Change. It is something we all experience, and we all are affected by it, but is it good or bad? Before we can decide this, we must first define change and take a look at the circumstances in which the change occurs. There are many different philosophies and definitions that address change. These philosophies date back to ancient Chinese proverbs and range all the way up to today’s dictionary definitions.
There is an old Chinese proverb that states “When the winds of change blow, some build shields against the wind but others build wind mill.” This relates to one’s reaction to a change. The first part of this proverb is saying that some people just protect themselves from change. These people never allow themselves to have the new experiences that change would allow. Others “build wind mill”, states the second part of the proverb. These people embrace change and see to it that something good comes from the change.
A quote from the blog Real Life Preacher says “It’s [change] just the way of things. Nothing stays the same.” Change is just part of life and we should automatically know that it is going to happen; nothing stays the same. There is no need to fear change, to be embarrassed by change, or anything, because it is simply something that happens. Everyone goes through it at one time or another, and no matter how hard we try, most changes cannot be stopped and must occur eventually.
Once change has been defined, the next step to determine whether the change was good or bad is to understand the circumstances in which the change occurred. A single change could affect many people, but each in a different way. Sometimes changes occur quickly, some progress slowly over time. For example, our world is very different from when we began. Slavery that took place many years ago changed into discrimination against dark skinned people not too long ago. Finally, today we have a dark skinned president. These changes can be considered better, especially for dark skinned people, but there are some who still discriminate, and this change would not make them happy. Change has occurred before the beginning of everything; before there were people, or any life forms on this planet. That state eventually changed into what we have today.
Changes vary greatly; one example of change could never describe every change that has ever occurred. Every moment that passes holds a change, even if it is small. One moment you may be standing, the next you may be sitting. This is indeed a change. A change could also be that a new president is elected, which is pretty big. This would affect a whole nation, not just a single person. Changes can also vary by the way they come to be. Like in the example of sitting and standing, the person brings this change upon them self. In the other example, it is not always possible to get the exact president you vote for, so this change is out of one’s control. The truth is, change cannot be specifically pinpointed down as one thing; it is a very abstract concept, and when thought about, is very hard to grasp.
Change is a very personal topic. Each person asked to think about it can come up with a different view. Determining whether change as a whole is good or bad is a difficult task, as the topic is so vast. When a change occurs, one cannot immediately know whether it is good or bad. Either way, try to make the most of it, even if you don’t know what is coming. I believe that change itself is not good or bad; it is how the people react and adapt to the change that determines the “goodness” or “badness.” Change is just that; a change, something different. Despite this, I do believe that even though a change is what you make of it, changes can also help or hinder people. Take the agricultural revolution, for example. Much advancement was made, many changes, and afterwards people were much better off. When changes started occurring, people took advantage of them, and many improvements were made. Those changes could have been viewed as good or bad, depending on where you look at it. The farmers who improved their farming technology made well of the change, but for people who were not farmers, or lived elsewhere, this change could have been bad. People in the farming industry had a much easier job now, and farming became very important. People with other jobs have not made any new advancement, so this is bad for them. As in this example, change can be taken as either good or bad, depending on the person you are looking at. Change is neither good nor bad; it is simply something that passes.
The definition of change as found the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, says that to change is “to undergo transformation, transition, or substitution
Overall, change is basically a natural part of life. The way in which it affects people may be large or small, it can be different depending on the person, and it can be taken well or badly. Change has gone on forever, and will continue to be. If the world had never changed, none of us would be here, so we have got to be thankful for change, at least a little bit. We all undergo some forms of change, and if a person did not ever change, they could not exist, as Benjamin Franklin states in this quote: “When you are finished changing, you are finished.”
Websites Used:
· McCarty, Don. "Change- Good or Bad". OSP Magazine . January 28, 2010 http://www.ospmag.com/issue/article/112008-McCarty.
· Godin, Seth. "Change- Good or Bad." Web log post. The Engaging Brand Blog. The Engaging Brand, 16 Oct. 2006. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. http://theengagingbrand.typepad.com/the_engaging_brand_/2006/10/change_good_or_.html.
· “Change Quotes - The Quotations Page." The Quotations Page - Your Source for Famous Quotes. The Quotations Page, 3 Jan. 2004. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/change/.
· "Change Quotes - Quotations and Famous Quotes on Change." Famous Quotes, Quotations and Proverbs in Proverbia.net. Proverbia.net, 2009. Web. 30 Jan. 2010.
- Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia. Web. 30 Jan. 2010.
- Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia, 13 Jan. 2009. Web. 30 Jan. 2010.
I like your idea that "change is a very personal topic"; this could be contrasted with very public changes. It would be interesting to elaborate on how the personal and the public relate to one another.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of your argument, the entire essay would benefit from more support and MLA formatted citation. Without the support of sources, your argument doesn't have enough ground to stand on.
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