Prep101 - Free Writing Sample Feedback (summer 2011)

[Iluvsoccer]

Youth and innovation are sometimes more beneficial in politics than age and experience.

 

Describe a specific political situation in which age and experience were or might be more beneficial than youth and innovation. Discuss what you think determines whether youth and innovation are more beneficial that age and experience in politics.

 

In the political world, the factors such as the candidate's age and his/her's ability to formulate new ideas, play a major role in benefitting both the candidate, the candidate's party as well the public. Portraying the candidate as a young, revolutionary and dynamic leader can be of grave importance to a society that values progressive development of the various sectors such as science, business and international recognition. An example of such a candidate is President Barack Obama, who in contrast to his opposition leader John McCain, is perceived as a young and progressive leader who is willing to bring about 'change' in a society that most needs it. Despite Mr. McCain's extensive experience in the political world and his honourable service in the military, he was not considered a match to Obama's young and intellectual persona. Obama was enthusiastically received by the young generation as someone with the ability to reform their government and he provided a positive outlook on life to many. In fact, this very promising persona brough Obama's Nobel Peace Prize in 2010. Therefore, it is in young and progressive leaders like Obama that the society sees a positive future and hence, it benefits the political parties to bring forth such young and innovative leaders.

 

However, youth and innovation is not always the answer to all of society's problems. It should be noted that with age also comes the experience and understanding of the political arena that a young and inexperienced leader gravely lacks. This experience can also reflect the persistence and determination of a good leader, which is also of great importance to a society looking for a sincere and committed leader. An example of such a leader is Nelson Mandela. Having fought the system of Aparteid in South Africa, Mr. Mandela persevered over twenty years of prison sentence in the most harsh conditions. His imprisonment set a revolution in motion that ended in his release and abolishment of Aparteid in 1994. This level of commitment and dedication to his country led to his election as the President of South Africa at the age of 75. This example clearly shows that experience, which comes with age, and growing old in the field of politics can also be of great benefit to political leaders.

 

Therefore, whether youth and innovation triumphs age and experience depends upon the society the political candidate is trying to impress. In the case of Obama, the country of USA needed a leader who promised change through innovation and who showed charisma through his youthful persona and identity. On the other hand, in the case of South Africa, Mandela was a symbol of the country's struggle with Aparteid and was someone who showed commitment through years of struggle and fight against the system. Thus, it would benefit a political party to review the needs of the society and then bring forward a candidate who would fulfill the society's expectations of the ideal leader.

[Stainless0]

Youth and innovation are sometimes more beneficial in politics than age and experience.

 

It is commonly regarded that youth and their parent's generation often see things differently and maintain different viewpoints on issues. With youth comes innovative and novel ideas that often have the potential to revolutionize the world and the way things are done. Young politicians are often attacked on their lack of experience and different way of approaching problems. While the differences in style of leadership are apparent between younger and older politicians, the younger politician brings a fresh viewpoint to the table. President Kennedy was very young for a politician, but he was also one of the most popular in American history. His stance on issues in his time was quite different than those of his older colleagues and had many innovative solutions to problems he faced. He, like many other young people at the time, was fascinated with space travel and set into motion the Apollo Program, which was responsible for men landing on the moon.

 

Many people will argue that youth brings inexperience, naivety and a brashness that can be responsible for worsening problems and making mistakes. One can look at statistics in car accidents and see that many are caused by young people, who are often inexperienced drivers. In the past, many kings inherited their thrones very young and did not have the wisdom yet to rule effectively. They had to rely on older, experienced advisors to help them govern their kingdom. For example, King John of England was quite young when he inherited the throne from his brother Richard. Faced with a huge debt, his solution was to raise taxes, and ended up over taxing the people to the point that they revolted and forced him to sign a document, the Magna Carta, to essentially limit the Sovereign's power. King John did not listen to his advisors on this issue, which argued him to look for a more long term solution.

 

Despite the mistakes and inexperience of a young politician, they bring a necessary new and innovative viewpoint to national and international issues, although from time to time experienced advise should be considered. the young John Kennedy managed to start the process of landing men on the moon, which had never been done before, and was considered by many to be impossible. King John may not have made the same short sighted mistake had he considered some advise, and probably could have came up with an innovative solution to the debt crises at that time. Many world changing events and revolutionary ideas have come from young people, and often they only need a chance to demonstrate they are capable

[Sebriz]

Sometimes the creativeness and innovation of a younger generation is more effective in politics than an older generation that have experienced more and therefore are more knowledgable. When one thinks of politics, images of politicians debating and making laws come to mind but for our purposes politics is hereby defined as to be anything pertaining to policy. Innovation is the creation and application of new ideas and experience is having things happened in the past and being able to learn from them to affect the future. In Beijing's Tienemenen square in the late 1980's university students were protesting the Chinese communist parties corrupt government and had demands for the government to make more just laws. The government reacted with force and sent the army to these protesters to quite them down and extinguish fires in their hearts to stop change. The protesters felt that the governments policies were unfair and wanted their voice to be heard. It was during standoffs between protestors and army when tanks were ordered to continue into the protestors. One lone protesters, a young man who's true identity will never be known stood infront of these tanks loaded with ammunition while he was armed with only a shopping bag. A photograph was taken and this person was named one of Time magazines most influential people of the century. All this young person did was stand up for what they believe in and tried to stop the tanks from going forward to stop the protests. It is this "tank man" that inspired the protesters to continue protesting and his image continues to inspire people to fight for what they believe in. His innovative actions resulted in the protesters to not give up and although many were killed and injured and the government did not change their ways, he continues to be a symbol for standing up for ones beliefs and voicing against unfair policy.

 

Sometimes youthful innovation is not always more benificial then age and experience in politics. Rosa parks was a wise old african american lady who refused to give up her seat at the front of a bus in a time in America when colored people needed to sit at the back of the bus. It is her actions that sparked many other colored peoples standing up for their rights which lead to eventual policy change. She had many experiences with unfair policy towards her only because of the color of her skin and it was her very experience and age that gave her the courage to finally stand up for her civil rights. She became a national hero to the colored peoples and inspiration to other black leaders of the time. Like the tank man she became a symbol for her beliefs but it is her actions that actually led to change.

 

We must then decide on when youthful innovation is more important and when age and experience are more beneificial. In both examples given, ordinary people stood up to unfair policies and became symbols for their causes. Youthful innovation seems to be more useful when directly confronting oppressive governments to make a stand but because of the situation, no changes were made to politics. Therefore it is age and experience that is more necessary to create change of policy. More people trust age and experience and are scared of youthful innovation so more were able to side with Rosa Parks and stand up for what they believe in.

 

 

Anita,

I had alot of trouble writing this one and know it wasnt very good.. do you think it would have been better to use more usual answers like egypt protests or maybe a younger politician like JFK?? I wanted to try and be different but

I am not sure if it was a good idea.. I think talking about egypt and some old politician would have been alot easier to come up with a thesis and synthesis.. thoughts?? My mcat is in less then a week, should I research examples??

[pacemaker]

Hi Anita,

 

I completed the essay in time but accidently posted it in the wrong thread (the one where pastainhaler is offering a free marking service). I am posting it hear now and have also left it up in the other thread, just in case. I hope you still accept it.

 

Youth and innovation are sometimes more beneficial in politics than age and experience.

 

Describe a specific political situation in which age and experience were or might be more beneficial than youth and innovation. Discuss what you think determines whether youth and innovation are more beneficial that age and experience in politics.

 

The term innovation refers to new ideas that lead to further changes in already existing things. For instance, innovation in airplanes has led to great modification in aircrafts from the time they were first invented to today. Moreover, the term youth refers to individuals from a young generation. In politics, many believe that youth and innovation is sometimes more beneficial than age and experience. Thus, the ideas of youngsters are sometimes highly important in leading to changes and success in politics as opposed to merely ones' age and experience. For example, in the recent elections in Canada, several young candidates were elected as Members of Parliament across various ridings in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. It is believed that during this election, voters looked beyond the young age of the candidates but placed more emphasis on their interpersonal and leadership abilities. It has also been reported that many Canadians feel that these young individuals will be able to bring new ideas to the table and represent the voices of the citizens more effectively. As such, Canadians are hoping to see reform and innovation in the ways in which the country is led and in the delivery of public services such as medical care, education, public transport, welfare, pension, child care and many others.

 

On the other hand, age and experience can at times be of a greater benefit. As an individual ages, he or she is able to acquire more life experiences and knowledge of the world. As such, it is commonly thought that an older person is more likely to have greater wisdom. Therefore, in politics, this older and wiser individual may play a more important role and the two factors, namely age and experience can be highly beneficial. For example, during the fight for independance of India during the late 1940's, an important revolution was led by Mahatma Gandhi. He was an older individual who had travelled the world and had resided in South Africa for a period of time. As a result, he had acquired greater life experience and knowledge of the world. As such, factors including age, knowledge and experience played a major role in shaping his ideology and skill set. As a result, he followed a route of non-violence and was highly successful in the fight for freedom and independance for India from the British Empire.

 

In conclusion, age plays a major role in shaping ones skill set, ideologies and knowledge as it allows for greater opportunity for one to interact with the world and learn from his/her experiences. In politics, youth and innovation can have a greater advantage when one is faced with internal issues within a municipal, provincial or federal level, while there are no external forces or influences at play. This was clearly illustrated in the example of the selection of young candidiates as Members of Parliament across many different ridings in some Canadian provinces. Voters are hoping that these young individuals will be able to use their new ideas to bring reform and innovation to various sociopolitical matters. it is also important to note that such matters are solely Canadian and do not have any external forces or influences at play. In contrast, age and experience tends to be highly beneficial when the political issue involves other external forces or influences. This was clearly illustrated in the example of the fight for freedom and liberty for the citizens of India. Mahatma Gandhi led a non-violent revolution in the late 1940’s against the British Empire and was greatly successful in his goal of attaining independance for India. In his case, age and experience played a major role in shaping the way in which he led the revolution.

 

Thanks!

[Tangy]

Youth and innovation are sometimes more beneficial in politics than age and experience

 

 

Describe a specific political situation in which age and experience were or might be more beneficial than youth and innovation. Discuss what you think determines whether youth and innovation are more beneficial that age and experience in politics.

 

 

Before discussing the prompt, it is worthwhile to define a few terms. Youth consistutes citizens of the public who are eligible to vote. Innovations are new ways to deal with and solve a particular issue. Finally, politics is a branch that deals with the making of policies, representing the public in parliment - the arena of politics - and voicing their concerns.

 

With those definitions in mind, the prompt, in my opinion, seems to be discussing that it might be better sometimes to bring in a new idea or vision in parliment than to tackle issues with the same kind of mind set. The new vision would be brought by youth and their innovations, and the previous mind set would be exemplified by the senior members of parliment, who are more experienced and are obviously older than the youth. This might in fact be the case in issues that deal with education, for example. Education predominately targets children, youth and young adults. If policies are being made about education in parliment, it might be better to bring in the opinions and suggestions by the youth more so than having the discussion based on opinions of senior members. This largely stems from the fact that the youth are the target of education and they in fact have more experience than the senior with the issues in education. For instance, some youth might bring up issues in their community and education that are not met by their education district board. They might suggest new ways or initiatives that would foster a better learning environment, not only at their schools, but in their community as well. Clearly then, it would certainly be more beneficial to heed the advice of the youth in politics than senior members.

 

However, when the issues are changed to international state of affairs, such as war, it might actually be more beneficial in politics to have experienced politicians than youth. This is not to say that the youth might not have knowledge in war. Instead, when it comes to the the strategies and tactics behind dealing with wars, an experienced politician would have first hand experience with a previous war, and know how to deal with the new war. This is exemplified by the Cold war in the 1960s. The Cold war was mainly strategic and required that politicians on both side (US and Soviet Union) to be able to wistand the pressure of politics, and recognize the tactical strategies of each other. An experienced politician in international state of affairs would prove more beneficial in such a case than a new vision, brought by a youth. In this case, both parties know that their actions may lead to the destruction of the world. Thus, they need to be very tactical. There is no need for a new vision or innovation brought by the youth, since the parameteres are already set.

 

As a result, whether youth and innovation are more beneficial than age and experience in politics depends on the issue at hand. If the issue is more domestic and targets youth directly, then listening to the suggestions of the youth in politics might be more beneficial than listening to senior members, who may be more experienced in educational reforms. This is because the youth have first hand experience with the system in place, and know the downfalls and how they could possibly fix them. However, when the issue is more international, requiring the need of the politician to have a strong grasp on how other nations think and act, then age and experience might be more beneficial in politics. This was exemplified by the cold war, where strategies, tactics, and having an idea of what the other party is plotting is more beneficial than a new, fresh opinion by the youth.

 

Thank you very much for your help

[anitarama]

Score: 4.5/6

 

Task 1 (Supporting): Great explanation of the prompt and supporting example.

 

Task 2 (Refuting): This paragraph is a little weaker, as you seem to bounce around from various examples rather than focusing on one, which tends to be a useful approach.

 

Task 3 (Resolution): Very good resolution criteria, but try to link directly back to the two examples you have used to further drive home the point.

 

Youth and innovation are sometimes more beneficial in politics than age and experience.

 

Politics often comes down to popularity vote: who can connect the most with the general population. The politician who wins the election is benefited the most: in addition having the privilege of representing the people, he has the responsibility to make decision. This responsibility, though burdensome at times, earns respect of the people, not to mention the hefty pensions. The connection with the general population that every politician yearns for comes from the ability of the politician to recognize the needs and desires of the population, who may yet be unaware of their own needs. In a sense, the politician is trying to decipher the cries of a baby who cannot voice out its own desire. Therefore, if a politician can clearly draw a pathway of achieving the desired change, he/she will win the popular vote. At times when the solution to the problem is not yet clear, it helps to be young and innovative. This is because the youth has not yet been confined by the norms of the society, and has a better ability to think of possibilities, which other may have precluded due to their boxed in thinking. For example, Benazir Bhutto, who became the Prime Minister of Pakistan at the young age of 30, realized that in order to stabilize Pakistan’s economy, Afghanistan needs to be financially sound as well due to the strong financial dependence of the two countries at that time. In order to accomplish this goal, she worked with the Talibans: a group of individuals who were not politically distinguished. She aimed to create ties between the two countries using normal human beings, not political figures; an approach quite contrary to ones taken by her predecessors. Though this out-of-the-box thinking may be attributed to various factors, her education in Harvard University (US) was certainly a factor promoting such innovation. It was this non-conventional thinking that helped her get elected in 2003 and come back to Pakistan in 2007 for a re-election.

 

However, youth and innovation are not always practical. An idea can sound great on paper but can be very difficult to enact – famous example: communism in USSR. In addition, when time is limited, being innovative is not the safe bet. Being innovative means taking the risk to fail and try again with a new strategy – this requires time, which not always at the politician’s disposal. For example, Barack Obama was elected at the age of 48 for his experience, which had gained through years of service. It was due to his experience that the promises he made to fix the ‘broken’ U.S. economy were believed by the general population allowing his to get elected. From this example, it is clear that his experience was a main factor in him getting elected because people needed results urgently – they need the economy to prosper today, not ten years from now.

 

In conclusion, it can be said that whether youth and innovation are important in benefitting the politician depend on the whether the needs that the people see as most important are urgent. If there is urgency is the popular need, youth and innovation present too much of a risk, which will not attract any votes. However, if the politician has time and resources that he can use to address an important (not urgent) need, innovation will be welcomed by the general public. Thus, to be able to benefit by being elected, a politician needs to understand not only the needs of the general population, but also the nature of those needs.

[anitarama]

Score: 4.5/6

 

Task 1 (Supporting): Good example given, but try to not jump right into your example's details before giving some sort of prepatory introduction about the prompt.

 

Task 2 (Refuting): This is another well-explained example. I would try to stay away from using the same example as both supporting and refuting, as showing off knowledge about two different political events in the essay in fact makes you look more impressive, rather than knowing one example really well.

 

Task 3 (Resolution): Very good Resolution Paragraph.

 

Youth and innovation are sometimes more beneficial in politics than age and experience

 

The Iranian Revolution of 1979 certainly benefitted from the involvement of youth. This Revolution occured after it became common knowledge among Iranians that American and British intelligence agencies had put the incumbent Shah in power, through a covert operation to remove the democratically-elected President Mohammed Mosadeq in 1953. The Shah did not go away easily, however, as revolutionary forces fought state military for several weeks in grusome gureilla warfare in the streets of Tehran. A majority of the participants in the physical battles and general social movement prior to the revolution consisted of Iranian youth. Though the senior members of the Iranian population had also become aware of the Western involvement in the coup to give power to the Shah, many more Iranians between the ages of 18-35 joined the physical and political struggle to remove him from power.

 

However, that is not to say that youthful exuberance is always optimal in state politics. The key is that in times of political stability, there is much to gain from the wisdom of experienced leaders, who are naturally elderstatesmen in society. For example, the same Iranian Revolution that was spearheaded by the public youth, led to the appointment of Ayotollah Khomeini as the Supreme Leader of Iran. After revolutionary forces had captured the capital, a national referendum voted almost unanomously in favor of the establishment of an Islamic Republic, headed by religious leaders such as Khomeini. The selection of Khomeini to lead the country after the revolution was based on his numerous years of experience as a Islamic student and teacher, and thus suitability guide Iran on its new path.

 

In determining the importance of youth versus experience in politics, then, we can consider the nature of political task at hand to be paramount. When the state government needs drastic upheavels and a whole new political mindset, youth involvement is vital. This is because a change of this nature often requires physical combat, and a youthful exuberance that is in some ways lost with age. We can see that the Iranian Revolution contained a disproportionate number of younger members of society, and can also observe the same trends in current revolutions throughout the Middle East, which are also led by youth participation. However, experience and wisdom collected through years of experience are naturally an advantage for any leader, which is why most elected politicians are over the age of 40. We see that in the appointment of Ayotollah Khomeini and even the election of American Presidents who are often between the ages of 40 and 55.

[anitarama]

Score: 4.5/6

 

Task 1 (Supporting): You have explained the prompt well, but perhaps need to go more into a little bit more depth as to how Chretien's experience was beneficial.

 

Task 2 (Refuting): Good explanation and example.

 

Task 3 (Resolution): Your Resolution Paragraph was very strong.

 

Miscellaneous: Note that you have in fact gone about the tasks in the opposite manner, by refuting the prompt in your first paragraph and supporting it in your second.

 

Youth and innovation are sometimes more beneficial in politics than age and experience.

 

Task #1:

Experience is a valuable asset that demonstrates to other people how capable an individual is of a certain skill. Experience is indeed very important in politics, but experience does not come without time. Politicians who have more years under their belt benefit generously because of the public’s trust in what they are able to achieve. For example, Jean Chretien is a very experienced politician of whom Canadian Liberals deeply trust. They trust him because they know he has done the job before, and has done the job well. Being a politician is a very difficult task, because the politician must adhere to their promises made during their campaign to a maximal degree in order to remain popular. Chretien remained popular among Canadians because of his ability to lead and keep most of his promises in budget-balancing. Genuine honesty, leadership and compromise definitely give the more experienced leaders an advantage in a political world.

 

Task #2:

Nonetheless, there are some situations where age and experience might not necessarily benefit. When a recurring problem cannot be solved using conventional means, innovation is required. Innovation can be defined as a method of obtaining new solutions using ideas and creativity. An example would be energy resources and how Obama dealt with the issue. The means by which energy is acquired is problematic because of how more conventional means such as fossil fuels are becoming scarcer. Fossil fuels also yield harmful gaseous waste which contribute to global warming – which ring the bells for innovation. Obama, a comparatively younger politician than Jean Chretien, has a mindset which cherishes innovation. It is evident that this is so because he promised to the public that he would increase the percentage of renewable energy production to 10%. He has already fulfilled this promise and still remains popular among the public. Therefore, this is a situation where youth and innovation may bring about more benefits than age and experience.

 

Task #3:

Experience and innovation can also go hand in hand with each other – there is no reason that one should exclude the other. It cannot be doubted that in order to become elected as a politician, they must have had some level of experience. This experience can be acquired whether the politician is old or young, and it increases with age. The answer to whether youth and innovation or age and experience would benefit more in the political world, then, lies in the problem and in public trust. Is the problem something that can be solved using conventional experience, such as through budget-balancing? Or is the problem age-old that demands innovation, such as through investing in renewable energy? Trust is earned through experience because time is required for the public to build that trust, through observing the politician and their capabilities. A mixture of both experience and innovation most benefits a politician, because experience gives them the background to tackle more conventional problems, and innovation gives them new solutions to tackle previously unsolved problems. Ultimately, a politician that has both is the most successful and will benefit the most.

[anitarama]

Score: 4/6

 

Task 1 (Supporting): Very well-defined relevant terms. Your example would have been stronger had you delved into what issues the young vs. elder candidate differed upon. There needs to be more detail in your example, especially if it is a personal recounting.

 

Task 2 (Refuting): You have mentioned an example where experience is a must, but have not gone on to give a reason or specific president where the age factor was then beneficial.

 

Task 3 (Resolution): Your resolution criteria was very well-explained.

 

Miscellaneous: Sometimes we get prompts that we struggle with, but that could happen on the MCAT too, so always make sure you try your best on every prompt you do and complete all three tasks to the best of your ability.

 

In order to determine the meaning of the above statement, the keywords "innovation", "beneficial", and "politics" must be discussed. Youth and innovation refers to the idea that young adults may be more likely to bring new, unique ideas as part of their political campaign. They may recently have become eligible to run for some sort of political position, and the statement is asserting that these young individuals are likely to be coupled with innovation - ideas that have not been discussed in the past. In order to be beneficial, the innovations these youth bring generally have to improve the quality of life for the public which they are attempting to serve. An improvement in the quality of life may come from passing new laws or generating circumstances which are more likely to increase productivity of the area and promote new jobs. Politics refers to being part of the government in order to serve the group of individuals who live in the area one is being elected in. Youth and innovation are contrasted with age and experience. A person who is older, has been an adult for some time and perhaps has more political experience as well as career experience is considered someone who has "age and experience". Overall, the statement is asserting that young individuals with new ideas may be more helpful to the populace than an older person with more experience.

 

An example can be discussed regarding my home-town when I was 8 years old. During an election for mayor, there were two major candidates. One was a young female and the other was a much older man who likely had more career experience. The older man ended up losing the election because he did not actually bring any new ideas and did not want to change things that the populace was unhappy with. On the other hand, the young individual was able to clearly convey refreshing and unique ideas to improve the quality of life in our town, and in doing so, garnered many of the votes of the population. These votes translated to being elected, where she was able to enact some of these ideas and in general improve the quality of life, which means that her ideas were beneficial to the community.

 

However, age and experience may not always be less beneficial than youth and innovation. For example, consider the fact that the Presidency of the United States has to be of a certain age. In other words, there is a minimum age to be considered for election as the President, and anyone younger than this age is unable to be elected until he/she is old enough. It is unlikely that this age limitation has been done for no reason; instead it is probably because the government has decided that age and experience are more important and will ultimately be more helpful to the country rather than youth and innovation. This is why no young adult is able to run for the Presidency of the US, even though they may have radical unique ideas. This age restriction is showing that the Presidency requires age and experience rather than youthful innovative ideas.

 

In order to determine whether youth and innovation are more beneficial to age and experience in politics, the position that the candidates are running for must be considered. In my hometown with a relatively low population, an individual was elected for mayor partially due to her new innovative ideas. This position encompasses being the leader of a small amount of people, and therefore the consequences of this election are not particularly important to the world at large. On the other hand, regarding the Presidency of the US: the population encompasses over 300 million individuals, and has a large impact on the rest of the world as well. This being the case, youth and innovation may not be as welcomed for this position. In fact, this is precisely why a young individual cannot run for the Presidency - the lack of experience is more harmful than innovation is helpful. If a position that a candidate runs for does not have a major impact or does not affect a large population, it is possible that youth and innovation can prevail over age and experience. This would lead to the improvement of the community based on these ideas and therefore be beneficial. On the other hand, if a position involves being the leader of many people and affecting countries all over the world, it is far less likely that a youthful individual with little experience would be elected, if he/she were even allowed to run.

[tsuki_123]

Score: 4.5/6

 

Task 1 (Supporting): You have explained the prompt well, but perhaps need to go more into a little bit more depth as to how Chretien's experience was beneficial.

 

Task 2 (Refuting): Good explanation and example.

 

Task 3 (Resolution): Your Resolution Paragraph was very strong.

 

Miscellaneous: Note that you have in fact gone about the tasks in the opposite manner, by refuting the prompt in your first paragraph and supporting it in your second.

 

Thank you so much for your feedback, Anita. Would starting on the second task instead of the first task jeopardize my marks on the real MCAT?

[anitarama]

Score: 4/6

 

Task 1 (Supporting): Good examples, though two examples were not necessary as you made your point with the first. Try to leave some time to proofread as well.

 

Task 2 (Refuting): Good example, perhaps more details about the Russian revolution such as the names of experienced politicians involved.

 

Task 3 (Resolution): Very good resolution.

 

Miscellaneous: Always set aside a few minutes to proofread. Remember to capitalize the name of countries.

 

Youth and innovation are sometimes more beneficial in politics than age and experience.

 

Describe a specific political situation in which age and experience were or might be more beneficial than youth and innovation.

Discuss what you think determines whether youth and innovation are more beneficial that age and experience in politics.

 

 

 

The Youth are always encourged to express their ideas because many believe that the youth are much more better at innovation. Innovation is the process of thinking of totally new or alternate ways of doing something. That idea can very from being a machine to being an abstract idea such as politics. In Politics, the youth are often encourged to vote and to take an active part, because they are believed to be the most innovative. History has shown us that if a youth takes an active part in politics, that is the governing of a state, then that youth can achieve the unachievable. Take recent uprisings in the Middle East as an example. Many Middle Eastern nations were being governed by dictators for much of the 20th and 21st centuary, but the revolution created by the youth put a halt to the rule of these dictators. The youths used their innovation to turn the nation of egypt into a democracy, and they forced the dictator to resign. They questioned the way their country was ruled and argued the dictators. They also used innovative ways to achieve the victory that the nation needed. They did things such as posting information on facebook, which increased their support substantially. From this they also gained the support of the UN as well as the support of many countries who halted trade with the dictator of Egypt and placed sanctions on trade from that country. All of these things forced said dictator to resign. Without the youth, Egypt and many other countries may never be free.

 

Another excellent example is the revolution conducted by Ghanghis Khan. The youngest of the family, Ghanghis Khan was able to unite all the other Khans (kings) of Monoglia to form a formidable force. He used that force to conquar much of asia, eastern europe, the middle east and parts of africa. His empire once ran from China, to Hungary to Pakistan and to Turkey. He started at a very young age, by age 19, he was considered the king of mongolia. His innovation was to unite all the different clans of Mongolia so that they can beat their enemies, the chinese. This innovative thinking was never possible by the aged kings of those clans. Many examples such as these have created an idea that the youth are much more innovative than we give them credit for, and for these reasons, many people want the youths to take part in politics.

 

Often times, the youth are very good at creating the innovative ideas to produce a revolution, but when it comes to development, the age and the experience of a politician is precieved to be of much more importance. When the soviet union had just turned from a communist economy to a capitalist economy, the innovative youth was redundent in the policy making. Though these innovative youths were the core of the actual revolution, they were not very useful when it came to creating policies for the new russia.At that point in time, the experienced economists had taken over, and they were providing much of the policies of the new russia. The youths innovation though was very useful when the revolution was to be initiated, it was useless after the communist government was taken down. The age and experience of those politicians was very useful when it came to making policies about the education system,trade, housing and employment. Without the experience, Russia would have taken much longer to get back on its feet. Russia was back to being one of the top economy in just 10 years after the fall of communism. Had the youths been in power and used their radicalistic ideas, Russia would take much longer to get back up and might have even been in a worse position than what it is now.

 

It can be argued that both the innovative youth and the experienced man are necessary to have a good political system. The innovative youth is much more important when a change or a revolution is needed such as those in the middle east. The youths of egypt used their innovative ideas to bring down the government of their dictator. Ghanghis Khan also used innovative thinking to beat their rivels, the chinese. These events would not be possible had there been an aged experienced person in charge. They would have a hard time comming up with innovative ideas because their experience would always hinder them. The Experienced man is however necessary when it comes to developing a nation such as the nation after the fall of soviet russia. The aged and experience filled politicians took over when the communist party was brought down. These experienced politicians were absolutely necessary to provide russia with policies that helped russia get back up in just a matter of 10 years. Thus when it comes to developing a nation and building a sustainable economy, the age and experience of a politician is of much more importance.

[bored]

Score: 4/6

 

Task 1 (Supporting): Good examples, though two examples were not necessary as you made your point with the first. Try to leave some time to proofread as well.

 

Task 2 (Refuting): Good example, perhaps more details about the Russian revolution such as the names of experienced politicians involved.

 

Task 3 (Resolution): Very good resolution.

 

Miscellaneous: Always set aside a few minutes to proofread. Remember to capitalize the name of countries.

 

Thanks a lot for editing. Am I just losing points for the grammer, formatting and spelling errors? (ie would I have been a 5-6 had I proffread properly and had I used batter language?)

[anitarama]

Score: 5/6

 

Task 1 (Supporting): Very interesting and well-explained supporting argument.

 

Task 2 (Refuting): Another great example.

 

Task 3 (Resolution): Your resolution is strong as well.

 

Miscellaneous: I think that you might have lost 0.5 for not having those last two sentences. If you are spending a considerably longer amount of time on the first paragraph, force yourself to only spend 10 minutes on it and no more. At first, during practice, you might find that you don't finish it, or you may even find that at the end you have some minutes to finish it up. Either way, the timing aspect of the Writing Sample has all to do with multiple run-throughs and forcing yourself not to linger on one task.

 

Young and innovative ideas can be very useful in political decision making. There are many age-old strategies and criteria for how to deal with the social issues that the government faces, but even the standard procedures that have resulted from the experiences of previous governments are sometimes bad ways of making decisions. For example, over the past decade scientists have found increasing evidence that the earth is undergoing a climate change. As a result of greenhouse gas emission more and more of the infrared light that the sun provides to heat the earth is being trapped in the earth’s atmosphere. However, beginning in 2008 the world has entered a significant economic recession. Governments all of the world have had to make difficult political decisions about how to prevent climate change while at the same time, working to stimulate their economies. Preventing a climate change is important for future generations, but it is difficult for nations to treat this problem seriously when the immediate threat of an economic recession presses upon them. The standard response which governments have been giving for years to the issue of climate change is that it is a secondary issue and governments should focus on stimulating their nation’s economy first. An innovative approach to this problem was implemented in Germany by Chancellor Angela Merkel. Her government proposed that they should stimulate their economy by manufacturing green energy products such as solar panels and windmills which generate electricity. This was an approach that had never been done before and it succeeded in aiding the Germany economy as well as placing Germany as a leader in green energy technology.

 

However, in some cases it is more useful to incorporate the strategies that previous governments have used. Healthcare is an important service which is funded by the Canadian government. Over the years Canada has been led by different political parties, but each party has stood by the importance of providing universal healthcare. Although there are problems with the healthcare system, such as a lack of doctors and long wait times for surgeries, the system has not experienced any significant changes in the last decade. Because the service has been provided for such a long time and functions well enough that Canadian voters are satisfied, the government has been wise to continue implementing the same strategies and ideas that have been used in the past ten years.

 

Whether or not new ideas are more beneficial in political procedures than long-standing ideas depends on the newness of the political issue being discussed. New political problems, such as how to tackle an economic recession while at the same time preventing climate change, need innovative ideas because such an issue has never been dealt with before. Political problems which governments have successfully dealt with in the past can best benefit from reliable strategies which have been used before. The key in political decision making is to find a balance between new ideas which could be risky and reliable ideas which have always been fairly successful in the past.

[anitarama]

Score: 4/6

 

Task 1 (Supporting): Good explanation and first example.

 

Task 2 (Refuting): This example needs a lot more fleshing out to explain a specific circumstance where age and experience was beneficial. You only briefly mentioned members of parliament.

 

Task 3 (Resolution): Your resolution was good.

 

Youth and innovation are sometimes more beneficial in politics than age and experience.

 

 

Charisma, class and creativity? Experience or expertise? What traits are the most beneficial to be a successful politician? Being young at heart and free in a creative sense is necessary for shaping someone who is unafraid to go out on a limb and be the leader of a new front. The current President of the United States, Barrack Obama is exactly this. His whole campaign was about making a change. Not afraid to stand out against previous presidents, Barrack implemented many changes as soon as he came into office. For one, within his first week in power, he abolished Guantanamo Bay, which George Bush had implemented as an offsite campus for detaining prisoners of the Afghanistan war. Irrelevant of who was in prison, he knew they were being treated unfairly and basic human rights were ignored. Privacy was being invaded and people were not given the basic nourishment to survive. Obama did not let himself stay bogged down in other tasks and watch this go on. Instead, he took a stand and made a change.

 

Some may argue however, that age and experience are more important as a result of the norm in society to ‘respect your elders’ and ‘the old know best.’ Individuals who have lived longer have had a greater chance to learn from their previous experience what moves have been successful and which have not. As a result, they are able to use this knowledge to their advantage. This is at least part of the logic behind having a minimum age requirement to apply to be a member of parliament.

 

It is often difficult to determine what traits will be the most practical in various political situations. Age is not the only important factor. The key lies in what the politicians are trying to implement. Youth and innovation is important for one to step outside of the boundaries laid by previous figures and implement a change. Obama did just this as he stood out against George Bush and took down Guantanamo Bay. However, age and experience are more beneficial in the event where a similar scenario has occurred previously in history such that an individual is able to use prior information to their advantage.

[anitarama]

Score: 4.5/6

 

Task 1 (Supporting): Very good example, explained in detail.

 

Task 2 (Refuting): Another good example given.

 

Task 3 (Resolution): This paragraph is not as strong, as there is not a clear criteria defined as to when innovation is beneficial and when experience is beneficial. You have described the different ways in which both would deal with the same problems. Try to make your criteria obvious to the reader.

 

Youth and innovation are sometimes more beneficial in politics than age and experience.

 

Describe a specific political situation in which age and experience were or might be more beneficial than youth and innovation. Discuss what you think determines whether youth and innovation are more beneficial that age and experience in politics.

 

The role of the politician in a representative government such as America is to represent the people who elected him. Once elected, the politician is to run the government in a way that serves the needs and wants of the people. To do this job effectively, the politician must listen to what the people want and act accordingly to fulfill their wishes. An inexperienced politician may have the innovative means to reach out to his people. An example of this would be the incumbent President Barack Obama. Having recently turned 50 years of age, Obama is one of the younger people to hold the position as the head of executive office. Yet his youthfulness comes hand in hand with his innovative methods to reach out to the American people. President Obama relies on technology to better assess what the American people have to say. He is the first president to have a Twitter account, where he occasionally writes messages to the American public and answers questions that Americans ask him. This form of media gives an unprecedented method for the president to interact with the American people. Obama stands to benefit from this innovative way to communicate with the American people by having an additional means to better understand what the people want and what he can do to help them. Therefore, it is clear that Obama's youthfulness gives him the ability to utilize novel methods to do his job better.

 

However, it is Obama's youthfulness that also makes him inexperienced with dealing with political issues. On the other hand, the current governor of California is Jerry Brown. This is the second time that Brown has been elected the governor of California. He led his past political campaign on the successes of his previous term as governor. Brown claimed that he will take what he learned during his first term as governor to help California fix its fiscal deficit issue. The Californian voters believe that Mr. Brown's previous term as governor gives him invaluable experience to lead California again. Mr. Brown has the experience to know that a cut to the University of California's budget is necessary to keep the state's budget balanced. A younger governor may be too cautious to make such drastic cuts.

 

In conclusion, while an inexperienced politician stands to benefit from his innovative methods to come up with methods to better reach out to the American people, it is age and experience that allows a veteran politician handle problems that have happened in the past. The older politician can rely on his past experiences to learn from his mistakes and build on his strengths to better deal with a situation that has happened before. However, the inexperienced politician will be dealing with the same issue without any prior personal experience to learn from. He will be more likely to make mistakes and not resolve the issue as effectively because it will be his first encounter with the problem. The younger politican benefits from his inexperience only when he has to tackle issues that require innovation.

[anitarama]

Score: 5/6

 

Task 1 (Supporting): This is a great example that you have explained thoroughly and in depth.

 

Task 2 (Refuting): Another excellent example, well-explained.

 

Task 3 (Resolution): I feel this resolution could have been expanded upon. Your essay is really strong, but your criteria was not as well-developed as it could have been.

 

Youth and innovation are sometimes more beneficial in politics than age and experience.

 

Describe a specific political situation in which age and experience were or might be more beneficial than youth and innovation. Discuss what you think determines whether youth and innovation are more beneficial that age and experience in politics.

 

In the political world, the factors such as the candidate's age and his/her's ability to formulate new ideas, play a major role in benefitting both the candidate, the candidate's party as well the public. Portraying the candidate as a young, revolutionary and dynamic leader can be of grave importance to a society that values progressive development of the various sectors such as science, business and international recognition. An example of such a candidate is President Barack Obama, who in contrast to his opposition leader John McCain, is perceived as a young and progressive leader who is willing to bring about 'change' in a society that most needs it. Despite Mr. McCain's extensive experience in the political world and his honourable service in the military, he was not considered a match to Obama's young and intellectual persona. Obama was enthusiastically received by the young generation as someone with the ability to reform their government and he provided a positive outlook on life to many. In fact, this very promising persona brough Obama's Nobel Peace Prize in 2010. Therefore, it is in young and progressive leaders like Obama that the society sees a positive future and hence, it benefits the political parties to bring forth such young and innovative leaders.

 

However, youth and innovation is not always the answer to all of society's problems. It should be noted that with age also comes the experience and understanding of the political arena that a young and inexperienced leader gravely lacks. This experience can also reflect the persistence and determination of a good leader, which is also of great importance to a society looking for a sincere and committed leader. An example of such a leader is Nelson Mandela. Having fought the system of Aparteid in South Africa, Mr. Mandela persevered over twenty years of prison sentence in the most harsh conditions. His imprisonment set a revolution in motion that ended in his release and abolishment of Aparteid in 1994. This level of commitment and dedication to his country led to his election as the President of South Africa at the age of 75. This example clearly shows that experience, which comes with age, and growing old in the field of politics can also be of great benefit to political leaders.

 

Therefore, whether youth and innovation triumphs age and experience depends upon the society the political candidate is trying to impress. In the case of Obama, the country of USA needed a leader who promised change through innovation and who showed charisma through his youthful persona and identity. On the other hand, in the case of South Africa, Mandela was a symbol of the country's struggle with Aparteid and was someone who showed commitment through years of struggle and fight against the system. Thus, it would benefit a political party to review the needs of the society and then bring forward a candidate who would fulfill the society's expectations of the ideal leader.

[anitarama]

Score: 5/6

 

Task 1 (Supporting): Well-explained example and exploration of the prompt.

 

Task 2 (Refuting): Your King John example is strong, but your brief mention of car accidents distracts from the point you are trying to make.

 

Task 3 (Resolution): This is a good resolution principle that links back to your two examples well.

 

Youth and innovation are sometimes more beneficial in politics than age and experience.

 

It is commonly regarded that youth and their parent's generation often see things differently and maintain different viewpoints on issues. With youth comes innovative and novel ideas that often have the potential to revolutionize the world and the way things are done. Young politicians are often attacked on their lack of experience and different way of approaching problems. While the differences in style of leadership are apparent between younger and older politicians, the younger politician brings a fresh viewpoint to the table. President Kennedy was very young for a politician, but he was also one of the most popular in American history. His stance on issues in his time was quite different than those of his older colleagues and had many innovative solutions to problems he faced. He, like many other young people at the time, was fascinated with space travel and set into motion the Apollo Program, which was responsible for men landing on the moon.

 

Many people will argue that youth brings inexperience, naivety and a brashness that can be responsible for worsening problems and making mistakes. One can look at statistics in car accidents and see that many are caused by young people, who are often inexperienced drivers. In the past, many kings inherited their thrones very young and did not have the wisdom yet to rule effectively. They had to rely on older, experienced advisors to help them govern their kingdom. For example, King John of England was quite young when he inherited the throne from his brother Richard. Faced with a huge debt, his solution was to raise taxes, and ended up over taxing the people to the point that they revolted and forced him to sign a document, the Magna Carta, to essentially limit the Sovereign's power. King John did not listen to his advisors on this issue, which argued him to look for a more long term solution.

 

Despite the mistakes and inexperience of a young politician, they bring a necessary new and innovative viewpoint to national and international issues, although from time to time experienced advise should be considered. the young John Kennedy managed to start the process of landing men on the moon, which had never been done before, and was considered by many to be impossible. King John may not have made the same short sighted mistake had he considered some advise, and probably could have came up with an innovative solution to the debt crises at that time. Many world changing events and revolutionary ideas have come from young people, and often they only need a chance to demonstrate they are capable

[anitarama]

Score: 5/6

 

Task 1 (Supporting): Great job defining from the outset what "politics" would mean in this essay. Your example is strong as well.

 

Task 2 (Refuting): Another good example. Remember the Proper Nouns need to be capitalized.

 

Task 3 (Resolution): This is not the strongest resolution criteria, as you mentioned, but perhaps if you had gone more in depth about the idea of policy vs. non-policy changes, it would hav worked just fine.

 

Miscellaneous: Using different examples than the typical usually works to your advantage. The best advice I can give you is to write what you know about and not necessarily run around researching a ton of events you are not familiar with. If you haven't already, make a list of some examples you feel comfortable writing about in different areas they could ask about (eg. pop culture, politics, science, etc.) and then if you want to fill in some detail gaps you can look those specific points up to add something extra to your examples.

 

Sometimes the creativeness and innovation of a younger generation is more effective in politics than an older generation that have experienced more and therefore are more knowledgable. When one thinks of politics, images of politicians debating and making laws come to mind but for our purposes politics is hereby defined as to be anything pertaining to policy. Innovation is the creation and application of new ideas and experience is having things happened in the past and being able to learn from them to affect the future. In Beijing's Tienemenen square in the late 1980's university students were protesting the Chinese communist parties corrupt government and had demands for the government to make more just laws. The government reacted with force and sent the army to these protesters to quite them down and extinguish fires in their hearts to stop change. The protesters felt that the governments policies were unfair and wanted their voice to be heard. It was during standoffs between protestors and army when tanks were ordered to continue into the protestors. One lone protesters, a young man who's true identity will never be known stood infront of these tanks loaded with ammunition while he was armed with only a shopping bag. A photograph was taken and this person was named one of Time magazines most influential people of the century. All this young person did was stand up for what they believe in and tried to stop the tanks from going forward to stop the protests. It is this "tank man" that inspired the protesters to continue protesting and his image continues to inspire people to fight for what they believe in. His innovative actions resulted in the protesters to not give up and although many were killed and injured and the government did not change their ways, he continues to be a symbol for standing up for ones beliefs and voicing against unfair policy.

 

Sometimes youthful innovation is not always more benificial then age and experience in politics. Rosa parks was a wise old african american lady who refused to give up her seat at the front of a bus in a time in America when colored people needed to sit at the back of the bus. It is her actions that sparked many other colored peoples standing up for their rights which lead to eventual policy change. She had many experiences with unfair policy towards her only because of the color of her skin and it was her very experience and age that gave her the courage to finally stand up for her civil rights. She became a national hero to the colored peoples and inspiration to other black leaders of the time. Like the tank man she became a symbol for her beliefs but it is her actions that actually led to change.

 

We must then decide on when youthful innovation is more important and when age and experience are more beneificial. In both examples given, ordinary people stood up to unfair policies and became symbols for their causes. Youthful innovation seems to be more useful when directly confronting oppressive governments to make a stand but because of the situation, no changes were made to politics. Therefore it is age and experience that is more necessary to create change of policy. More people trust age and experience and are scared of youthful innovation so more were able to side with Rosa Parks and stand up for what they believe in.

[anitarama]

Score: 5/6

 

Task 1 (Supporting): Good example. The definitions are good, but there is no need to mention aircrafts.

 

Task 2 (Refuting): Well-explained example.

 

Task 3 (Resolution): Your criteria is good and links back to the examples given.

 

Youth and innovation are sometimes more beneficial in politics than age and experience.

 

Describe a specific political situation in which age and experience were or might be more beneficial than youth and innovation. Discuss what you think determines whether youth and innovation are more beneficial that age and experience in politics.

 

The term innovation refers to new ideas that lead to further changes in already existing things. For instance, innovation in airplanes has led to great modification in aircrafts from the time they were first invented to today. Moreover, the term youth refers to individuals from a young generation. In politics, many believe that youth and innovation is sometimes more beneficial than age and experience. Thus, the ideas of youngsters are sometimes highly important in leading to changes and success in politics as opposed to merely ones' age and experience. For example, in the recent elections in Canada, several young candidates were elected as Members of Parliament across various ridings in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. It is believed that during this election, voters looked beyond the young age of the candidates but placed more emphasis on their interpersonal and leadership abilities. It has also been reported that many Canadians feel that these young individuals will be able to bring new ideas to the table and represent the voices of the citizens more effectively. As such, Canadians are hoping to see reform and innovation in the ways in which the country is led and in the delivery of public services such as medical care, education, public transport, welfare, pension, child care and many others.

 

On the other hand, age and experience can at times be of a greater benefit. As an individual ages, he or she is able to acquire more life experiences and knowledge of the world. As such, it is commonly thought that an older person is more likely to have greater wisdom. Therefore, in politics, this older and wiser individual may play a more important role and the two factors, namely age and experience can be highly beneficial. For example, during the fight for independance of India during the late 1940's, an important revolution was led by Mahatma Gandhi. He was an older individual who had travelled the world and had resided in South Africa for a period of time. As a result, he had acquired greater life experience and knowledge of the world. As such, factors including age, knowledge and experience played a major role in shaping his ideology and skill set. As a result, he followed a route of non-violence and was highly successful in the fight for freedom and independance for India from the British Empire.

 

In conclusion, age plays a major role in shaping ones skill set, ideologies and knowledge as it allows for greater opportunity for one to interact with the world and learn from his/her experiences. In politics, youth and innovation can have a greater advantage when one is faced with internal issues within a municipal, provincial or federal level, while there are no external forces or influences at play. This was clearly illustrated in the example of the selection of young candidiates as Members of Parliament across many different ridings in some Canadian provinces. Voters are hoping that these young individuals will be able to use their new ideas to bring reform and innovation to various sociopolitical matters. it is also important to note that such matters are solely Canadian and do not have any external forces or influences at play. In contrast, age and experience tends to be highly beneficial when the political issue involves other external forces or influences. This was clearly illustrated in the example of the fight for freedom and liberty for the citizens of India. Mahatma Gandhi led a non-violent revolution in the late 1940’s against the British Empire and was greatly successful in his goal of attaining independance for India. In his case, age and experience played a major role in shaping the way in which he led the revolution.

[anitarama]

Thanks a lot for editing. Am I just losing points for the grammer, formatting and spelling errors? (ie would I have been a 5-6 had I proffread properly and had I used batter language?)

 

I mentioned a few reasons in the given tasks as to why you had lost points for that specific essay. That along with the need for better language had you scoring a 4.

[anitarama]

Thank you so much for your feedback, Anita. Would starting on the second task instead of the first task jeopardize my marks on the real MCAT?

 

Good question. I feel that it would cost you marks, as it may reflect to the reader that you did not follow instructions. How much you would looks would be dependent on the specific marker, but since they read so many of these essays on the same prompt, it would be a noticable difference.

[anitarama]

Lies are often less harmful than the truth.

 

Describe a specific situation in which the truth might be less harmful than lies. Discuss what you think determines whether or not lies are less harmful than the truth.

 

Instructions

In 30 minutes, write an essay for the prompt and instructions above and post your essay in this thread.

 

Use the Notepad accessory on your computer so word processing functions are turned off.

 

Note: Do not read other essays replying to this prompt on the Forum until after you have written and submitted your own essay.

 

Scorer

Anita Ramakrishna is a medical student at McMaster University

 

Deadline

11:59pm Friday August 12.

 

Essays posted after the deadline will not be scored but a new Prompt will be posted on Saturday August 13.

[Iluvsoccer]

Thanks a lot for the feedback Anita

 

 

Score: 5/6

 

Task 1 (Supporting): This is a great example that you have explained thoroughly and in depth.

 

Task 2 (Refuting): Another excellent example, well-explained.

 

Task 3 (Resolution): I feel this resolution could have been expanded upon. Your essay is really strong, but your criteria was not as well-developed as it could have been.

[Erokay]

Thanks a lot Anita for the feedback

 

Lies are often less harmful than the truth.

 

 

A lie can be defined as a distortion of reality. As can be imagined the intent of a lie is to hide the truth in order to avoid undesirable consequences that would have resulted if the truth was known. Though it is often taught to children that honesty is the best policy, there are many times, when telling the truth creates unnecessary problems. This happens when telling the truth does not add to the understanding of a person. If the understanding of a person is not affected by the truth, then in that case, often ignorance is indeed bliss. What is the use of reality or truth when it will not change one’s opinion from when he/she had not known the truth. In this situation, instead of being useful truth can indeed harm a person. For example, if after Darwin’s theory of evolution, which was considered to be proof that: human beings are not special in this world, and there human beings’ existence was a mere fluke. This brought the existence of God into doubt. However, did this deduction help the average human being? The fact that God does not exist (considering Darwin’s Theory) only deprived people of hope. As human beings, we look for someone who is greater than our own existence and that powerful being is the source of our hope – a miracle. However, if an average person is deprived of this due to the truth of the matter, he/she will lose all hope, and then life just becomes a string of breaths. In this case, it would have been better to lie to the general public and to let them continue to believe in God, so that they can continue to hope – what is the point of knowing that Darwin’s theory implies that no God exists when all that does is deprive one of hope.

 

However, lies are not always less harmful than the truth. There can be times when honesty is indeed the best policy. For example, the CEO of Philip Morris (a tobacco company in U.S.), after pledging to speak the truth, said that he believes nicotine is not addictive. This is an obvious lie that he is telling in order to benefit himself. Who knows how many barely literate people would have bought cigarettes based on this man’s lie, and set themselves up for a road that leads to lung cancer and premature death. This lie has provided information that makes people justified for doing something that is known to be harmful. In this case, the lie is of course harmful as it is concealing information from the public that will allow them to make an informed and educated decision.

 

In conclusion, whether a lie is less harmful than the truth depends on the nature of the lie. If the lie is concealing information that does not interfere with a person’s belief system, such as believing in God, then it is better to tell a lie, than to tell the truth and deprive someone of hope, as Darwin’s theory did with many people. However, if the lie is concealing information that allows a person to make an informed decision about something that has a lasting effect on the person’s life, such as smoking cigarettes, then it is better to tell the truth, and let the person decide for themselves. All in all, there is no need to overburden people with knowledge that has no consequential influence on their life.

 

Thank you once again

[a.wasserman]

Often, it is more beneficial to lie to an individual than to tell them the whole truth. When someone is suffering from a grave, potentially life-threatening chronic disease, it is often beneficial to lie to them about their health status and try to assure them that their chances of recovery are greater than they actually are. This gives the individual hope and puts them in a positive frame of mind. Further, it has often been shown through psychological analysis that a positive emotionality is associated with actual physiological benefits. Therefore, if the patient thinks that they're feeling better or that their condition is not gravely serious, they may have a greater chance of being able to overcome their ailments.

 

On the other hand, when an individual's disease or ailment is one that has a minimal chance of improvement, it is often better to tell the person the truth and allow them to cope with the implications of their illness realistically. If a person with terminal cancer would be persuaded they are doing better every day, they may not be compelled to set their affairs in order, and may leave their will unfinished. This would put their relatives and anyone close to them in a very awkward position. Thus, if the lie would most likely hinder any actions that the patient would take to prepare for the consequences of their illness, the truth should be divulged to them.

 

It is often difficult to tell a patient about the gravity of their disease. How does one know when to lie to the patient about their condition or tell them the truth? The important factor to consider is the chance of recovery. If the chances of recovery for the patient are realistic (i.e. it may be unlikely, but it is not uncommon to hear of recoveries from similar maladies), it may be beneficial to lie to them and try to get them in a positive psychological and emotional state to boost their chances of recovery. However, if the chances of recovery from their condition are very slim, then it may be prudent to tell them the truth about the gravity of the situation so that the individual can take care of any affairs that need to be done for either them or their family to be ready for life after their treatment or their death. It is a very difficult thing to face for some people, but this is unfortunately not a reason not to tell an individual the truth.

 

Thanks very much in advance!