TASK: Write a 5 paragraph essay describing the best time or the worst time (past, present, or future) to be alive and why.
The past, present and future – these abstract points in time are one way or another entwined with humanity. Human beings, in turn, conduct research and investigation into these three phases; resulting in the emergence of the study disciplines history and science. However, the term ‘the past’ is a conceptual one; every second that elapses becomes history. Therefore, I would refer this term to former generations of civilizations. With that in mind, I definitely favor the present over the past and the future. In my opinion, there is no future dwelling in the past, and that the thought of humanity’s prospect in years to come is all too daunting – anything can happen. Hence, the present is the ideal time for me by reason of peacefulness, technological advancement, and personal reasons.
Undoubtedly, the present-day situation is more peaceful than a great deal of others from the past. Throughout history, civilizations have grown, expanded and ventured out with the intent of conquest. Taking revered historical war figures such as Alexander the Great and Napoleon as examples, vast armies were amassed in their names and great battles were fought. This resulted in the formation and collapse of empires, where countless number of lives was shed for the sake of gold and glory. Besides that, laws were still imperfect in the past and lots of unruly people were consequently roaming the streets. Conspiracies, schemes, and especially assassinations were widespread and rife. Certain organizations namely KGB and the Mafia, operated with such efficiency, due to a policy where tasks were accomplished by hook or by crook. Furthermore, the infamous World War I and World War II were all fought in 1914 and 1939 respectively. Millions of casualties were reported and losses were immense. In comparison with the past, grand-scale wars, whether in air, on land or sea, ceased to exist anymore. Politicians do battle verbally on the discussion table instead. Proper law enforcement nowadays provides a good measure of security, besides the occurrence of occasional petty crimes. Talking aside, modern era peace is affected mainly – and only, I daresay – from terrorism. In the future, however, there exist events which could happen that terminate Homo sapiens. These are referred to as existential risks, primarily due to weapons of mass destruction. Thus, the present is the time where I can personally enjoy a steady and secure life in terms of safety.
The dawn of an age of globalization coincides with high-tech gadgets such as PDAs, laptops and mobile phones. Looking into the current state of affairs in terms of technology, we are well-off as compared to the past, where these items were stuff of dreams. Mobile phones and the accessibility to the Internet enable high speed communication to the far reaching corners of the world, whereas in the past telegrams required operators and towers (every 30km) and could only accommodate 2 words per minute. Vehicles have replaced the conventional horse-riding and people are favoring e-mails over mail posting. Travelling abroad is made easy with the availability of airplanes, in which the voyage duration can be curtailed down from months to hours. Machines of increased complexity are utilized to ease the workload of humans. It is, without a doubt, that we’re now living in an ‘instant’ era, where things are expected to be done in a split second. Personally, I find this satisfying as delays can be avoided and results can be obtained instantaneously. Decades from now, computer intelligence that is quite different from human intelligence will feed on itself, becoming more intelligent at a rapidly accelerating rate, until there is a chain reaction of computer intelligence. This is known as the Singularity, and there exist the prospect of computers controlling humans in the future. As seen in the movie Terminator, the human race fights robots for survival. If that ever happens, count me out of the future!
Looking into a more personal aspect, the triple Fs of the present – Family, friends and food – are the pulling factors for me; I just can’t bear to do part with any of them. With a stalwart and supportive father at the helm, alongside a caring and steadfast mother plus my mischievous witty little brother, my family is the best ever – priceless and irreplaceable. My friends, on the other hand, are helpful and compassionate. They are the ones who are willing to shoulder burdens, to bust me out of nasty situations and even lend a shoulder to cry on. Who knows what kind of family or friends I would have in the past or future? Without the support of my friends and family, I wouldn’t be the person I am now. As for food, I just can’t seem to grow tired of Malaysian delicacies: Laksa, Roti Canai, Nasi Lemak, “Bak Kut Teh” and many more! To support this belief, I doubt there existed any time in history in which all these exquisite meals were obtainable in one location. Furthermore, I strongly believe that people would consume only pills, which act as meals, in the future for the sake of convenience and efficiency.
To recapitulate, I am convinced that the present is preeminent among all three choices. Therefore, it is only sensible for me to make the most of it. I would have to, nevertheless, learn from mistakes made in the past and strive for betterment in the years ahead.
Undoubtedly, the present-day situation is more peaceful than a great deal of others from the past. Throughout history, civilizations have grown, expanded and ventured out with the intent of conquest. Taking revered historical war figures such as Alexander the Great and Napoleon as examples, vast armies were amassed in their names and great battles were fought. This resulted in the formation and collapse of empires, where countless number of lives was shed for the sake of gold and glory. Besides that, laws were still imperfect in the past and lots of unruly people were consequently roaming the streets. Conspiracies, schemes, and especially assassinations were widespread and rife. Certain organizations namely KGB and the Mafia, operated with such efficiency, due to a policy where tasks were accomplished by hook or by crook. Furthermore, the infamous World War I and World War II were all fought in 1914 and 1939 respectively. Millions of casualties were reported and losses were immense. In comparison with the past, grand-scale wars, whether in air, on land or sea, ceased to exist anymore. Politicians do battle verbally on the discussion table instead. Proper law enforcement nowadays provides a good measure of security, besides the occurrence of occasional petty crimes. Talking aside, modern era peace is affected mainly – and only, I daresay – from terrorism. In the future, however, there exist events which could happen that terminate Homo sapiens. These are referred to as existential risks, primarily due to weapons of mass destruction. Thus, the present is the time where I can personally enjoy a steady and secure life in terms of safety.
The dawn of an age of globalization coincides with high-tech gadgets such as PDAs, laptops and mobile phones. Looking into the current state of affairs in terms of technology, we are well-off as compared to the past, where these items were stuff of dreams. Mobile phones and the accessibility to the Internet enable high speed communication to the far reaching corners of the world, whereas in the past telegrams required operators and towers (every 30km) and could only accommodate 2 words per minute. Vehicles have replaced the conventional horse-riding and people are favoring e-mails over mail posting. Travelling abroad is made easy with the availability of airplanes, in which the voyage duration can be curtailed down from months to hours. Machines of increased complexity are utilized to ease the workload of humans. It is, without a doubt, that we’re now living in an ‘instant’ era, where things are expected to be done in a split second. Personally, I find this satisfying as delays can be avoided and results can be obtained instantaneously. Decades from now, computer intelligence that is quite different from human intelligence will feed on itself, becoming more intelligent at a rapidly accelerating rate, until there is a chain reaction of computer intelligence. This is known as the Singularity, and there exist the prospect of computers controlling humans in the future. As seen in the movie Terminator, the human race fights robots for survival. If that ever happens, count me out of the future!
Looking into a more personal aspect, the triple Fs of the present – Family, friends and food – are the pulling factors for me; I just can’t bear to do part with any of them. With a stalwart and supportive father at the helm, alongside a caring and steadfast mother plus my mischievous witty little brother, my family is the best ever – priceless and irreplaceable. My friends, on the other hand, are helpful and compassionate. They are the ones who are willing to shoulder burdens, to bust me out of nasty situations and even lend a shoulder to cry on. Who knows what kind of family or friends I would have in the past or future? Without the support of my friends and family, I wouldn’t be the person I am now. As for food, I just can’t seem to grow tired of Malaysian delicacies: Laksa, Roti Canai, Nasi Lemak, “Bak Kut Teh” and many more! To support this belief, I doubt there existed any time in history in which all these exquisite meals were obtainable in one location. Furthermore, I strongly believe that people would consume only pills, which act as meals, in the future for the sake of convenience and efficiency.
To recapitulate, I am convinced that the present is preeminent among all three choices. Therefore, it is only sensible for me to make the most of it. I would have to, nevertheless, learn from mistakes made in the past and strive for betterment in the years ahead.
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