SAT Practice Essay #2

In class, we did another timed SAT essay. This time the topic had to with whether or not people put too much emphasis on practical skills.

If we compare today’s society with the society of the past, there are many marked differences. With the advent of technology, our society has reached new heights in many aspects of life, such as healthcare and transportation. However, one of the largest differences between the societies is how people live their lives. Today, the goal of most people in society is to make a good living. Technology has allowed us to live luxurious lives, as long as you have money. How does one obtain a “good living”? Many people believe a good job is key. At the bottom of all this are practical skills. Since people see practical skills as rungs on the ladder to success, there is too much emphasis placed on these skills.
People place too much emphasis on practical skills, and it has an enormous impact on our society. In schools, there is a phenomenon that surrounds grades. Everyone just has to get stellar grades! I know of some people who will haggle with the teacher for one or two points. This is an example of putting too much emphasis on practical skills. If one attains excellent grades and goes off to an elite university, they will be able to have a “good life”. These students, unfortunately, don’t get as much out of the overall learning experience. The person who haggles for grades would be resentful of a certain topic that he doesn’t understand. For this person, it is not about learning for learning’s sake, but about the future.
This kind of thinking also impacts our society as a whole. Often times, emphasizing practical skills discourages deep thought or any type of philosophy. Philosophy is not regarded with the same respect it had a couple of centuries ago. Nowadays, people will study practical topics like law, engineering, or medicine. While this enables individuals to obtain a good lifestyle, our society suffers as a whole. If Einstein was set on living a good lifestyle, what would our world be like? There might not be a theory of relativity. Einstein used his formidable intellect to enhance the knowledge of society. By applying his example to modern society, we can see that there are probably many great minds that are being lost to “practical occupations”. Many people emphasize practical skills and occupations, and as a result, our society suffers.
This issue however, has two sides. While I firmly believe that too much emphasis is placed on these skills, there is a reasonable argument for the other point of view. Practical skills are what enable one to survive in today’s world. We can’t ignore the fact that money is what allows for one’s well being. If one only learned every skill that was not practical, how would he/she make a living? Some of these people might end up not contributing anything to our society at all. Therefore, it would be better to emphasize practical skills. This would probably be part of their argument.
People place too much emphasis on practical skills. By only emphasizing these skills, our society does not advance intellectually as a whole. This issue is divided, but I firmly believe that too much emphasis is placed on these skills.