TOEFL® essay: Successful people try new things and take risks rather than doing...

[Shazi.rock.star]

Successful people try new things and take risks rather than doing things they already know how to do well.

Success does not come for nothing. It would be an exaggeration to state that almost all people who acquired success faced numerous obstacles in their careers. Their bold decisions, ingenuity, and effort have assisted them gain their respected places in society, and most importantly, success. The urge to pioneer and take risks is a common characteristic shared by most renowned talents. They try new things and take many risks rather than doing things they are accustomed to do.

What are the advantages of taking chances? Firstly, whether it is positive or not, it would mark a turnabout in a one’s career. Bill Gates, the most typical example of a person who gained massive success, had grades well above sufficient to go to Harvard Law School, but refused to. Instead, he dedicated his whole career to developing and improving software for computers. At his time, nobody had anticipated that computers would ever reach their full potential, therefore, making Gate’s career choice highly risky.

The most crucial reason why businessmen must take risks, is that consumers' demands for something new and innovative will never diminish, especially in fashion and entertainment industries. A once-considered fashionable outfit might go out of style within months or weeks because of the rapid shift of trends. Therefore, to keep up with the consumers' wants, companies are forced to squeeze out unique ideas and often make bold moves. Also, the reason why most songs on billboard charts never stay for more than two months is that people keep looking for something new. For example, bands like Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses were once considered disorderly and noxious, but now they are considered as "rock gods" in the music industry.

Even if they are ready to take risks, the foremost reason why people decide not to is the threat of competition. They are afraid they will be outshone by their competition and this will eventually ruin their reputation in their field of business. This is the most cowardly excuse of not accepting challenges, for the world prefers the elite, and the theory of “the survival of the fittest” still exists. The primary reason why many people nowadays make such an effort to attaining a university education is that it would certainly look good on their resumes, and most importantly, to be better prepared to compete in the world of business; therefore, people who did not achieve a university education are almost unable to compete with the educated.

Conclusively, do successful people take chances than to do things they are accustomed to do well? The answer is absolutely yes. Nowadays, taking risks has become a crucial part in achieving success in our careers. Success does not come for nothing. Taking risks could be a dangerous gamble, but it is the price we have to pay for success.

TOEFL listening discussions: Why does the student need money?