<h2>PLEASE give comments/feedback for improvement! I am a new here, and new to the SAT too. But this is not an excuse.</h2>
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<blockquote> <p>Is identity something people are born with, or is it something people create for themselves<<</p> </blockquote>
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<p>People make their own destinies; what we do, is what defines us. Identity, something we need to earn through effort and persistence, is not inherent. Though some people might be born in more privileged conditions than some others, those privileged conditions can help them only till a certain extent. Moreover, the world does not define you, for things you have not achieved, it defines you for the things that you have fought for. Many examples from literature and history can support this viewpoint.
Nelson Mandela, was born in a modest family, and didn't have an 'identity' of his own. In 1962 he was arrested and convicted of sabotage and other charges, and sentenced to life in prison. Mandela served 27 years in prison, spending many of these years on Robben Island. But when he came out, he had a smile on his face, and so sign of animosity or hostility; he in fact hugged and shook hands with very people who subjected him to a life, which some people might call, of misery. Mandela is known for his resilience, and his courage to forgive. He successfully ended the apartheid in South Africa, and all his earnest actions resulted in, he becoming the President of South Africa. As shown by the life of Mandela, it were his actions and his novel thoughts that appealed to the world, making him a global icon, and ultimately immortalizing his name in the sands of time.
Another fine example can be found in literature, in 'Kane and Abel' by Jeffrey Archer. Abel Rosnovski, a Polish immigrant comes to the United States of America, with a heart full of dreams, and a pocket full of nothing. He, along with all his Polish immigrant friends, joined a hotel to work as a waiter. He says to his friends that one day he'll become a millionaire through sheer hard work and perseverance. His friends laugh at him and his ludicrous words. Within years, he becomes a millionaire, owning a chain of hotels, including the one he served as a waiter. He 'chose' to be successful, and he did. He succeeded in creating an identity of his own.
As demonstrated by the life APJ Abdul Kalam, formed President of India, it is our vision and resilience that serve as a barometer for success. Kalam was born in an impoverished family, he father being a fisherman. But his economic conditions didn't stop him from becoming successful. Kalam played a pivotal organisational, technical and political role in India's Pokhran-II nuclear test in 1998, the first since the original nuclear test by India in 1974. And in 2002, he became the President of India; during his term as President, he was popularly known as the People's President. If identity was something he was borin with or given, he would not be considered today as one of India's greatest scientists, a benevolent leader, and a far-sighted visionary.<br>
To conclude, it is our actions and thoughts that determine who we are. Life gives us, many opportunities to prove our worth, and we a choice to maker. We can either sit back, bask in our glory (whatever this is), and succumb to failure, or we can get up, move out of our cosy rooms, and face the world armed with nothing but confidence and the zeal to achieve. The choice is ours.</p>
