Montenegro, Joshua D.

ENG031 – Purposive Communication

BSME MECH -1 July 20, 2018

An Argumentative Essay: A Medal Does Not Define You

Medals were used since the dawn of time. It comes in different forms and sizes
awarded to athletes and scholars who excelled. These things are used in order to
commemorate one’s great feats and achievements gained from all the hard work,
sweat, tears and blood, spent on the sole purpose of exceeding thoroughly in any
fields especially in academics. It is always a big achievement to a person to receive
medals and awards. A heartfelt accomplishment accompanies every recognition
given. But does this medals and awards really define a person on how he/she do in
life. Receiving mere medals means nothing without learning the important values and
lessons of life. The feeling of joy and fulfillment matters way more than just receiving
awards. Being happy in whatever done means everything.

A man once said that if a fish is judged by its ability to climb a tree then it would
definitely fail the standards. But if the fish only do what it does best, then it would swim
better than any animals. A man forced to do something he is not comfortable with will
most probably doesn’t do good. Doing the things with passion and comfort gives a
person an unexplainable joy and fulfillment in his/her heart. Every person is unique in
their own way. Everyone has their own skills and abilities. These skills and abilities are
the usual comfort and joy of a person. They are the things a person loves to do. On
the other hand, people also have their own weaknesses. Weaknesses are normal to
people. It just up to them on how they cope up with these weaknesses and turn these
into strengths.

Although medals and awards make a student look intelligent, they may only
define the efforts and determination of a student to do good in his studies. However
shiny these medals look, they still can’t define one’s true intelligence. So, a person
may not have a wall full of ribbons and medals or a five-star rating on his works and
projects, he will not be considered a failure. A person’s worth does not decrease in the
absence of academic excellence. Grade are just numbers used to determine
standardized placement in the class, they do not define who a person is. What matters
most is what is embedded in the heart, the things that keep life moving. Let intelligence
alone define a person. Everyone is smart in different ways.

Success doesn’t only come to those people who did good in their education,
instead, everyone can reach to the top. The real measure of success is not wealth nor
titles but the level of contentment. Anyone can earn money, but not everyone will find
real heartfelt joy and peace of mind, especially with the little they have. What’s
important is to grow up without any hang ups, bitterness or deep regrets in the heart.
Finding joy in everything done and the use of talents to help people and give back to
the community.

A good example of this is a soldier. Does a soldier who holds more ribbons
considered a better soldier compared to those who have less? Do these ribbons define
a soldier’s entire career? The ribbons themselves do not define the soldier. What that
soldier did to earn those ribbons says much about him/her. If a soldier works only to
get recognized and not because he is passionate of being a soldier, then he can’t be
compared to those soldiers who strive hard enough to do their duties and
responsibilities for their country. These create a series of building blocks that can and
do result in good soldiers. A values driven man with dignity is always better than those
people who only seek for recognitions and awards without integrity.

Medals and awards are two distinctions that define your efficiency and accuracy
in doing your specific jobs, school works and reports. It is just a measurement of how
well a person performed a tasks. A medal or an award signifies what a person have
been through and done. Like a fossil, piece of evidence that can trace hard works in a
certain field. Awards of any type should be just a reflection of what have been done in
that career. Careers are defined by the morals, integrity and overall character. Awards
show that a person has done something commendable, consecutive awards and
commendations show a pattern of performance. That is a good thing but only if it is all
combined with the joy and passion of doing such things.

Never thought of medals as things that define a person’s well-being. It only

defines what you’ve done to get it, not who you are who is owning it. It only means
that these tokens only represent one’s efforts that are rightfully acknowledged. It only
boosts the achiever’s; morale, to make them keep the good work, up. They do not tell
if you’re going to succeed further in life. A firm proof to this is that medals can be
earned it many ways. A person may devote himself by giving all of his efforts, talents
and attention into it or you could just simply cheat in order to get the medal/s you’ve
always yearned for. This proves that most people all over the world have been
brainwashed of the concept in mind that having these tokens will lead them to success
wherein fact they are only anxious of having the praises that are given to those who
own such emblems. At the end, defining a person was never someone’s job for they
are who they are. What and how a person see someone are mere opinions that he
based on how they move and interact. Only God can truly define one’s true identity.