Write a personal essay in which you reflect on aspects of life that you find puzzling (2024)
Feedback: Low H2, but so much potential for a high H1 in this LC personal essay. Excellent essay full of non-cliche points. The biggest issue is structure. The introduction lets the author down because it doesn’t tell the reader what the essay will be about, it gives examples instead – that really belong in the body of the essay. For example, the second paragraph is much more introductory in its nature, whereas the example of teenage drinking could go into the paragraph that begins with “The adherence to questionable societal standards”. You may also like: Leaving Cert English Complete Guide (€).
Ever since I was young I have been constantly puzzled by the somewhat unexplainable attitudes and behaviours which society conducts around me. At first it was minute details, such as littering, which left me in a state of confusion. I’ll never forget seeing my mother throw her packet of crisps out of the car window as she accelerated down the dual carriage-way, right after leaving our house. The disrespect which she was knowingly inflicting on her own area left me dazed, and it still does. Throughout my early teenage years, the puzzling aspects of life shifted from littering to activities such as drinking. Little good came from drinking socially at a young age – dangerous behaviour, vomiting, getting your stomach pumped – just to name a few of its consequences. My abstinence was neither faith-based or due to the reparations which would arise of my parents finding out, but because I simply couldn’t understand why. Why would I, as a developing young person, willingly ingest poison? I could not get my head around the conundrum. I applied similar logic to activities such as smoking and gambling, assuming that they could only yield a net negative.
As I progressed throughout my youth, I distinctly recall questioning the so-called ‘doctrine’ of righteousness that I was unknowingly beginning to mould my character around. I had to ask myself: is it better to live a life of instant gratification or a life where purity and logic is valued over all. I was puzzled. Both sides seemed oddly extreme. Socrates may believe that “the unexamined life is not worth living”, however I am not convinced.
The adherence to questionable societal standards which was proudly displayed throughout my peers in secondary school, still leaves me bewildered. (Keep your syntax tidy: no need for a comma.) The idea that I would change an aspect about my life to please someone else seemed absurd, but once again, it appeared as the common thing to do for everyone else. I’ll never forget the committee of vultures which descended upon me during my first day of third year, all mocking the evidently old and outdated hand-me-down uniform I had donned that morning. While many teenagers would have been shaking with fear at the idea of standing out from the pack, it never crossed my mind during that morning’s drive to school. I believed that the concept of mocking the less fortunate was too absurd for reality, and was better placed amongst a Camus or Sartre novella. Sadly, this type of behaviour has not been disposed of as my generation has matured. I will never understand it. The fervid cruelty which is being allowed to become common-place, whether across social media or through physical interaction, will never become explainable to me.
The separation of my parents across international waters made me question not only society, but basic human nature. My fathers resistance to turn down a lucrative job offer from some Swiss conglomerate which would only see him as fodder in their cannon of ‘shareholder value’ uprooted my entire life. His decision indicated that he was willing to prioritise an arbitrary number in his bank account over being close to me, which is something I will never be able to make sense of. Was it something I did which propelled him to accept that offer? Was it something about me? I will never fully understand.
The world’s obsession with money is truly perplexing. We dedicate our lives to obtaining it, and for what? I’ll never come to terms with our dedication towards chasing ‘the dream’ which money lets us live. We study in the hopes of attending the best colleges, where we will study the most profitable subjects, where we will then apply to countless graduate opportunities all in the hope of achieving both a lucrative and stable financial future. My school’s guidance counsellor was unmistakably flummoxed when I told him that I neither want to do a trade or continue on towards third level education. I expected a firm and concerned reaction after I told him that I wanted to travel to Asias and see the world, but his resistance to my wishes left me astounded. I was stumped when leaflets advertising alternative routes to higher education were bombarded in my direction. I had made my choice, so why could he not step aside and let me pack my bags?
You would not be mistaken if you concluded that I do not yearn for the degree of supposed ‘security’ which the rest of the world does. I’ve grown up in a household where everything was put ‘on the back-burner’ or shuffled behind ‘more important’ priorities. I have always been puzzled that one could value studying for exams over a trip to the beach. I am inclined to agree with Nietzsche’s opinion that “what is great in man is that he is a bridge and not a goal”. I’ve never been able to conform with those who see life as a series of stepping stones: education towards employment and ultimately death. The lack of those who, just like me, see life as a journey which is to be enjoyed, explored and emptied of its pent-up potential may always remain mystifying.
After all, what are we if not creatures of habit? We are taught to speak the language of those around us, conform with their behaviours, become interested in similar hobbies and repeat the cycle with children of our own. Why am I not able to adhere to this seemingly infectious manner of thinking? I still cannot understand.