In any field of endeavor, it is impossible to make a significant contribution without first being strongly influenced by past achievements within that field.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

It is impossible to see what happen today without the struggles and hardships of the predecessor. The invention of cars and planes has made people able to travel at long distance without needing to put much effort. Furthermore, this is not the only invention that has significantly contributed to the society. In order to make this contribution, strong experiences in that field are absolutely essential.

First of all, the knowledge of a person is correlated to the past experience that person has undergone. It can be seen in how children learn to walk. In order for them to walk, they first learn how to crouch. And also, running is impossible without them knowing how to walk. This, of course, not only applied to children. Athletes become professional only because they have practiced for a long time, overcoming many obstacles along the way. This concept applies to every field, from physical activity to science. It can be seen that professors receive their degree only because their achievements prove their exceptional understanding in that field. And so, to make a major breakthrough in science or to discover an important algorithm that can save the world, people need to have the required knowledge, which can be seen in what achievements they have received in the past.

However, some people may argue that significant contribution requires much more than past achievements. For example, the invention of gravity, which becomes a fundamental theory in physics, happens because of luck. It is possible that people may not know what gravity is if Newton did not have the chance to see an apple falling, or he neglected the mundane phenomenon in front of his eyes. This invention happens because of his inspiration, which encourages him to further investigate the phenomenon.

Nevertheless, although luck is necessary for a significant breakthrough, the importance of knowledge cannot be neglected. The inspiration that came to Newton was possible only because of his profession. His strong curiosity and logical thinking, due to him being a prominent mathematician, had made it possible for him to discover gravity. Furthermore, if other people, without the knowledge as vast as Newton’s, see a falling apple, it is assured that no inspiration will come to their mind.

To sum it up, past achievements are important for a person to make a significant breakthrough. No matter what field that person chooses to delve in, with a bit of luck and very strong background in that field, he/she can make a breakthrough as significant as Newton.


Thanks a lot for the feedback!