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.