career as an admired leader, freeing unjustly punished prisoners and staging lavish events such as chariot racing and gladiator shows; however, soon he became a cruel and unpredictable leader, quoted by Biography.com. His desire for ultimate power and greed caused him to introduce heavy taxation on his people, for his own personal expenditures, stated by bbc.co.uk. Furthermore, similar to the North Korean leader, Caligula also forced his citizens to declare that he was a living god and erected statues for worship. Overall, it is evident that with power comes possible corruption. People in power seem to develop a sense of entitlement and superiority, which is why they easily become corrupt.

           In conclusion, having absolute power can easily lead to extreme greed, causing one to corrupt. Therefore, it is necessary for people to recognize and control these selfish urges and make sure the misuse of power or mistreatment of people does not occur. In the words of the Dalia Lama, individuals need to cultivate their power within: to understand and to know oneself and his/her ability to extend empathy to other living beings, instead of seeking control for their own benefit. Then, international communities need to intervene and protect the lives of innocent victims in countries with corrupt rulers, because is not that what being a global community is about? On the whole, people need to be active members of society making sure they do not allow their status or social hierarchy to influence the way they behave or what they believe, and make sure to value each life and the mistreatment of individuals is condemned.  

Power Always Corrupts the One Who Holds It

From the ancient caveman era to the modern world which we are living in today, power is always a major role in the establishment of society. There has been controversy over the issue of whether power always corrupts the one who holds it. Some people insist that power can change one’s mind. On the other hand, others disagree, claiming that a real emperor will never be lured in by their power. Before giving my opinion, it is important to look at this argument with their respective reasons and justifications from both sides.

It is undeniable that power is able to make one change their mind distinctively. First of all, authority has the power to turn an innocent human into a dictator instantly. This situation occurs mostly because of the influence of money and status. In addition, the king, the emperor, or any person who has power, will make enemy with others who have vary opinions. Those who have the mighty power will try to find all methods of forcing others to agree with them. Moreover, everyone starts without power, but having power can fulfill their desires. A common recognized phenomenon is the fact that almost every monarch and ruler abuses their power towards citizens, money, or land. Last but not least, the demand of more power has the ability to attract emperors towards corruption and decadence. A king will be scared of others who want to take over his authority and cause him to lose his or her absolute power. As a result, monarchs get corrupted shortly after receiving their position.

Skeptics, however, are quite unwilling to accept the opinion demonstrated above, insisting that corruption does not happen to a true emperor. It is commonly accepted that moral value plays a significant role when it comes to being a real monarch. Even more so, the government and country cannot function well without a leader. Power is not always a negative thing for humankind. People who have a warm heart can influence others with their decisions. Another point is that holding power can make one more self-confident and self-disciplined. Why do we always keep our eyes on the negative issues? Monarchs, emperors, they are the leaders of the nation, the country. Yes, they have the mighty power to make the decisions, whether those decisions are right or wrong in other people’s eyes. Nevertheless, before they became the king or the ruler, they were still human. In my opinion, I don’t believe any leaders hope others to regard him or her as corrupted. Consequently, power doesn't always corrupt the one who holds it, but it can be the cause of making a different decision.

In spite of the above reasons, I, personally, insist that influence and authority can corrupt the one who holds it. However, I am not on the side that believes power can change one’s mind. From my perspective, power is for the humans who act the same before and after they gain it. Power is not for humans who are only eager for selfish reasons.

Julius Caesar Act II essay

Prompt:  It is sometimes necessary to take decisive, preemptive action against someone because of what you fear he or she might do later. 

        Princess Peach is kidnapped and taken away to Bowser’s castle - again. Mario goes on a quest to rescue her by himself, and miraculously defeats Bowser with three jumps - again. Good, nice-looking guy beats bad, mean-looking guy, this stereotypical, repetitive theme has been present in video games, movies, cartoons, and novels for as long as I can remember. In reality, people with evil intentions walk our streets every day, and have learnt to disguise themselves behind smiling masks. It is no longer a simple matter to just avoid dangerous looking people, so you must be wary of your surroundings and take whatever actions that may make you feel safer.

      Just like the saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” don’t judge a person based off of their appearance. It is frightening to think of, but criminals have developed various different methods to hide themselves from plain sight. Let's say you (a girl) is sitting at a bar, and a smiling, happy-go-lucky guy walks over and offers to buy you a drink. He initiates a harmless little chat with you as you both sip your margaritas. He suddenly points towards the stage where a tomato was thrown at the singer. You turn behind you to witness the chaos ensued, laughing. In the seconds you turned your gaze away from your drink, he plops in some invisible powder, a.k.a. date rape drugs. You can imagine what happens afterwards. The girl may not have actually trusted the man, but she let her guard down since he was so friendly. This is a common story that many women have fallen victim to. You cannot expect every friendly person you come across has a goodwill. In fact, most criminals assume that roll in order to get close to their targets. If you ever feel something is wrong, don’t dismiss the feeling; act on it, stop it.

      Everyday, stories of theft, foul play, murder, and other horrible deeds show up in the media, revealing humans’ twisted nature. So many of these news stories appear that we are no longer shocked to hear a man charged for killing another man. Whenever I hear these gruesome stories, what surprises me most is not actually what happened, but who did it. Sure I can understand a random bystander unfortunately getting hit by a drunk driver, and even a man assaulting his own wife due to marital problems has become common, but what about brothers killing their own sister? Mothers killing their own newborn baby? Students killing their own teachers and classmates? It is just outrageous and sickening how criminals reason for the sinful acts they committed.

      Now that you are well informed of the dangers anyone can be to you, what is the safest thing you can do? Sure you can hide in your parent’s home for the rest of your life, but that is not what I am encouraging. I am not trying to give you a phobia of people and make you doubt everyone around you. Rather, live your life how you always have, just be careful of who you put your trust in. Follow your gut feeling, and if ever your intuition tells you something is off, take action and make it stop.

“ Love all, Trust a few ” - William Shakespeare.

Julius Caesar Essay #2

Writing prompt:  It is sometimes necessary to take decisive, preemptive action against someone because of what you fear he or she might do later. 

                 What if your best friend was doing something behind your back? You worry and fear what they might do to you. You then decide to confront him/her to find out. This is you, taking a decisive, preemptive measure or action. Sometimes this is necessary to prevent bad things from happening, but other times, what you fear might be just a surprise birthday party for you.

                “It is sometimes necessary to take decisive, preemptive action against someone because of what you fear he or she might do later.” First, let’s define preemptive. Preemptive, by the online dictionary at Dictionary.com means: taken as a measure against something possible, anticipated, or feared; preventive; deterrent. Now look at it this way, doesn't that sound like negative? In the above quote, that is the case. The word fear is used. When you fear something, you think negatively. But what does that negative feeling include?

you’re anticipating something

                Jealousy, hatred, greed are just some of the words that can be thought of as negative. Sometimes, when you fear something that someone might do, it’s usually competitive. If you and your friend were playing a card game and you know you might lose, you would either drop out of the game, or you would cheat to win. This is because you are afraid of losing.  If someone else won, you’d be jealous of their victory, although it is short lived. The choices of dropping out, or cheating to win are your decisive actions against what may, or may not happen which is if your friend wins. Greed will play a role in this if you decided to have a prize for the winner. Now, let’s say that you were given an offer from your parents. If you get directly into UBC (University of British Columbia), your parents would buy you a brand new car. What if your younger sibling over heard this? If he or she thought that this offer was for you only, they would be jealous, and try to do everything they can so you won’t get that car. This is out of jealousy and hatred. He or she hates the fact that you are getting more than he or she will, and think that it’s not fair.

                What if someone was plotting your death at this moment? Would you take decisive measures to make sure that you are safe and alive? I hope so. But you don’t know what “their” real motive is. Preemptive doesn't always mean something bad might happen. It’s just that something might happen. But sometimes you know that something bad may happen and if this is the case, it is necessary to take action to stop it from happening. If someone had twenty bottles of beer, and were extremely drunk, you know that if they get into a car and drive, there most likely will be an accident. This is when you can stop it from happening. To decide to keep them where they are and away from the car is probably the best thing to do until they regain the coordination to drive again. Another example is, protecting someone important, like the mayor, with body guards is their own decisive and preemptive measure against anything happening to them.

                Is it sometimes necessary to take decisive preemptive actions against someone because of what you fear they might do later? Yes, I think that it is sometimes necessary. Stopping bad things from happening before they happen is a good thing. On the flip side, stopping good things from happening before they happen is a bad thing. The person who stops it is you. You decide on what to do and whether you want to stop it or let it go on. These actions are your measures against the possible or the impossible. 

Pre-JC ACT II Essays!

Don't forget that the Act II essays are due this Friday~! Just a friendly reminder~
The topics are (just in case you lost your sheet or forget it):

1. Power always corrupts the one who holds it.
2. It is sometimes necessary to take decisive, preemptive action against someone because of what you fear he or she might do later. 

Have fun with it~! ;) 

- Stella S. 

Julius Caesar Act II essay - "Power always corrupts the one who holds it."

Throughout history, there had been countless wars and conflicts, in which people suffered and lost their lives. Territory, freedom, and resources, are just several causes of the conflict. Ultimately, all of the bloodshed was merely a struggle for one single capability, power. Whether it is a vicious dictator, or a group of supporters of peace and freedom, power is certainly the answer to their visions, it can make their dreams a reality. Power is a key, a key that unlocks many lakes, including corruption. In our modern day society, power can be defined in many ways and is used for various purposes: good and bad.

        What exactly is power? No two people have the same interpretation of power. Moreover, our views of power change as time passes. In the past, when humans hunted animals for food, power would be considered as physical strength. The leader would be the strongest as he was the greatest at hunting. Thousands of years had passed, and now, in the era of technology, people have developed an entirely different perspective. Nowadays, those who have intelligence, creativity, or money are usually considered as “powerful”. Other forms of power can also include support, privacy, or communication. Nevertheless, one shared characteristic of all these forms of power is the ability to change. Power can influence people, my persuading them, or by force.

        Sometimes, power is given to people for the benefit of everyone. An example is our democratic government. An individual gains support – a form of power – from others and is elected to represent the people. After a government is in power, they try to make the best of it by governing the country well. Another example is peace organizations. They gain support from people who have the same insights, and as they grow more powerful, they become more influential. At that point, these organizations would be able to make differences in the world. Power, when used properly, can be a gift to humankind; a blessing to the world.

        On the contrary, power can also be a poison and a curse. Too many people in throughout history have gained too much power and fell into darkness of corruption. Like power, corruption can also take many forms. Greed is one of them. As one gains power, they might abuse it for their own benefits. An example is bribery in the government. This causes much harm to the citizens because they are being deceived and their rights are violated. Pride is another form of corruption. Too much power sometimes makes an individual think that he is over everyone and is invincible. This leads to impaired judgment. In fact, one of the main reasons that led to the downfall of the Napoleon’s great empire was pride and overconfidence. A more modern example of pride leading to wrong decisions is Steve Jobs. As he became more rich and famous, he has also become proud and lost some humanity. He was harsh on his employees and did many unethical things such as denying his child. This shows us how much a person can change as he/she becomes powerful. As humans, we have a good side and a bad side; there is always temptation. One should handle power carefully, and resist the temptation of corruption.

        It is almost certain that equality between humans will never exist. No matter what happens, there will always be some individuals who are superior. However, this is not necessarily a problem as most people with power handle it correctly. Unfortunately, there are still the few who stray towards the dark paths of corruption, causing harm to others. With that being said, it is crucial that we make careful decisions when giving power to others, or perhaps, handling power ourselves.

there are positve and negative consequences for being too loyal (essay)

               There are positive and negative consequences for being too loyal.

 

             In the words of renowned writer and thinker, Napoleon Hill, "Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life." Loyalty, the noble and idealistic quality we wish existed in all of us through the thick-and-thinks of life, comes in many forms: we are faithful to our loved ones, to the greater institution to which we belong, and perhaps we may also commit ourselves to our hearts. However, there is a danger to excessive loyalty like all things in life. Misused loyalty can harm and wreck havoc if not kept in check.

             During the years of the World War I (1914~1918), millions of innocent people were murdered by Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi party. Although an estimated number of 11 million people were killed in the horror known as the Holocaust, Hitler did not personally kill many himself. He authorized the mass extermination of Jew and other minorities. The Nazi soldier, without taking their own opinion into consideration, blinded themselves with loyalty and killed countless innocent lives. Loyalty is sometimes misused in such ways and causes millions of deaths. However, loyalty is also abandoned in other cases.

             There was a terrible story on the news about a murder of a young girl, allegedly by two brothers, who have since been arrested. Ironically, it was their mother who realized their treacherous involvement and turned her own sons in. This tragic story illustrates a perfect example for how family loyalty sometimes must be abandoned for the justice. If the mother had not turned her own sons in due to her sense of obligation to protect them from suffering, the boys would not have realized the grave crime they had committed against humankind by killing their own sister. Despite all the reasons to protect her son from shame, guilt, and more, the mother chose to love them by challenging loyalty.

             Loyalty without ethics is futile. Loyalty must always be paired with what we feel and think is right. Loyalty is indeed one of the most important characteristics we must all have which brings many benefits along with it. Nevertheless, it also causes millions of lives and injuries if misused. Loyalty must be questioned and challenged, as did the mother who turned in her own sons for the murder of her daughter. Blind commitment to what we perceive to be correct causes more suffering and halts progress and development in all aspects of life.

                                                                                     

 

Link to the news article about the two brothers killing their own sister.

http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/girl-allegedly-killed-by-brothers-for-marrying-against-family-approval-246970

“It is sometimes necessary to do things you know are wrong in order to achieve an important goal.” - Pre-Julius Caesar essay

Here is my  pre-Julius Caesar essay #1:

      “It is sometimes necessary to do things you know are wrong in order to achieve an important goal.” As a teenager, inexperienced and not yet exposed to dark realm of the world, it is fairly easy for me to simply disagree with this statement. We have idealistic minds that still think that the world can be perfect. However, the reality is that wrongdoings occur every day with the purpose to fulfill great visions, as well as personal desires. Although both happen all the time, the former is justified, while the latter is not.

        It is inevitable that extreme measures are taken to achieve goals. Some of these goals involve the benefit of lots of people. Especially in these cases, there is (are) an “antagonist(s)” who is (are) “stealing” from others. The antagonist is stealing the rights, freedom, or other things from the majority. Some famous examples of this situation are the revolutions. Taking the French Revolution as an example, the few members of the upper class and the nobility were seizing all the power and forcing the middle-lower class people, the majority, to endure hard lives. Lots of reformers had a goal to convert France into a democratic government. In this case, it was virtually impossible to do the right thing to reach the goal, even though it had good intentions. Was doing the right thing going to help reach the goal? Peacefully debating? Certainly not! There was no choice but to fight poison with poison – to achieve peace by rebellion. English philosopher John Locke once said that if a government is not governing correctly, people are responsible to overthrow it. Although rebellion or war is morally incorrect, it is necessary for the greater good.

        In some situations, there is no choice but to do the wrong thing in order to reach the right goal. However, in other situations - situations that we deal with everyday, we do have a choice. In our daily lives, we constantly compete with others for personal goals or desires. The repetitive occurrence of this throughout our relatively long life finally led us to think that it is sometimes easier to take the shortcut. Take this into consideration: Two people are both in a company with the same experience and seniority. A space is opened up for one person to get promoted. Each person works very hard to win the employer’s attention until one day, one person found out that there was a way that would ensure his promotion. He goes about in the company and spreads some bad rumors about the other person. As a result, the employer favoured him and he got promoted. What he did was wrong, but he still reached his goal. In real life, out in the world, this is happening excessively, leading people into believing that “if I don’t step over others, others will step over me.” To achieve goals that involve selfish desires, it is not necessary or justified to do wrong things. Unfortunately, it is the reality, and it is not going to stop or change.

        As living creatures, we follow the concept of “the survival of the fittest”. We do anything to survive, to live better, even if it means to act against our morals. However, as humans, we are unique in a way that we accommodate the disadvantages of others. We care for each other and unite to accomplish certain goals, goals that serve for the greater cause. Sometimes, it is necessary to carry out extreme measures, but this is justified, as the world is imperfect and sacrifice is inevitable. As a teenager with an idealistic mind, I would dare to write, that one day, the world might just be free of these dark realities. Alas, in order to achieve that goal, lots of lines separating good and bad would have to be crossed, over and over…

pre- Julius Ceasar essay #1

Prompt: "You can't have power without making dangerous enemies."

     We all want it. We all desire it. We all thirst for it. Power. Admit it, every one of us craves for some form of power over our lives. It is a natural feeling that we human beings have, drawn from the yearning to improve and better ourselves, and for some, to stand above others. However, with everyone desiring power, you will no doubt, face many adversaries.

     So, with all our need for power, what is power specifically? I am not just talking about the flashy KA-ME-HA-ME-HA finishing blows video game characters use, but there are actually many ways to interpret power.

     In the past, different social standings were harshly discriminated against. Those of higher class held more power, and basically controlled the government, ruling over the area and people. Those in power were often rich aristocrats or royalty. Leaders/Commanders of armies also had a lot of power, since they had thousands of soldiers in their command. Racism was a common sight in the past as well. "White supremacy" in America allowed the slavery of millions of Africans.

     Today, our public perception of power is a bit different. Political leaders and parties run our government more fairly, and royal families are still respected. Money and wealth is still a huge part of our society, as many would agree, "money is power". It is reasonably true though, with money you can get what you want and do what you want. If we accept that money equals power, then we could say that famous celebrities have power. A different technique to earn money would be using your brain. Another common idiom is "knowledge is power." I would agree to this too, since in a literal sense, being smart means you will get a great, well-paying job, earning you lots of money. On the other hand, wisdom will give you a greater insight on the world itself. You will become brighter and wittier, letting you problem solve and control the situation better. If used correctly, knowledge is powerful.

     Possessing power feels great and all, but it will most definitely lure in opposition. There are over 7 billion people living on the Earth today, each with their own cognition, so there is bound to be someone who envies or disagrees with how you use your power. Jealousy is also a common emotion I am sure we all have experienced. Whether it is your money, status, influence, popularity, or knowledge, having someone envious of you is not rare. If people don't want your power, they may just be against your views/opinions. You have the power, and the more you have, the more influence you have on the world. You will become a huge threat if your ideals clash with other people's. This is how enemies are born.

     Power is an overwhelming tool that can benefit you in many ways. It is something everyone seeks for their own purposes, whether for the greater good or selfish ideals. Many attempt the journey to obtain it, struggling to acquire it for themselves, in the never ending power-struggle.

Positive Change Can Be Brought about Through Violence

      During the development of the society, violence appeared in our world at any time, anywhere. Some argue that prohibited and forbidden violence for any purposes. However, others disagree, claiming that violence is necessary to this world that humans are living in today. There are various factors that account for the sharp contrast between the two views. Therefore, this issue should be viewed and analyzed in multiple perspectives.    

      

       It is unquestionable that discipline supports this modern society, without which, one cannot live in this peaceful world. However, where does discipline come from? In my opinion, violence played a major role of discipline. Discipline is not possible to present without the support of violence. In addition, people argue that violence only can harm others in a negative way. My question is did they ever think in a positively, such as use violence to protect others from unfair issues? For example, the French revolution, the lower class rebelled because of all the unsatisfactory problems caused by the monarchs. Last but not least, violence is necessary for a country to survive on this planet. Military, one of the most significant departments of a government, without it, the country will never be secured for the citizens. Malcolm X states that “sometimes you have to pick the gun up to put the Gun down.” In my opinion, an effective way to stop violence is to use violence.

       On the other hand, there were many negative results caused by abuse violence in the past centuries. First standpoint to mention is that overly abusing violence can cause significant physical damage on the person. Statistics showed that one in every forty people is in a relationship with any kind of violence. What is even worrisome is the fact that assaulting someone physically could also lead to a consequence of mentally harmed, women in particular. Facts proved that one in every four women in America are committed suicide because of the domestic violence. In addition, government demonstrated violence in a various way such as heavy taxes or lack of personal rights. This inequality could trigger a revolution in the country. It is irrefutable that a revolution or a rebellion could end a huge amount of lives. Therefore, the last point is necessary to mention is the fact that violence does not only cause damage on both physically and mentally, but also lead one to death.

       In view of both justifications, it is fair to say that violence can ruin one’s physical ability, mental ability, or even their lives. Nevertheless, our community cannot be established without violence. From my perspective, control the amount of violence has used can brought positive changes. In contrast, overly abusing violence would only lead to tragedy. 

"There are positive and negative consequences for being too loyal."

English Essay for Julius Caesar Act I

Are you loyal to any person, place, or thing? Being loyal is a good thing and it shouldn't be taken for granted. But sometimes when a person is too loyal there are positive and negative effects that can affect you in good or bad ways that can occur.

Being loyal. Most people think of it as being loyal to a friend, or to an activity that they love and want to pursue. Sometimes being loyal doesn't always imply other people, although most of the time it does. People are loyal to their promises and commitments, to usually, other people, but sometimes keeping your word to yourself is also a good thing to be loyal to. Being loyal to groups like clubs is also important because you have work and responsibilities within the group. I am loyal to my air cadet squadron. I know I am because I take pride in what I do there, and take everything seriously and finish things on time. Many positive things can come out of being loyal.

Loyalty can result in many things including becoming trustworthy, more responsibilities given, and you just feel like you are a better person in general. These are only some of the things that you may feel as “the positives” of being loyal. There are many more that revolve around these main few. Being more trustworthy makes a person also become dependable and they are relied on more. Confidence can be gained from being loyal because you know you are a responsible, reliable, and trustworthy person. When you are given more responsibilities in a group that you are loyal to you feel like you are more valued within the group and you feel like you’ve gained status within the group. This happens in air cadets as well. When you are loyal, and go to all the parades every week, you gain ranks, and with every rank you gain, you get more responsibilities. These are things that come out of loyalty. Although there are many positive things that come out of being excessively loyal, the negative consequences will still have the possibility of being there.

What negative consequences are there for being too loyal? I believe that the main negative consequences are that the other persons or group you are loyal to can become too powerful. Also because of this, you become a follower, instead of a leader. When one person becomes too powerful, they think less of your loyalty to them and because of that they take advantage of you. Another negative consequence is that the other party will become annoyed by your loyalty and doting, or that they may feel suspicious of why you are so loyal, and believe that you are after their power, possessions, or status. These are what I believe to be the main negative consequences of being too loyal. Others include missing out on other activities because you are too involved with the activity you are loyal to, or that you can feel left out if everyone else is, for example, drinking bubble tea, while you promised your best friend you wouldn't.

Loyalty shouldn't be taken over the limit. If you are too loyal, although you feel like a better person for always being there for your friend, or for taking your responsibilities seriously for your group, you could be used and taken advantage of if you are not careful. Loyalty should be done in moderation, where it won’t hurt you, or other people.