<p>Yeah I know... it's actually two practice essays, but you can just grade one if you lack the neccessary time
---Please provide commentary on what I did "incorrectly" or "poorly" if you can--- (NOTE: Scores posted should be on the 6-point scale, NOT the 12-point scale)
What motivates people to change?
Change, is a mechanism through which humans are able to reorient their methods or priorities in order to augment or detract from their abilities to achieve desired goals in life. It allows us to and occurs as a result of the effort to adapt to unforeseen situations in life that prove that our methodologies ought to not be set in stone.
Throughout the time humans have existed, new paradigms in the fields of science, politics, and the social sciences have emerged. Not too long ago, the will of the people was regarded in Europe as a volatile and perhaps a pernicious base for power, as it is subject to a mind that might not know what is best for itself. Yet, it has proven its ability to check excessive power and to moderate its own revolutionary and far-right aspects on its own. Such revolutionary changes in our philosophies in politics and especially science have allowed us to remain competitive in a modern society where increasingly rapid change is required to outperform competing nations, corporations, and individuals. While changes in various fields seem to be attempts to improve performance, the individual is ironically more complex.
When an individual changes his/her life for his/her own good, the same concept still applies: s/he is attempting to evolve intelligently so as to improve his/her own success. What has happened when an individual intentionally changes in a way that does not improve his fitness as a successful being in society? From a distant eye, such changes defy rational explanation unless the persons own feelings are considered. In operant conditioning, the lack of a reward that is emotionally significant results in a decreased drive for the pursuit of success on the specific path. As a result, individuals suffering from depression, ADHD, and other unfavorable situations may resort to immediate, albeit miniscule, pleasures rather than staying on the path towards long-term happiness. 21 minutes, 25 seconds</p>
<p>Do changes that make our lives easier not necessarily make them better?
As our world becomes increasingly advanced technologically, computers and software is developed performing more and more complex tasks, making tasks for humans easier. Some believe that such changes in our lifestyle do not always make our lives better, but this statements validity depends entirely upon how one defines better.
In the past, Romanticists have oftentimes reminded us of the nostalgic memories of the 1800s and even 1900s when there was a greater amount of leisure time. The decline of leisure has coincided with increasingly advanced technology that improved productivity of individuals, to the point where per capital productivity in the United States has increased by 90% in just the past few decades. This technology has only made the world more competitive, fast-paced, and ironically more depended upon the human mind for innovation. With modern technology, menial tasks once reserved for unfit individuals are automated, speeding the processes required for innovation. With these tools our sea of applicable knowledge is able to grow at a faster pace than ever before. With this knowledge, we are able to strive for greatness in our standard living and Towers of Babel. We feel rushed in this world because our minds must be constantly stimulated to keep up with competing corporations and nations in the war for technological and political dominance. While our edifices are pierce the heavens, we do not feel happiness. The entire time we have been building upon our knowledge of the world and its surroundings, we do not feel that our life is better, not because change is a detriment to humanity, but because our standards have risen far beyond the medieval heavens. Cures for deadly diseases and new means for efficient food production have emerged because of changes in our society that have quickened the pace of our daily lives. For some, the improvement of ones life is entirely dependent upon ones perception of improvement. What we have created but have not perceived is what we have not yet created. To believe this statement however, is to refuse to connect with reality and thus to be a madman. The improvement of our standards of living over time is undeniableand so is the fact that our lives are better as a result of change that has facilitated human productivity. 25 minutes (maximum) taken</p>