SAT Essay

Do you think that ease does not challenge us and that we need adversity to help us discover who we are?

The annals of history are replete with examples of figures who had to undergo tremendous hardships or face herculean challenges before being successful; history often implies that they have been shaped irrevocably by it, and that only through hardships did they truly find themselves. I agree but to a certain extent.

It is true that when Man is thrusted into a difficult situation, he has to adapt or face failure. He will discover certain traits about himself which may not be so readily apparent in times of prosperity. Perhaps he has nerves of steels or maybe steel-like determination? Perhaps he crumbles under pressure or maybe he has a proclivity for blame-shifting. Adversity becomes both a sieve and an x-ray, but does that necessarily mean we can discover who we are?

Man is a multi-faceted creature: saying that he reacts well to adversity paints neither a complete nor accurate picture. Traits that one may demonstrate during adversity need not neccessarily remain when the black crowd of gloom dissipates: in fact, many historical leaders who so successfully rose to the challenge during adversity quickly became figures of dissipation when prosperity and success reigned.

Simply put, Man exhibits different traits for different situations, and while they are not mutually exclusive, they may not be intimately linked. Tom may be insufferably cranky in crunch times but may be extremely mild-tempered in boom times. Thus, while adversity allows us to discover another side of ourselves, its effect is hardly as all-reaching as some would claim.

Addendum:
Necessarily not neccessarily
Thrust not thrust