Gre analytical Writing issue essay Topic 101

GRE Analytical Writing ISSUE Essay Topic - 157 
"In any field of endeavor, it is impossible to make a significant contribution without first being 
strongly influenced by past achievements within that field." 
GRE AWA Analytical Writing ISSUE Essay Sample 
Solution - 157 
Every individual wishes to accomplish great goals in life. Whenever an individual is thinking of 
achieving great heights he always has someone to look up to for inspiration. We all get inspired 
in our day to day lives. It is very much possible that when a person aspires to do something 
remarkable in life he gets influenced by some past achievements. I believe it is very natural on 
part of an individual to get inspired by the past achievements of people as then only can they 
create something new and better. 
Inspiration in ones life keeps that person going and if we do not have inspiration this life would 
be colorless. Inspiration of any sort makes a person do things which were never thought of. If 
singers of today were not inspired by the singers of older days they would not be able to create 
such different and unique melodies. Similarly, if the present generation scientists do not get 
inspiration from the older generation scientists then these remarkable developments in 
technology would not have been possible. Inspiration lays foundation for creation of something 
new or rather it can be said that out of inspiration something new and different is obtained. The 
achievements of the past are the basis of our present knowledge. Past achievements are like the 
roots of a tree and if roots are missing how can a tree ever grow or prosper? Past achievements 
work as a study which could yield outstanding results in the respective fields of research. 
Theories of the past are used to solve the problems of present. 
Getting inspired from the past achievement certainly does not mean deadening of individual 
creativity. Inspiration does not mean copying past achievements rather they help the present 
generation people to achieve new heights. Getting help from past achievements does not mean 
that innovation is lost; rather innovation is triggered and a better outcome is achieved. 
Although is very unlikely that people do not get influenced by past achievements of people. 
There are people who have done remarkably well on their own without getting inspired by 
anyone. Such people make a stand and recognition of their own and without the influence of 
anybody. They become the trendsetters and then they are the basis of inspiration for other 
people. It is also true that if too much dependence is on past achievements for inspiration then 
the chances of creating something unusual are lost completely. 
Therefore, we must look upon our great achievers from past with due respect and get encouraged 
and inspired but we should not get so influenced that our work has the traces of their work. We 
must have an individuality of our own. Whatever we create from any inspiration should contain 

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an imprint of our individuality and it should bear our style. It should be so distinctive from the 
inspired work that they both appear to be separate and not concluded parts of each other. 

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