Old Man and the Sea
Essay by Nicolas • February 27, 2012 • Essay • 506 Words (3 Pages) • 1,727 Views
It doesn't matter if you're a rich man or a poor man. Life can put anyone through the ringer now and then. What is it that makes us able to withstand? Why are we so determined to go on? Man continues to try and make his mark in the world. Rising only to fall, falling and determined to get up again. Can a man be destroyed but not defeated? Can a man be defeated but not destroyed?
The cause of a man's destruction is in his own hands. The free will given to man enables him to move about this world and choose his own path. The twist and turns of the life of this world can change man's perception of himself, leading him only to self-destruct through means of his own choices. Win or loose the man is not really defeated. He is just broken down into the lowly and dependent creature of this world from which he comes. Is this his end, his defeat? No. Because, man was given a light from within that carries his life through this life and beyond. The real question is; is man the creature or the light? No matter, the depths of destruction in which a man may find himself, the light never goes out. Despite being broken down to what feels to be his destruction, the light allows him to rebuild, never being entirely defeated.
Defeat makes a strong man stronger or makes a weak man cry. The defeat of a man is not his destruction. It is a latter for him to climb. When the strong man becomes stronger he will raise above. When the weak man cries he turns inwards only to relieve his burdens and opens his eyes again. A man's view of the world is only known through his knowledge. To face a challenge that may cause your defeat will only teach the knowledge of what the man was missing in the first place. Again, allowing him to build the strength and skill to overcome his challenges. Where is the defeat in that?
Man struggles to stay alive. He wants justice. Man wants to stand on his own two feet. He wants to climb up. Man wants it to be known. He wants it to be known that he has made it. The countless challenges that have caused his times of destruction and defeat, does not stop the man from trying again, trying to find a way back on top. What keeps him from giving up? It is the light that is an eternal guide to lead him where he belongs.
It is not man's purpose to be destroyed or defeated. It is his purpose to rise to his rightful place above. Above what, you ask? Above the shell that inhibits the beautiful light that he is. Destruction or defeat meets the purpose of giving a man the means to clear his way and allow his light to guide. In conclusion, a man cannot be destroyed or defeated. For in a man resides something that is everlasting.
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