<p>Hello! The essay has generally been the weakest part of my SAT. In this essay, I tried to add more analysis by breaking down the thesis into two flowing ideas, then supporting those ideas with examples. Please critique/grade! Thank you!
Also, this took up all the space. </p>
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Prompt: Do you think that ease does not challenge us and that we need adversity to help us discover who we are?
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While ease and comfort may seem tantamount to a perfect life, they lack the challenges and motivation that adversity presents. Humans can only truly discover who they are by challenging themselves. A life of complacency does not serve to explore ones character or test the mettle of who one truly is. This can be further understood through the motivation of adversity, and the need for challenges in self-discovery.</p>
<p>Adversity, despite its negative connotation, serves as a powerful well of motivation. The desire to triumph over obstacles and thus obtain a certain degree of satisfaction is prevalent in nearly all humans. For instance, Julia Butterfly Hull, a renown environmentalist, only rose to fame after a long period of difficulty. Initially, she began her life as a minor protestor, who was rarely paid any attention by large corporations. The darkness of the night, so to speak, came when one hundred acres of redwood trees were set to be chopped down. Julia Hill, in the face of such a calamity, proceeded to climb a redwood tree and literally live in it for two years, preventing the logging company from chopping it down. The resulting media storm successfully kick started her massive environmental campaign, and brought her from the night to the dawn. Hills efforts and motivation were inspired from the massive challenges she faced. The ease of her previous life did not motivate her to do great feats, and such difficulties, while unpleasant, certainly did. The motivation borne by adversity is extremely powerful, and enables us to accomplish feats we previously through impossible.</p>
<p>By accomplishing greater and greater feats, however, we take our first step onto the path of self-discovery. Although one might claim to understand who they are, humans cannot fully perceive themselves without comprehending the full range of their character. Many of these hidden facets of ones character are exposed only when the motivation from adversity makes it necessary. For example, Douglas Bader, pilot extraordinaire of World War II, only understood himself after undergoing great mental anguish. When he lost his legs, his dreams of becoming a pilot were crushed, and others informed him that he was destined to work a desk job. However, the adversity of his situation gave him a great deal of motivation and courage, and he eventually became one of the best pilots of World War II. Through his immense courage, Douglas Bader spearheaded a movement that hailed a greater future for the handicapped in the years to come. His strength of heart and courage were only revealed as a consequence of the adversity against him, illustrating how such challenges are the first step onto the path of self-discovery.</p>
<p>True self-enlightenment is not easy to obtain, and is generally found as a result of great difficulties. Adversity challenges people and exposes facets of our personalities that we are not always aware of. Difficulties thus make us more self-aware, and we understand how far we are willing to go to surmount our obstacles. Every cloud has a silver lining, and the lining of adversity, true self-understanding, should not be ignored.</p>