<p>Hi! This is my first post and I apologize for it being so generic. I haven't focused on essay writing as much as I probably should have, so any critique should be helpful. Also, I wrote the essay in 17 minutes (leaving about 8 for edit), and I realized after I wrote it that I didn't actually answer the second half of the question, and I was wondering if that would affect my score at all.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Assignment:
Do we put too much emphasis on self-reliance and independence, and are we afraid of admitting that we need other people in our lives? Plan your response, and then write an essay... </p>
<p>ESSAY -
The author, Ayn Rand, believed in the concept of the ideal self. I believe, just like Ayn Rand believed, that self reliance may be the only value separating man from animal. As such, independence is the great ideal that every man and woman should strive for.</p>
<p>In accordance with the above, Ayn Rand created a wonderful literary character, Howard Roark, in her well known novel, The Fountainhead. Roark was to be the ultimate man. Every choice he made, he made it logically and purposefully. His purpose was to be true to himself at whatever the cost. This belief carried through into the novel, to the extent that Roark was arrested and tried in a court of law. No matter how the novel could have ended, it ended with vigor and purpose solely because of the fact that Howard stayed true to himself and he never swayed from his conviction. This steadfastness is exactly what self-reliance is supposed to be about.</p>
<p>Another example of self reliance is the well known inventor, Nikola Tesla. Tesla was known by his inventions and his eccentric personality. It is common knowledge that Tesla suffered from mental illness, however this illness never hindered his genius. Tesla's independence is exemplified through his desire to create. He was deemed a fool countless times by society, but he always persevered. Even Thomas Edison successfully humiliated him. The point of course, is that Tesla overcame all of the obstacles that were place din front of him and he continued to work independently. Such self reliance produced inventions such as the x ray, wireless technology, the sonar system, batteries, and electricity. There are nearly 300 patents filed under Tesla's name. Tesla was a man of his own principles - he was self reliant to the extreme - and all of his inventions illustrate this point.</p>
<p>Ayn Rand and Nikola Tesla illustrate one important lesson. It is good and productive to be self reliant. If Roark had been untrue to himself, Rand's novel would have been pointless. Likewise, if Tesla had listened to the public and had accepted the ridicule, many of the technological advances seen today simply would not have been possible. WE must all remember that following the crowd is not always necessary. If anything, sometimes listening to oneself is the only viable option.</p>