Gre analytical Writing issue essay Topic 101

GRE Analytical Writing ISSUE Essay Topic - 192 
"So much is new and complex today that looking back for an understanding of the past provides 
little guidance for living in the present." 
GRE AWA Analytical Writing ISSUE Essay Sample 
Solution - 192 
Technology is experiencing an exponential growth in the modern world. Gadgets and their 
associated technologies are getting obsolete within a couple of years. Until about 10 years ago 
floppy disks were the main devices for external storage or data transfer and now the latest 
machines don't even come with floppy drives. Does this mean that we can completely forget 
about studying how floppy disks worked or can we afford to ignore the advantages and 
drawbacks of floppy disks? On the contrary, it was a detailed research on the pros and cons of 
using floppy disks that led to the development of CDs and DVDs. Therefore, it is evident that 
despite the complexities of modern world, it is important to look back and understand the past 
for succeeding in all future endeavors. Moreover, one can find the solutions to present day 
problems only by learning from past experiences. 
Why is there such a hue and cry over nuclear disarmament all across the world? This is because 
Man has been witness to a nuclear holocaust early in the Twentieth century. The experiences of 
the past have guided us to improve our present by taking necessary steps to ensure that such an 
event does not recur in the future. Could this have been possible if we had chosen to ignore 
studying the past for planning our future? 
Everyone is aware of the toll taken by the World Wars on human lives and national economies. 
A study of these wars has prompted nations to strive for improving their relations with each other 
in a bid to avoid unnecessary wars. At the same time, studies of the wars that have taken place in 
the past are a very important part of the military strategy of any country. The defense tactics of 
any army is largely based on the lessons learnt from the wars fought by them in the past. 
Whenever an operation has to be launched by troops in a new area or terrain, the first step is to 
gather information related to similar operations that may have been conducted in the same area 
in the past. Such information prepares them for what can be expected during the course of their 
impending military operations. Therefore, it can be seen that understanding the past is absolutely 
essential for living in the present despite the fact that now we are much more technologically 
advanced than we were in the past. 
Technological advancements have succeeded in providing us with the modern luxuries of life, 
but we have been able to come this far only because of the guidance we got from our past. The 
roots of the present day technology lie in the scientific theories that were formulated in the past. 
Can we afford to ignore the theories of Science or the Mathematical formulae, which were 
established in the past, for setting forth new theories? It is absolutely essential for researchers 
and scientists to study what has been researched in the past so that they are able to get the 

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required guidance for their research work in the present. This is the research work that results in 
the technological developments. 
We have been awed by the archaeological marvels that were constructed in the past. There have 
been numerous studies based on the construction techniques of the past and the modern day 
architects have utilized the same techniques time and again for constructing buildings in the 
present. A study of the past not only reveals the mistakes done by the people of that era, but one 
also gets to learn a lot from the time tested techniques that were used successfully. In conclusion, 
it is evident that we are progressing into the future only because we have chosen to understand 
the past and utilize it as a starting point for all our present day work. 

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