"That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly. It is dearness only which gives everything its value."
Thomas Paine
Assignment:
Do we value only what we struggle for? Plan your response, and then write an essay to explain your views on this issue. Be sure to support your position with specific points and examples. (You may use personal examples or examples from your reading, observations, or, knowledge of subjects such as history, literature, science.)
Prompt:
If we are afraid to reveal our lack of knowledge we will not be able to learn. In order to make progress we must admit where we are now. Such an admission of ignorance is not easy. As Thoreau says, “How can we remember our ignorance which our growth requires, when we are using our knowledge all the time?”
Assignment:
Does the present system of education encourage us to admit our lack of knowledge, or is there too much pressure to demonstrate the acquisition of knowledge? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
Prompt:
“A little inaccuracy saves a world of explanation.”
C.E.Ayers
Assignment:
Is it always essential to tell the truth, or are there circumstances in which it is better to lie? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
Prompt:
Many societies believe that the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human right. But it is also true that attainment of happiness remains elusive. Perhaps Bertrand Russell had it right when he said, “To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.”
Assignment:
What gives us more pleasure and satisfaction: the pursuit of our desires or the attainment of them? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
Prompt:
“The price of greatness is responsibility.”
Winston Churchill
Assignment:
Do we expect too much from our public figures? Plan your response, and then write an essay...
Prompt:
“A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he