<p>this scored an 11/12...if you have any comments about it please post =)...also keep in mind that i overslept the day of the SATs and was really sleepy throughout the whole thing =P</p>
<p>ESSAY PROMPT
Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below:
Alone we can afford to be wholly whatever we are and to feel whatever we feel absolutely. With others we are busy wondering: what does my companion see or think of this, and what do I think of it? The original impact of our feelings gets lost or is reduced.
Adapted from May Sarton, The Rewards of Living a Solitary Life </p>
<p>Assignment: Does worrying too much about other people's opinions prevent us from seeing things clearly? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.</p>
<p>Sometimes, it is better to be free of the opinions and judgments of others. In other situations, however, the impact of how others view us can help us become better people. In an ideal society, people would have the freedom to be who they really are. However, because of peer pressure and other such influences, excessive worrying about the opinions of others does prevent us from being who we really are.</p>
<p>Peer pressure, for example, is something that has always been prevalent in schools around the world and will continue to exist after we are long gone. Students often worry too much about how cool they will seem to their classmates, and many even change what they think or say something they dont really mean in order to fit in. Peer pressure interferes with our opinions. Instead of thinking and voicing our own opinions, we worry too much about what others will think or how they will react. Peer pressure is therefore a negative influence on a persons individual opinions, beliefs, and values.</p>
<p>In addition, homosexuality is a widely controversial issue in the United States and around the world, and is an issue that individuals may have strong feelings for or against. Because of the pressure inflicted on homosexuals and the prejudice against homosexuals, many people are now wary of how they voice their opinion on any aspect of homosexuality, such as same-sex marriages. Because many homosexuals have been harassed for being a dyke or queer, other homosexuals are wary of coming out. Straight or heterosexual people who support gay rights or same-sex marriages also have been harassed for their opinions. Thus, like peer pressure, the opinions we have on homosexuality can have a negative impact on our opinions or even our ways of thinking.</p>
<p>On the other hand, not worrying about the opinions of others can sometimes work against us, such as in the case of President Herbert Hoover. During the Great Depression, the unemployed and the poor begged Hoover for relief efforts. There were problems with the federal budgets, however, and Hoover refused. This angered the Americans who sought help from the government and their generally positive impression of Hoover turned sour; the government had turned its back on Americans during a time of great need. </p>
<p>In conclusion, worrying too much about others opinions does have a rather negative influence on our own beliefs and our individual way of thinking. Peer pressure and homosexuality are current issues in the world today that hamper our beliefs and values, while, in the history of the United States, the opinions people had of President Herbert Hoover had a negative impact on his reputation and future as well. Therefore, it is safe to say that worrying about others opinions has and always will hinder our beliefs and judgments.</p>