Instructions: Write an essay (about 500 words) in response to the topic. Give your essay a title.

(Underline the thesis of your essay.  If you submit an essay in which the thesis is not underlined, five points will be subtracted from the grade you receive for the essay.)

TV talk shows present us with an almost endless array of celebrities who tell us that greatest good in life is personal fulfillment.  Many of us get the impression that wanting something or wanting to do something makes it right and that we have a right to pursue whatever we want regardless of the consequences for ourselves or others.

In an entitled essay explain why you believe that this notion of personal fulfillment is good or bad for both individuals and society. 

Commentary

Are we obligated to think about how our pursuit of happiness affects others?  Do people overindulge in their wants and desires and ignore the consequences to themselves and others?  Before you can address this topic, you must determine the meaning of the term “personal fulfillment.”  You may find that there are many ways to define this term, a term that is often misunderstood by most people. The famous Greek philosopher, Aristotle, would probably urge us to observe the “golden mean” when we search for personal fulfillment.  Some spend most of their lives seeking personal fulfillment only in material things and are never happy, whereas others seem to be completely happy with possessions.