issues.docx

issues.docx

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issues

1.Ismoderationinallthingspooradvice?

Shouldwestriveformoderationinallthings,astheadagesuggests?

Itendtoagreewiththespeakerthatworthwhileendeavorssometimesrequire,oratleastcallfor,intensefocusattheexpenseofmoderation.

Thevirtuesofmoderationareundeniable.Moderationinallthingsaffordsusthetimeandenergytosamplemoreofwhatlifeandtheworldhavetooffer.Incontrast,lackofmoderationleadstoalifeoutofbalance.Asasociety,weareslowlycomingtorealizewhatmanypsychologistsandmedicalpractitionershaveknowallalong:

weareatourbestashumansonlywhenwestrikeaproperbalancebetweenthemind,body,andspirit,Thecallforabalancedlifeisessentiallyacallformoderationinallthings.

Forinstance,whilemoderateexercisesimproveourhealthandsenseofwell-being,over-exercise,andintenseexercisecancauseinjuryorpsychologicalburnout,eitherofwhichdefeatourpurposebyrequiringustodiscontinueexercisealtogether.Lackofmoderationindietcancauseobesityatoneextremeoranorexiaattheother,eitherofwhichendangersone’shealth-andevenlife.Andwhenitcomestopotentiallyaddictivesubstances-alcohol,tobacco,andthelike-thedeleteriouseffectsofoverconsumptionareclearenough.

Thevirtuesofmoderationapplytoworkaswell.Stressassociatedwithahighpressurejobincreasesone’svulnerabilitytoheartdiseaseandotherphysicaldisorders,andoverworkcanresultinpsychologicalburnout,therebyjeopardizingone’sjobandcareer.Overworkcanevenkill,asdemonstratedbythealarminglyhighdeathrateamongyoungJapanesemen,manyofwhomwork100ormorehourseachweek.

Havingacknowledgedthewisdomoftheoldadage,Ineverthelessagreethatundersomecircumstances,andforsomepeople,abandoningmoderationmightbewelljustified.Considerhowmanyoftheworld’sgreatartisticcreations-inthevisualarts,music,andevenliterature-wouldhavecometofruitionwithoutintense,focusedeffortsonthepartoftheircreators.Creativeworknecessarilyinvolvesalargemeasureofintensefocus-asingle-minded,obsessivepursuitofaestheticperfection.

Or,considerathleticperformance.Admittedly,intensitycanbecounterproductivewhenitresultsinburnoutandinjury.Yetwhocoulddisagreethatagreatathleticperformancenecessarilyrequiresgreatfocusandintensity-bothinpreparationandintheperformanceitself?

Inshort,whenitcomestoathletics,moderationbreedsmediocrity,whileintensitybreedsexcellenceandvictory.Finally,considertheincreasinglycompetitiveworldofbusiness.Anintense,focusedcompany-wideeffortissometimesneededtoensureacompany’scompetitivenessandevensurvival.Thisisparticularlytrueintoday’stechnology-drivenindustrieswherekeepingupwiththefranticpaceofchangeisessentialforalmostanyhigh-techfirm’ssurvival.

Insum,theoldadageamountstosoundadviceformostpeopleundermostcircumstances.Nevertheless,whenitcomestocreativeaccomplishmentandtocompetitivesuccessinareassuchasathleticsandbusiness,Iagreewiththespeakerthatabandoningorsuspendingmoderationisoftenappropriateandsometimesnecessarily,intheinterestofachievingworthwhilegoals.

2.Dopeoplepreferconstraintsorfreedom?

Dopeoplepreferconstrainonabsolutefreedomofchoice,regardlessofwhattheymightclaim?

Ibelieveso,becauseinorderforanydemocraticsocietytothrive,itmuststrikeabalancebetweenfreedomandorder.

Historyinformsusthatattemptstoquell

1.Wecanusuallylearnmorefrompeoplewhoseviewswesharethanfrompeoplewhoseviewscontradictourown;disagreementcancausestressandinhibitlearning.

a.Admittedly,undersomecircumstances,disagreementwithotherscanbecounterproductivetolearning.

b.Disagreementcanalsoinhibitlearningwhentwopeopledisagreeonfundamentalassumptionsneededformeaningfuldiscourseanddebate.

c.Nevertheless,Ifundamentallydisagreewiththespeaker’sclaim.Assumingcommongroundbetweentworationalandreasonableopponentswillingtodebateonintellectualmerits,bothopponentsstandtogainmuchfromthatdebate.Indeeditisprimarilythroughsuchdebatethatourknowledgeadvances,whetheratpersonal,community,orgloballevel.JustastheChineseproverbgoes,“Themorethetruthisdebated,thecleareritbecomes.”

2.Competitionisultimatelymorebeneficialthandetrimentaltosociety.//Inmostcases,competitioncontributetothedevelopmentofthesocietyinvariousfields,althoughmonstrouslyunjustandillegalcompetitionsurelyhasandestructiveeffectonhumancivilization.

a.Humancomeintobeingastheresultofcompetition.

b.Ineverydaylife,theonewhoismostsuitableisputintherightplacethroughcompetition,andwillthenaccomplishmorethanthosewhoarenotascompetentasheorshe.

c.Inareaofathletics,itisthedesiretowinthatattractsmoreandmoreathletestotaketheireffortstochallengetheirlimitsandbreakonerecordafteranother.

d.Intherealmofeconomies,amarketeconomyhasprovenmoreefficientandproductivethanaplannedeconomyinvariouspartsoftheworld.

e.Admittedly,unfaircompetitionfraughtwithadulterationandillegallywillbringdeteriorationtothesocietyratherthanprogress.

f.Desiringexcellencefosterseachindividual’scompetitiveimpulse.Therefore,competitionistheessentialdrivingforceforthesurvivalanddevelopmentofeachindividual.

g.Furthermore,thewell-beingofeachindividualisthebasisofaprosperoussociety.Generallyspeaking,asocietywillbenefitformcompetitions,whetheritbeamongindividuals,teams,companies,groupsorpoliticalparties.

h.Nevertheless,whencompetitiongetsoutofthecontrolofmoralsandlaws,societysuffers.Theemploymentofviciousmethodsandnegativecampaigningcanonlyleadtoaharmful,downwardsocialtrend.Soitiscrucialforcompetitorstokeepinmindthattheultimateoutcomeofcompetitionisself-improvement.

3.Itismoreimportanttoallocateforimmediate,existingsocialproblemsthantospenditonlong-termresearchthatmighthelpfuturegeneration.//Althoughitisveryurgentforsocietytosolvetheimmediate,existingproblems,investingfundsonlong-teamresearchisnolessimportant,whichmayplayacrucialroleinthedevelopmentofathrivingsociety.

a.Itisimportantforagovernmenttoallocatemoneytosolveimmediatesocialproblemsthathavebaffledusdeeplyasquicklyaspossiblesoastorestoreastablesociety,conducivetoitshealthydevelopment.

b.However,manysocialproblemsinthepresentcannotberesolvedimmediatelyaswehops.Disregardinglong-termresearchthatmanybenefitfuturegenerationsandoveremphasizingfocusonthepresentproblemsanyresultinincompleteresolutionstothesesocialproblems,whichcanmerelybeanexpedienceratherthanaresolution.

c.Furthermore,long-termresearchiscrucialforthenation’ssubstantialdevelopmentandfortheprosperityofthecivilizationofhumanbeingsasawhole.

d.Asbeneficiariesofourperviousgeneration,weshouldassumetheresponsibilityforthewell-beingoffuturegenerations.

e.Admittedly,immediateandexistingsocialproblemscannotbeneglected.Iftheseproblemsarenotresolvedintimetheywillleadtodireconsequencesandcausepermanentdamagetothehealthydevelopmentofthewholesociety.

f.Althoughsomeresearchcannotresultinimmediateprofits,itisvitalandvaluabletothelifeandhealthoffuturegenerations.Whatdifferentiateshumanbeingsformotheranimalsisthathumanshaveaconcernaboutthefutureandaremorallyresponsibleforthewell-beingoftheirdescendants.

g.Finally,itshouldbenotedthattheretwofacetsofbudgetingarenotmutuallyexclusive.Ifgovernmentcancoordinatetheretwofacetsofinvestmentthroughcostandanalysisandcarefulplanning,futuresocietymayreapthebenefitsoftoday’ssoundinvestment.Besides,somelong-termresearchmightcontributetothesolvingtheimmediateandexistingsocialproblems.

4.Nofieldofstudycanadvancesignificantlyunlessoutsidersbringtheirknowledgeandexperiencetothatfieldofstudy.//Iagreewiththestatementthatsignificantadvancesinknowledgerequireexpertiseformvariousfields,andsciencesofotherareasareessentialforanimportantinnovationsinafieldtobefeasibleandperfect.

a.Noareaofintellectualinquiryoperatesinavacuumassciencesinvariousfieldsareinextricablyrelated.

b.Toadvanceourknowledgeinanyoneareawemustunderstandtheinterplayamongthemall.Scientificbreakthroughinonecertainareamaymakeagreatcontributiontothedevelopmentofanotherorseveralotherfields.Forinstance,knowledgeofmathematicswasintroducedintothefieldofeconomics,contributingtotheresearchofthatfield.

c.Newscientificfieldsoftenemergeintheinteractionamongdifferentdisciplines.Forexample,whenbiologymeetmedicine,biomedicinecameintobeing.

d.Itisournon-scientistswhomakesciencepossible,andwhobringmeaningtowhatwelearnfromit.

e.Isolationresultsinstagnation.Therefore,theintroductionofinformationfromotherfieldcannotonlyprovidegreaterinsightandalternativesolutionstotheproblemsinhand,butcanalsopreventtheunmitigatedinfluenceofonepredominantideathatmaybeinappropriateinacertainfield.

f.Asinterconnectedfieldsexperiencemutualgrowthandprosperity,modernstudiesrequirefurthercollaborationforcontinuedprogressandsuccess.

g.Newscientificfieldsoftenemergeintheinteractionamongdifferentdisciplines.Forinstance

5.Anationshouldrequireallitsstudentstostudythesamenation