SAT II Writing ~10 (timed essay - 20 minutes)
Topic: It is said that he who fails to learn from the past is doomed to repeat it. It is crucial that we study and understand the past.
People who dwell in the past don't know how to live in the present.
Consider the above statements. Select one that more closely reflects your view. Then write an essay that explains your choice. To support your view, use an example or examples from history, literature, the arts, current events, politics, science and technology, or experience or observation.
One's past can be a hindrance of one's progress, but also, an excellent teacher that he learns from. It depends on the individual to decide which way the past will be. A progress cannot be made until a person realizes a mistake from the past, and tries to prevent it from happening again. Both history and our daily lives present us with enough proofs.
It is said that failure is the mother of all success That is only a person who tries to learn from the past mistakes that meets success in the end is easily learned from history. Edison, who invented the light bulbs, is said to have had 20000 experiments before finding the right material for the filament. Had he not taken the 19999 failures as lessons about light bulbs to learn from, we may be still living with candles lit in our rooms.
That a person who fails to learn from the past is doomed to repeat it again is shown in our daily lives, also. A year ago, my grades hit the bottom of my standards. However, my falso pride kept me from admitting, or even thinking about it. As a result, the grades stayed the same for another term. Only after I've realized the lack of time management as the reason and admitted it, could I improve my horrific grades.
Study of history isn't just memorizing mundane names, events, and dates. It is a study that analyzes the past, make us learn to acknowledge the mistakes and improve. The same applies for mistakes we commit everyday. A person can truly improve only when s/he comprehends the lesson behind past mistakes, and become equipped with sufficient knowledge to go forward for further improvement.