<p>This is the one I did on test. If you know the score I got, then try to not have it influence your scoring. I just wanted to see how other people score think in relation to ETS graders. I'm also wondering if my handwriting led to a decreased score, since it was pretty bad on the essay.</p>
<p>(Is this legal? I'm pretty certain the fact they released it to us means we can discuss it, no?)</p>
<p>** From talent contests to the Olympics to the Nobel and Pulitzer prizes, we constantly seek to reward those who are "number one." This emphasis on recognizing the winner creates the impression that other competitors, despite working hard and well, have lost. In many cases, however, the difference between the winner and the losers is slight. The wrong person may even be selected as the winner. Awards and prizes merely distract us from valuable qualities possessed by others besides the winners. </p>
<p>Do people place too much emphasis on winning? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. **</p>
<p>American is undeniably a nation that stresses winning. From the common “second place is the first loser” sticker to the complete glorification of winners in popular media, we place a great emphasis on prevailing in whatever competition we are partaking in. Winning obsesses many people, who, driven by this cultural value, concern themselves with nothing but victory. Is this emphasis on winning undue, though? Does America, as a nation, put too much value in victory? The answer is yes. Winning is far from everything; the undue focus given too has negative drawbacks.</p>
<p>When people focus too much on winning a certain contest, it becomes the primary focus of their practice or playing of whatever is in this contest. Enjoyment of the competition becomes secondary to winning it. Consequently, what have been fun for the game or debate involved has been hijacked by the need to win. Something which was once a game is now work. An undue emphasis in winning removes the the fun factor from a competition, spoiling what its true intent was.</p>
<p>A perfect example to illustrate this point is my friend’s “We the People” debate team, which had the honor of competing at the state competition in Portland, against much larger, much better, and much more serious schools focused entirely on winning. They took last, but it didn’t seem to bother them. They had gone for the excitement and experience of competition, not to win, and consequently came back happy. Meanwhile, the second place finisher had multiple team members visibly crying when ranking were announced. They had placed such emphasis on winning that second was a disappointment. Did these kids remember the thrill of the competition and enjoy themselves? No. They remember the failure of second. An undue emphasis on first spoils a competition.</p>
<p>Additionally, besides removing the fun from competition, the undue emphasis it receives motivates people to cheat, ruining the competition even more. A great case in point is the Olympics, which started out as a friendly competition in 1896 to bring nations together. Th thrill of competition was stressed, not winning. Over the years, though, they became corrupted by the “winning is all” culture. As this stress on winning became the prevalent mentality for Olympic athletes, many began using steroids to ensure they would win. This problem continues to this day, in parallel with our emphasis on winning. Those athletes wishing to compete fairly have no enjoyment if they are not competing against fair competition. Thus, the emphasis on winning ruined the competition.</p>
<p>As we can see, stress on winning unequivocally produces negative results. It destroyed competition, removing their true intent from consideration. American culture, additionally, stresses winning above anything. As this stress has such negative consequences, it is easy to see how there is too much emphasis placed on winning.</p>
<p>Any misspelled words are a result of my dismal typing skills, not my inability to spell. They were not misspelled on the test.</p>