<p>This is from Practice Test #1 from the Blue Book. Thanks for reading/grading (if you could leave comments too, I'd appreciate it =)).</p>
<p>Excerpt:
To change is to risk something, making us feel insecure. Not to change is a bigger risk, though we seldom feel that way. There is no choice but to change. People, however, cannot be motivated to change from the outside. All of our motivation comes from within.</p>
<p>Adapted from Ward Sybouts, Planning in School Administration: A Handbook</p>
<p>Assignment:
What motivates people to change?</p>
<p>My essay:
I disagree with the notion that "change comes from within." Change isn't just an inner body function. Humans can experience change from the outside world and are able to take the risk to change their ways, as shown by a plethora of historical and literary examples.</p>
<p>For example, look to the Stock Market's DOT-COM boom. As soon as the stock market was bombarded with new clients, the influence spread even faster than the Black Plague. People were motivated from the world around them. After seeing normal businessmen turn into tycoons overnight, people changed their ways and invested into the stock market.</p>
<p>However, the risk factor soon kicked in. In 2002, the DOT-COM bubble burst. People lost money like wildfire, and started regretting their investments. Their change failed instantaneously. People that didn't change faced less of a risk in this case they chose not to invest in the stocks. In the example of the stock market's fluctuation, not changing was risky, however changing took on an even greater risk.</p>
<p>To further the disagreement with the notion, look to the example of the ancient culture of the Aztecs. Fernando Cortez, and his crew of Spanish conquistadors were able to change the Aztecs in many ways. When Cortez discovered the Aztec's civilization, he discovered many flaws in their system. At that time, the Aztecs believed Cortez to be a god-like figurehead, so Cortez was able to easily exercise his control over them. He discovered that their system of water supply and crop farming would lead to their demise, and thus forced them to change it. As we can see, the change came from the outside, rather than from within.</p>
<p>With the examples of the fluctuating stock market and the Spanish conquistador, Fernando Cortez, it's simple to see how the notion is flawed. The motivation comes from an outside source, and how risky that motivation can truly be.</p>