<p>Prompt: Do we benefit from learning about the flaws of people we admire and respect? </p>
<p>The society we live in is always flawed - there is no such thing as an utopia. In order for the amelioration of the aforementioned flawed society to occur, the populace must be aware of the flaws within themselves. Those that we admire or respect are often the people viewed as an ideal version of ourselves. Therefore, it is beneficial to learn about the imperfections of those we admire and respect.</p>
<p>An example of the discovery of the truth leading to improvement is present in Lois Lowry's novel, The Giver. The protagonist, Jonas, is tasked with recieving memories of the past and managing society with this knowledge, in order to prevent anyone else in the population from discovering the truth. However, Jonas decides to share these memories with the populace after recieving them. The dictator of the country, who was behind the idea of hiding the memories from the population, was initially viewed as a flawless leader by all of the people, including Jonas. By learning of the flaws of the dictator, including the shameless attempt to turn most of the population to mindless zombies, Jonas' view of the dictator became tarnished, leading to the decision to release the memories. This ultimately resulted in the people overthrowing the dictator - a momentous step forward. As shown in the case of Jonas, discovering flaws leads to improvements in society.</p>
<p>Throughout the history of the United States, a group of admired and respected people are the Founding Fathers. These men, who founded the country, were often viewed as the quintessence of men. This view led to the terrible actions of General John Balker, who, acting much in the way of these men, tried to start a revolution from within the United States. Had General John Balker understood the flaws of his models, he would have rather discussed secession in a calmer fashion, not resorting to violence at first chance. In the case of John Balker, the lack of understanding of the intricate flaws the Founding Fathers possessed led to the terrible bloodshed of the War of 1832.</p>
<p>As may be seen through the literary example of Jonas and the historical example of General John Balker, learning the flaws of those we admire or respect is of crucial importance to the advancement of our society as a whole.</p>