<p>the topic is from the SAT in may 2008~ thanks for your help~
Assignment:
Are peoples actions motivated primarily by a desire for power over others?</p>
<p>Whether peoples actions are nothing but expressions of a striving for power or not is a heatedly discussed and debated issue. Some people believe that everything one does, even when one acts kindly toward others, is inspired by desire for control over other peoples lives, for the act of kindness puts them partially in ones actions are not always motivated primarily by a desire for power over others, especially when their actions put themselves in a dangerous situation.</p>
<p>The experiences of Huckleberry Finn, a famous character in Mark Twains Huckleberry Finn, can be cited to support this viewpoint. When running away from his father from South to North American, Huck valued safety as the most important thing. However, in order to keep his friend, an African American who wanted to free from slavery away from danger, Huck put himself in a dangerous situation. If Huck was motivated by a desire of power over Jim, he would threaten Jim that if Jim do not follow his order, he would report his escape. Nevertheless, what Huck did was to take a risk of his own safety to remain Jims.</p>
<p>Although such characters are fictional, the similar motivation, which is obviously not a desire for power, had inspired numerous peoples actions in the history. When 9.11 happened, groups of firemen ran into the two towers to save people there. Since the towers were badly sabotaged and were on fire, what they did can result in their deaths. However, understanding this danger, those firemen still rush into the building for they wanted to save others. Had those firemen acted because of a striving of power, they would not put themselves into a situation as dangerous as which they actually put themselves in, for in that situation, they not only were unable to put others in their power, but endangered themselves. In fact, many of these firemen died in 9.11 when trying to save others. It was the motivation of saving others instead of a desire of power that made these firemen ran into the towers.</p>
<p>To summarize, although people sometimes act in desire of control over others, their actions sometimes are simply motivated by humanity, which is reflected in examples of firemen in 9.11, who put themselves in a dangerous situation in order to save others, and Huckleberry Finn, who put himself in a dangerous situation in order to remain his friends safety. Therefore, peoples actions are not always motivated primarily by a desire for power.</p>