Understanding the past is of little use to those in current positions of leadership.
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.
This is part of Magoosh’s GRE AWA’s Issue task. Here’s my take on it:
Leadership positions demand an acumen for solving real-world problems by taking decisive actions. In every major step, a leader must be able to sort out the best possible way to direct those who are reliant on him/her. In assessing the present, a leader is supposed to have a stove of experiences and knowledge which helps him to generate creative solutions. Given the short lifespan of a single person, it is impractical to expect a single person to have all the experiences necessary to combat any challenging situation. This is where knowledge and understanding of the past come into play. Thus, understanding the past is not only an instrumental part of leadership but also impacts the viability of the solutions offered by a leader in the current position.
Human society has been in constant evolution since its inception. The societal problems faced by the cave-men differs vastly from what we face today. Nevertheless, in a constantly evolving model, leaders in each era had gleaned the necessary lessons from history and applied them to solve current problems. For example, racism has been a social malady for a very long time. In mitigating this problem, leaders have come up with solutions that often reshaped society and changed our outlook. Any society and its leaders in current positions who are considering to exploit racism and impose racial segregation laws, need not look far than the revolutions led by Nelson Mandela. Knowing that these segregation laws are eventually nullified, leaders in current positions will certainly refrain from imposing them.
Technological advancements have molded our species and presented us with novel solutions. However, the prospect of exploiting technology in destruction is always lurking in the shadows. For instance, the second world war has shown us the destructive power of atomic bombs. After the war, the leaders of the world decided to restrict atomic weapons and signed treaties surrounding it. This was a very important lesson for the existence of humanity. Had the leaders in current positions in that time not taken into consideration the past incidents related to these weapons, the human race would have been threatened by extinction. Moreover, the formation of the United Nations, European Union and other international organization is deeply rooted in the understanding of the past by leaders who not only took the lessons of history into consideration while shaping the future but also foresaw the destruction of humanity, had they done otherwiese.
Furthermore, our political systems are part of a gradual evolutionary process happening over centuries. The barter system in place during the early days are today replaced by market economy. The imperialism celebrated around the globe in the past, is replaced by democracy. These changes were possible due to the steps taken by maverick leaders, who dreamt about a change and galvanized soceity to take action. Mahatma Gandhi, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are all examples of leaders who remodelled the world for the better. It is undeniable that they did not take the lessons of the past and understood the fallacies and follies of then society and took bold steps to fix them.
A successful leader does not only have a knowledge of contemporary issues but also possess an acumen for extracting valuable lessons from past incidents. A leader who does take into consideration the teachings of history is less likely to devise pragmatic solutions. Since, his/her solutions would be largely disconnecred from our human beings respond to certain situations, which can only be understood by assessing the past.
