Knowledge: Burden or Benefit? (Grade my essay please)

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Hi everyone! I’m studying for the SATs on my own, and I could really use some help perfecting my essay-writing ability.

Prompt: Can knowledge be a burden rather than a benefit?

Knowledge is never a burden for the people who possess it. It has allowed for the stunning development of the human race in the last century. Knowledge has never weighed us down and impeded our progress; rather, it has benefited us time and time again.

Many say that destructive knowledge such as that of the atomic bomb is a burden for those who invented it. However, taking the example of the bomb, the people who create it did not view it as a burden. In fact, the US government lauded it as it ended the Second World War and prevent the deaths of millions of American and Japanese people. The atomic bomb was an eventuality-someone was going to discover it. Although we unfortunately saw it kill thousands, its terror has led to the creation of anti-nuclear NGOs and a global belief opposing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. In fact, the nuclear science behind the bomb is now being used to provide clean energy for poor countries like India and Pakistan.

Some may argue that knowledge clings to us and turns into a burden for us. This idea seemingly is traced to a fictional horror story-Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein saw his knowledge of how to create life as a “curse.” In reality, knowledge is never something that haunts us. It also doesn’t make us unfeeling to the world. In fact, it makes us all the more valuable to society because knowledge has the power to improve lives and inspire people to venture into the unknown. This idea is embodied by today’s leaders in science and technology. People like Elon Musk and Larry Page have used their unparalleled knowledge to touch the lives of millions all while being simply human.

To consider knowledge as a burden is akin to giving up all hope for humanity’s progress. It is never knowledge which causes evil or harm. When people consider knowledge a burden, they are really worried about what others might use it for/

I had a tough time trying to come up with examples for this particular prompt. I’m curious to know what you think, especially regarding my paragraph structure and flow of arguments.

If you have some spare time, I would also appreciate it if you could grade another essay:http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/1808250-sat-essay-advice-please.html#latest

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Your paragraph structure and grammar are good, and I like your first example about the atomic bomb and nuclear energy.

But I can think of at least two or three examples where knowledge can be a burden. From a math/logic perspective, it may be easier searching for that one counterexample rather than try to argue that knowledge is never a burden, regardless of what your actual opinion is.

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Of course knowledge is a burden. Isn’t that the entirety of the significance of Adam & Eve biting the apple???

On a more mundane level, until parents tell their kids that there are children starving in Africa, kids don’t give a thought about wasting food on their plate.

Bottom line is that people who don’t have the mental capacity for absorbing knowledge, aren’t burdened by ethical dilemmas.

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And why else would Doc Brown tell Marty that Marty shouldn’t know too much about his own future?

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Thanks for the feedback @MITer94
@GMTplus7 Do you think I should have argued for the other side?