<p>Been lurking on CC for quite a while now, here's my first post! I've been practicing my essays, and I'd like some opinions. The question below is actually from one of the practice tests in the Blue Book, answered under timed conditions. What do you think?</p>
<h2>Any criticism or help is greatly appreciated. Thanks! ^^</h2>
<p>ASSIGNMENT: Can success be disastrous?</p>
<p>ESSAY:
Most of us spend our lives pining for success, in the belief that we will finally find happiness and satisfaction upon its attainment. However, we fail to realise that success might instead have undesirable side-effects on encroach upon the lives of others, as can be seen from "Brave New World" and World War II, and hence be disastrous.</p>
<p>In Aldous Huxley's novel "Brave New World", the world government has seemingly achieved success in creating a utopia for all citizens. Society runs like clockwork, everyone is contented with his or her position in life and there are even "soma" pills that leave users bursting with happiness. Yet, as the novel progresses, it reveals some chilling aspects of society that leave us questioning whether such "success" was worth it. People are genetically engineered at birth to suit their roles in society, the government has become despotic with unlimited power over the automatons that citizens have become, and the world appears to be more of a dystopia than a utopia. The novel leaves us questioning if the success was worth its cost, and proves that success can indeed be disastrous.</p>
<p>We can also observe the double-edged sword of success from history. In World War II, the rising Japanese empire sought to assert its power by conquering neighbouring territories. That it did, with great success (at least in the words of the Japanese), invading China and capturing large tracts of lands. However, their military success costed them greatly in post-war relations. China today still harbours grudges towards Japan for the latter's ruthless invasions, and tensions between the countries have hit oiling point in recent years, following a resurgence of nationalistic sentiments. As a result, Japan's economic ties with China, a major importer, have taken a hit, affecting Japan's already-ailing economy. Hence, the short-lived "success" achieved by Japan actually spelt long-term disaster for its international ties.</p>
<p>Hence, from these examples drawn from literature and history, we can see that success may not in fact be as beneficial as imagined, for it may come at a tremendous cost to society or to ourselves in the long run. We should treat success with a pinch of salt, and evaluate its potential consequences before deciding if it is worth fighting for.</p>